Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-03-18
ROCKY ROADS TO WRITING
FAME TOLD OF BY HASklN
Daily Letter by Frederic j. Hasktn

If there is anything in the power Of
suggestion, this note book label
might be regarded as a determining
factor in Miss Hurst's later success.
Ben Ames Williams found the first
hundred storiSs the hardest to dis
pose of. In fact, he says tnat he
bombarded editors for -four years
without preaching their FORTH -ations.
The hundred and first story sold,
and Mr.. Williams has lived, we in
fer, famously eve after.
Another author who belieses in
persistence, William Hamilton Os-
borne, tells of sending a story 10 125
magazines and newspapers and at
last selling 1t to L~ippincott's Mag
azine, which he had somehow preyi-
ously overlooked.
Gelett Burgess also found that It
Is apt to take time to adjust oneself
soon saw the unlikelihood of being
cation Of the literati. so. as he says.
he broke in, as one breaks into a
house.
A Boston newspaper had a page
of literary queries which readers pro-
pounded and other readers answered.
Burgess wrote to the editor:
"Who is the author Of the poem
commencing The dismal day with
dreary pace and can you give the
verses? +. T.. c."
/ This was printed, and Burgess at
once SEN In the answer that the
author of the poem in question was
Frank Gelett Burgess, and that he
was sending the words. Burgess rec
ommends this as one sure way to get
a manuscript printed.
Kathleen Norris first story had a
long and honorable career. 1t went
to a few magazines and then into
a trunk. Seven years later she had
acquired a Journalistic husband who
understood the unromantic business
of marketing manuscripts. He made
an alphabetical list of % fiction mag
azines and the story began to shut
tie back and forth with monotonous
regularity. When the % were all
tried. the self-appointed literary
agent did not give up. - He began
again with the first one and drew a
check.
This tale presents a doubtful
moral. A story ingenuously offered
to the same editor twice might be
gratefully received, and then again it
might impress that parsonage so un-
~favorably that the sight of the
authors name would become dis
tasteful to him-that is. unless the
author became famous. When an
authors existence once begins to be
officially recognized by the magazines
he enters a new caste in society, and
/ oIsta,o ,I him xryfth offacfinrafe
respect. Burgess Johnson describes
this transformation Interestingly:
Johnson's Curious Experience.
while 1 was a college student ]
sent some verses to Life. They were
returned with a pleasantly worded
printed slip from the editor. I sen
some more. They were returned with
similar comment. / did it again and
yet again. always with the same re-
suit.
~'Then at last came acceptance
with q handwritten note asking fol
more. But thera was an old flaw II
my respect for editors. / proceeded
to hunt up all those rejected manu-
scripts and I sent them in response t.
the request. They were all accepted
'It was then that a great trutl
dawned upon me. Editors wer'
!, humanity fallible. Anyone could b.
one. So. in time, l myself became
an editor"
Henry Sydnor Harrison had a SINH
/ lar experience. Once his name wa
linked with c and popularity
editors who had steadily refused t.
see any good in his stories when h
J had swamped their offices with man
! uscripts. began to ask politely TO
: Just m story.
: The moral of such careers is OBJ
t viously that n way to sell manu-
: scripts is to become a famous author
: Taking the book altogether, how
!, ever. it doesn't seem to make nue.
difference which one of the writer:
beginnings the incipient celebrit
selects to copy. He may start on
with heroic couplets or, five act trag
edies. Sooner or later, If he per
0 sists, he will find his medium and a
0 editor who appreciates him-that I.
' Tho win he is is destined to be
i, famous american author.