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THE WRITER'S DIRECTORY OF PERIODICALS (Continued)

THEATRE ARTS MONTHLY (M), 119 West 57th st.,
New York. $4.00; 50c. Edith J. R. Isaacs, editor;
Stark Young, Kenneth Macgowan, and Ashley
Dukes, associate editors; John Mason Brown, as-
sistant editor.

An illustrated monthly of the theatre and the allied arts. Buys articles on the technique and practice of the theatre, especially when illustrated by unusual photographs of stage designs, poetry about the theatre, and one-act plays. Pays, at a minimum rate of two cents a word, on publication. The editors prefer not to have articles submitted except on order, but will be glad to receive suggestions.

THEATRE MAGAZINE (M), 2 West 45th st., New York. $4.00; 35c. Arthur Hornblow, editor.

Uses articles on timely theatrical and musical subjects, accompanied, when possible, by photographs. Prints no fiction, sometimes buys photographs, and pays on publication.

THOUGHT (Q), The Printing Crafts Building, Eighth
ave. and 33d st., New York. $5.00; $1.25. Rev.
Wilfrid Parsons, S. J., editor-in-chief; Rev. Francis
P. LeBuffe, S. J., managing editor.

A Quarterly of the Sciences and Letters, using research articles on the arts and sciences, setting length limit at about 7,000 words. Does not use fiction or poetry, or buy photographs. Pays, at a minimum rate of $75 an article, on acceptance.

ADDITIONS AND CHANGES

AMATEUR MOVIE MAKERS (M), 105 West 40th st.
New York. $3.00; 25c. J. B. Carrigan, editor.

The official publication of the American Cinema League, and published to increase the pleasure of making home motion pictures by aiding amateurs to make and produce their own plays. Interested in anything which has in any way to do with amateur motion pictures, or any serious treatment of motion pictures in any field. Uses general articles on amateur motion pictures, short stories, scenarios, poetry, humorous verse, and jokes, but no novelettes, serials, or juvenile matter. Sets length limit at 2,000 words, buys photographs, and pays, at a minimum rate of one cent a word.

COLLEGE STORIES (B-M), Room 410, 250 Park ave.,
New York. James M. Neville, editor.

Uses short stories, of from 2,500 to 10,000 words; articles, of between 1,500 and 3,000

words; novels as serials, poetry; and verse; but no humor. Pays, from one-half cent to one cent and a half a word, on publication.

ECHO (M), 1840 California st., Denver, Colo. $2.00; 20c. David Raffelock, editor.

Uses material with a strong Western slant stories, essays, general articles, and poems. Payment on acceptance is made for all classes of material, and every acceptable manuscript is automatically entered in the prize competition, * running from December 1, 1926, to November 30, 1927. A year's subscription to the magazine is the only payment made for verse at present. PET SHOP (M), Room 1008, 709 Sixth ave., New York. $3.00; 25c. Frank W. Maas, editor.

Uses only articles of special interest to pet dealers, setting length limit at 1,000 words. Buys photographs of animals and pets, and pays, at a minimum rate of one-half cent a word. PIONEER MAGAZINE (M), 213 Houston Building, San Antonio, Texas. $1.50; 20c. L. D. Webster, editor.

Formerly Texasland. Uses feature articles reflecting the life of Texas careers of the leading men and institutions; stories of crops, markets, financing, etc.; portrait essays of those achieving distinction in art, science, and music; old-time tales of noted feuds, folklore, holdups, and banditry; and new and informative material giving a new angle, with an element of conflict illustrating the psychology of those primitive times compared with the present. Prints short stories, novelettes, serials, poetry, verse, and jokes. Sets length limit at from 1,000 to 3,000 words, prefers fiction where character and accomplishment is stressed, such as young married life, with emphasis on the man's view of making a living and acquiring a home. Payment is made by arrangement with the author. SOUTHERN LIFE MAGAZINE (M), Biltmore, N. C. W. E. Edwards, editor.

Chiefly a sort of booster for local interests, and secures material mainly from local sources. Prints general articles, occasional poetry, and humorous verse; uses jokes as fillers, but prints no fiction. Sets length limit at 3,500 words, and pays on acceptance.

WILL O' THE WISP (M), Escanaba, Michigan. $1.00; 10c. C. H. Nelson and J. G. Back, editors.

