New-York tribune., 1921-04-24
4 UTHORSHIP and the packing bus-
~ ness are no longer the simple things
- they once were. By-products have


- they once were. By-products have
accumulated in such number and
value that all the simplicity of each calling
is gone. The packer, it is said, makes most
of his profits from side products that
were unknown few years ago. until it is de-
ciared of the pig that everything but the
squeal is utilized to mans advantage. The
analogy is not far-fetched in the case of the
author for if he be successful writer wise
in the things that rebound to the fatness Of
his own pocketbook, he finds it possible to
market almost everything but the typewriter
ribbons that have been sacrificed in producing
his work
The most valuable literary by-product to-
day is the motion picture right That much
emphasized recently when the executive
committee of the Authors League came out in
public protest against the alleged policy of
well-known magazine publisher in the matter
of insisting on options on motion picture
rights which, it was claimed, should belong
to the creators of such stories as prove to be
convertible into fodder for the camera AS
matter of fact, motion picture rights rep
resent the largest profits in authorship to-
day, generally speaking. Writers are ac-
cused of working with one eye on the screen
"a most difficult pose, and one which would
forever bar a Cyclopean race of mortals
from the trade of authorship as followed to-
too much action, all because of that quality
being SO much in demand by those who are
charged with the task of selecting stories for
picture presentation. When one young
author hears that another young author has
bought touring car with the motion picture
proceeds of story which in it's original
form did not yield enough to buy motor
cycle it is not surprising that he unconscious
ly drifts toward similar channels of reward
II heard the other day of successful
author who sold the motion picture rights of
a serial for $40,00O," said Louis Joseph
Vance, who is chairman of the executive COM
mttee of the Authors League, and as such is
leading the fight to secure all available rights
for the craft 'That sum is probably twice
the amount he received for the serial rights of
the story Sales of motion picture rights of
serials by we'll known authors are FREQUENTLY
made at $4,000 or $4,000. Short stories
which available as pictures command good
prices also. heard of short story the other
day which did not bring it's author more than
800 in magazine form, yet which sold as
motion picture for $4,000"
Aside from the motion picture rights. when
are of comparatively recent origin, there are
other rights which bring in good returns. but
which few authors secured to themselves until
recent years. The old condition existed accord
ing to Mr. Vance, merely because publishers
had fallen into the habit of declaring them
selves the possessors OF such rights. and he-
cause authors were afraid to dispute such an
assertion or were ignorant of the value of the
rights which they lost
If Poe were busy in his little cottage in the
Bronx to-day. and had finished enough tales to
make volume and sold his stories under q
modern contract, he would have found many
undreamed-of avenues of profit open to him.
In the first place, he would get many times
the early-day figure for the sale of the first
publication rights-which in his case proved to
be the last publication rights also. At least