The Omaha guide., 1934-01-27
MITCHELL'S WEEKLY BOOK
COMMENT

answering a Georgia Reader.)
A reader in Atlanta, Georgia, who
asks that his name not be given p-b-
licity writes me at length concern
ing some previous comments of mine
that have appeared in this particular
column. | shall quote parts of his
letter.
"* = II am a constant reader of
your columns in the Atlanta Daily
World (the same columns appear
nationally in other publications as
well) and since | nm an aspiring,
if not inspiring, writer | am writing
for just a bit Of personal service and
information, which | hope you'll find
the time to grant me. First of all,
| wish to know if ordinary tipping
paper is sufficient to have a story
typed on? Secondly, should the lines
be double-spaced or si~ngle-spaced?
And lastly could the same story be
sold to two or more magazines?
+ = II notice that you sometimes
in your columns, produce letters or
excerpts of letter received from
young writer's asking advice but, sir,
l do not crave publicity"
Since this writer asks some ques-
tons that in the answering Of same
might interest other young writer's |
shall use this space in satisfying my
Atlanta reader, whose name l have
purposely omitted due to his own
request or rather suggestion that he
does not crave publicity.
l would not recommend that the
ordinary second sheets used in Of
fees for tipping be used for writing
any kind OF manuscript that has to
be submitted to editors, regardless of
whether it it a story, a news article,
or other form Of feature. Of course,
if the writer has established himself
and the publications use whatever he
writes then the ordinary copy"
paper is quite good enough for in
that last the publication is using ma
terial that win be read because Of
the writer's prestige in the field and
not particularly because of what is
written on the paper-or manuscript
Usually the manuscripts Of new
writer's have to be passed around a
sort of editorial board and for this
extra usage a good quality Of bond
paper, white, is preferable, with
double spacing and wide margins at
either side and at the top and bot
tom, with the writer's name, page
number, and title Of story, at the
top Of each page. When the manu-
script is finally completed, especial
ly if it is a first presentation to the
publication, it should be mailed flat,
with the sheets held together with
large paper clips and NOT stapled
or held together in clips that makes
the separation Of the sheets an in
convenience to the manuscript read
ers.
AS for selling a story to two or
more magazines that is distinctly
unethical. If you desire to reserve
certain rights this privilege should
first be obtained in writing, or you
can specify your rights on each sheet
of your manuscript. A new writer,
however has pot much Of an oppor-
tunity to dictate the rights desired
to reserve, unless his literary work
is unexceptional. If an editor returns
your manuscript, however, then it is
perfectly ethical to submit it to
another editor, if you think that the
other editor will accept it without
any improvement or change in it's
construction.
/ know Of no publication that will
give young writer's more instructive
and useful information and advice
than the Writer'S Digest, publised in
Cincinnati, Ohio. As one correspond
ent wrote to me this magazine seems
to encourage only white writer's |
must admit the fact that it is only
in the white field that our writer's
can cash in on their literary efforts
with any particular success. There
are very few Of the publications in
the colored field who promise lucra-
tive returns for manuscripts and even
fewer who will pay them after max
ing the promises
Editorial of The Week