The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-02-05
Confessions Of a
Successful Author
By WILLIAM CHANDLER

misgivings. Having formed my taste
from reading classic authors who
wrote In the English language, I
thought that in order to succeed my
work must be up to their standard,
and | had sense enough to believe that
this was beyond the bounds Of prob
ability.
After spending several years writing
forts, and having failed TO secure
| publisher for any one of them, 1t &C.
Cured to me that the public taste re-
| quired something with less literary
merit and more calculated TO excite the
| curiosity and other similar human at
tributes | therefore turned my atten.
ton TO detective stories and extrava-
ganzas
The fate of unsuccessful authors is
usually that they are condemned to
Judge OF the works of others strug-
Cling for literary fame In other
words, they sink into positions Of
editors Their own failure fills them
with a natural prejJdice against the
works of those who are endeavoring
10 come up behind them. was con-
scientious enough to struggle against
this feeling. but Issoon learned that, so
far as the publishers were concerned.
literary merit had little to do with the
matter, and l sought for sellers
From the editorial chair | sank into
the position of furnisher Of that lit
erary fodder on which the public feeds
as horse eats corn or hay. In this
way / managed to keep body and soul
together for ten years. One morning
when / had become somewhat indie
pendent from having received prompt |
pay for grinding out copy the mail
brought me a letter from a publisher |
asking me II had anything on hand |
in which he would be interested Sup |
posing that the letter was a catch for |
printing that | would be expected to |
pay for. | returned his letter to him |
with the Endorsement that never
paid the expenses for publication OF
my works He replied that he would
publish anything ef mine, II at all, on
a royalty,
Now, II had achieved literary fame
this would not have been surprising.
AS IL was | could have been knocked
down with a feather. Unfortunately
the opportunity. II such 1t would prove
to be, came too late. had fallen heir
to a small property. and the income.
together with what | made at produc-
ing literary fodder. supplied my wants.
| was not disposed 10 write anything
more. taking the risk of its being de-
clined by the publisher, and l was sat
isfied that nothing had on hand would
meet the public demand.
My grandmother on my fathers side
had become a chronic invalid and was
confined TO her room with nothing to
occupy her. She had never shown any
literary taste, though she had been ,
reader of cheap novels.
Some one suggested TO the old lady ,
quite likely to relieve those about her {
Of the task OF keeping up ner spirits I
that she try her hand at scribbling. a
She listened to the suggestion. and
the result was a novel in manuscript.
One day when | visited the old lady
she suggested that /, being man or 4
bellies -lettres-I objected to the term y
and suggested literary hack instead !
might find a publisher for her novel {
It happened that this request came
lay or two after / had been asked 3y
Dowley & Co, publishers. for some OF
ny work told my grandmother that I
would submit her novel for her and 4
ook il away with me. and without n
'eading IL l sent It TO the Dowleys % I
nv own work. OF course | expected
hat Il would be returned with thanks
nd an explanation why 1t was no; II
xactly what the firm was looking for. u
Within a week received notice thai
~ novel. "Arabella's wOoing," was ac-
epted, and | was offered a 10 pui
ent royalty. Like a fool. ] ran of tc -
Nv grandmother with the news. Thu r,
xed me as the author OF "Arabellas II
vooing" The old lady. would have d
me-and | was down I'm her ! Il
ill for Sl0o00-had I spoiled the op-
by confessing my imposition q
n the publisher p,
] felt obliged to consent to the pub
cation Of my grandmother's work I'M u
er my own name without having read -
IL was issued in due time, and 1
pened a copy Of il. confess, with
read. But I was not prepared for
hat l found in t. Great heavens! N
Jas this maudlin effort Of a woman r.
her dotage. this hideous effort at
20 20 forth as my work.
ather would I offend my Erandmoth- N
/. rather would foregO the Legacy. ! 5,