The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1917-03-22
Confessions of a
Successful Author
BY WILLIAM CHANDLER

| iNeNi Hss- having formed my taste
from reading classic authors who
wrote in the English language !
thought that in order to succeed nv
work must be up to their standard
and ! had sense enough to believe that
THIS was beyond the bounds of prob.
ability.
Alter spending several years writing
novels. into which | put nv best Of.
forts, and having failed to secure a
puohsher for any one of them, IL oc.
CURED TO me that the public taste re-
quireu something with less literary
merit and more calculated TO excite the
curiosity and other similar human at
tributes. therefore turned nv atten.
ton TO detective stories and extrava.
ganZas.
The fate of unsuccessful authors "a
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 natural prejudice against the
works of those who are endeavoring
TO come up behind them. | was con.
scientiouS enough TO struggle against
this feeling, but soon learned that. so
Iar as the publishers were concerned
literary merit had little to do with the
matter, and ! sought for sellers"
FROM the editorial chair | sank into
the position of furnisher of that iii.
erary fodder on which the public feeds
as horse cats 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 publisher
asking me If had anything on hand
in which he would be Interested Sup
posing that the letter was a catch for
printing that | would he expected to
pay for, ! returned his letter 10 him
with the Endorsement that never
my works. He replied that he would
publish anything of mine If Mt all. on
royalty.
Now, If had achieved literary fame
this would not have been surprising
AS II was could have been knocked
down with a feather Unfortunately
the opportunity, ii such IL 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 TO write anything
more. taking the risk Of its being de-
clincd by the publisher, and was sat
istied 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
volumnous reader of cheap novels.
Some one suggested to the old lady
quite likely to relieve those about her
OF the task of keeping up her spirits
that she try her hand at scribblng.
She listened to the suggestion, and
the result was novel In manuscript
One day when | visited the old lady
she suggested that |, being man OF ,
bellies lettrcsI objected to the term |
and suggested literary hack instead
might find a publisher for her novel.
1t happened that this request came a
dav or TWO after | had been asked by |
Dowley 4 Co.. publishers, for some or
my work. told my grandmother that |
| would submit her novel for her and
took il away with me. and without
reading II ! sent It TO the Dowleys as |
my own work. or course ] expected |
that il would be returned with thanks |
and an explanation why II was not
exactly what the firm was looking for.
Within q week received notice that !
nv novel. "Arabella Wooing,' was ac-
ceptcd. and was offered a 10 per |
cent royalty Like a fool, ! ran of to
my grandmother with the news. That |
fixed me as the author of "Arabellas /
Wooing." The old lady would have
dlsowucd meand was down IN her !
will for $1,000 had spoiled the op- ,
po-truity ly contrasting my imposition
on the publisher.
/ felt obliged TO consent to the pub
llcation Of my grandmother work un-
der nv own name without having read
IT. II was issued in due time. and l !
onened a copy II il, ! confess with /
dread. But | was not prepared Tor
what found In il. Great heavens.
Was this maudlm effort Of a woman
in her dotagc this hideous effort at
sentiment. to go forth as my work!
Rather would | offend my grandmoth-
or rather would fOrego the legacy
| telephoned Bowling x Co. to know
~ the book had been issued intending.
IL Il had not been. to urge its suppress
sion. Too late! A first edition OF To-
900 comics was on the stands.
By few friends had been regard.
ii tg..ra ~ man and they had