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The third printing of this Directory was begun in THE WRITER for March, 1917. Back numbers can be supplied. A set of the numbers from January, 1921, to December, 1926, giving the Directory complete, with additions and changes bringing everything up to date, and much other valuable matter, will be sent for five dollars; with a year's subscription added for eight dollars.

YOUR OPPORTUNITIES IN WRITING

First complete survey in book form

THE FREE LANCE WRITER'S
HANDBOOK

What the Critics See in It

The Independent: "It is doubtful if anyone has collected before so much useful information as is to be found in this volume arranged by the editor of THE WRITER. From Christmas greeting cards to the novel itself chapters run completely covering the field. each section being written by one whose conspicuous success in that line of endeavor makes his comments of really practical value."

Cincinnati Times Star: "A book of great importance and inestimable value."

Oakland Tribune: "It is a volume for the table of everyone who would earn money by pounding a typewriter or pushing a pen, for it is written by men and women who are of the craft and know its secrets."

Seattle Post Intelligencer: "Of all books purposing to help the beginning writer and one that can be of use to professional writers too THE FREE LANCE WRITER'S HANDBOOK is the best."

Honolulu Star Bulletin: "These papers are all different, but they have in common a clear and straightforward style. Their purpose as indicated in the Preface is to bring the authority of specialists to bear on the practical problems of the writer over a field broad enough to present a true picture of the difficulties and opportunities of writing for publication as a vocation. Its purpose is well served by the book."

Lexington Herald: "It has value for the most sought-after author and the struggling, hoping, fearing beginner."

Kansas City Star: "It contains intimate shop talk of editors, publishers, and authors which throws light on the whole field of professional writing."

America: "All the data that is convenient for the amateur and the professional writer to have within easy reach, and a large amount of information about the technique of composition and publication as well as a variety of suggestions as to how to make writing more effective both in itself and in its financial returns."

Richmond News Leader: "The young writer who has this will need nothing else - except the ability to write."

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: "At last the almost perfect guide for the person suffering with the itch to write. At last the secrets of the trade are available."

The Boston Globe: "Then there is an up-todate directory of the markets for every form of literary output."

Los Angeles Saturday Night: "No one with the
writing complex could glance at the index of
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Leavenworth Tribune: "This meritorious volume will make a record sale among readers in general; to a writer it is a 'find,' a book he will refer to daily."

$5.00 at Your Bookseller. Free Descriptive Material from

The Writer Publishing Company, Harvard Square,

Cambridge, Mass.

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THE WRITER'S DIRECTORY OF PERIODICALS

THE fourth printing of this Directory — which is constantly being revised and enlarged. began in THE WRITER for July, 1922. The information for it, showing the manuscript market and the manuscript requirements of the various publications listed, is gathered directly from the cditors of the periodicals. Great pains are taken to make the information accurate and the Directory complete.

Before submitting manuscripts to any publication, it is advisable to secure a sample copy.

(Continued from April WRITER)

THRIFT MAGAZINE (M), 9 East 46th st., New York. J. C. Blash, editor.

All material furnished by the staff. Not in the market for manuscripts. THRILLING TALES (M), 220 West 42d st., New York. $2.00; 20c. Horace J. Gardner, editor.

Uses only short stories, of from 3,000 to 5,000 words, mystery and Western stories with thrilling action. Does not buy photographs, and pays from five to ten dollars a story.

TIME (W), Penton Building, Cleveland, Ohio. $5.00; 15c. Henry R. Luce, editor..

A weekly news-magazine, aiming to give complete accounts of the week's developments in politics, art, science, foreign news, sports, and books. Articles are written by a special staff of editors, and the magazine is not in the market for manuscripts of any kind.

TODAY'S HOUSEWIFE (M), 18 East 18th st., New York. 50c; 10c. Anne M. Griffin, editor.

Devoted to woman and the home. Uses no fiction, but features such departments as the Household, From One Housewife to Another, Beauty, Recipes, Mother and Child, and Money Making at Home. Uses general articles pertaining to the home, and a small amount of poetry. TOP-NOTCH MAGAZINE (B-M), Street & Smith Corporation, 79 Seventh ave., New York. $3.00; 15c. George Briggs Jenkins, editor.

Prints good stories of all kinds - Western, sport, mystery, adventure, humor, detective, and combinations of these, as humorous Western, mystery stories with a sport element, humorous detective, etc. preferably told in the third person, as long as they are clean, have life, and "get somewhere." Uses short stories, novels, novelettes, serials, poetry, and humorous verse. Sets length limit for short stories at from 1,500 to 8,000 words; for novels at from 25,000 to 35,000 words, for novelettes at from 10,000 to 15,000 words, and for serials at from 50,000 to 70,000 words. Does not buy photographs, and pays, at a minimum rate of one cent a word, on acceptance.

TORCHBEARER (W), 810 Broadway, Nashville, Tenn. Edwin B. Chappell, Jr., editor.

A magazine for girls of from ten to seven

teen. Uses short stories, serials, general articles, handicraft material, and poetry. Fiction should treat of the wholesome, healthy, natural type of girl, with a preference for boarding-school, adventure, and mystery stories. Sets length limit for short stories at 3,000 words, and for serials at 40,000 words, buys photographs, and pays, at a minimum rate of from one-half cent to one cent a word, on acceptance.

TOWN AND COUNTRY (S-M), The Stuyvesant Company, 119 West 40th st., New York. $7.50; 50c. H. J. Whigham, editor.

An illustrated society journal, devoted to the fields of art, drama, amateur sports, society, country house, and country club life.

TOWN TOPICS (W), 2 West 45th st., New York. $10; 25c. J. Mayer, editor.

A society paper, using short stories, poems, humorous verse, and jokes, but no serials, novelettes, general articles, or plays. Everything must concern and interest society or the arts, and must be light and easily read. Sets length limit at from 500 to 1,500 words, buys photographs, and pays, at a minimum rate of one cent a word, the first of the month following publication.

TRAINED NURSE AND HOSPITAL REVIEW (M), 468 Fourth ave., New York. 3.00; 35c. Meta R. Pennock, editor.

Especially desires practical descriptions of new nursing methods or devices used in hospitals or homes; articles by doctors or nurses on etiology, or treatment, or case reports showing results of special therapy; articles of technical and semitechnical character giving community developments in nutrition, hospital management or publicity, and public welfare. Prints a fiction story in August and at Christmas, and, occasionally, suitable poetry. Sets length limit at from 2,800 to 3,500 words, buys photographs when authorizing the taking of them, or when using those taken or collected by the author, and pays, from one-half cent to two cents a word, on publication.

TRAVEL (M), Robert M. McBride Company, 9 West 16th st., New York. $4.00; 35c. Edward Hale Bierstadt, editor.

Uses travel articles that are informative and interpretative, and not mere description. Sets length limit at 5,000 words, preferring 3,500, buys photographs only to go with text, at the rate of one dollar each, and pays, at a minimum rate of ten dollars a thousand words, on publication.

CONTINUED ON INSIDE BACK COVER

CAN AUTHORS' MONTHLY FORUM J

Volume 39

BOSTON, May, 1927

Number 5

SPEAKIN

Beginning the Story

BY DEX VOLNEY

PEAKING from the buying desk of an editorial office, I observe a good deal of trouble on the part of many fiction writers in opening out their stories. There are those who plunge in with something resembling the heavy splash of a new coal-barge being launched off the ways, while others cautiously and elaborately stalk their theme like a Mexican-Indian crawling around trying to find a satisfactory vantage-point from which to shoot an enemy in the back.

A good deal has been said and written about how a writer should begin a fiction story. It has been largely agreed that he should present as speedily and skilfully as possible a picture or a situation that will carry the reader understandingly into the current of the narrative. This is true as far as it goes; but it is not quite broad enough to be taken as a universal necessity in story beginnings. There is a more fundamental requirement to be held in mind in opening (and writing) a story; and this is simply to be strikingly interesting. Be graceful, debonair, talkative, speechless, grotesque, surly, hard-shooting and hard-riding - but be interesting. Within the field covered by any given fiction magazine there is almost no other unabatable demand.

Such a declaration may look as belated and

obvious as last week's bread; but it really is not as anybody knows who sees some of the thousands of stories that never get lifted out of their plain dress of typewriter-paper to be sent to a literary fest Cinderella-like in scintillating print. Many of the stories that come in, even from writers who have sold considerable amounts of material, are hopelessly and irretrievably dull - dull alike all the way through, but extra dull in their beginnings. They are like underpowered airplanes that never get off the ground.

Notwithstanding the numerous warnings in fiction-writing books and magazines against the diffuse, weak, and laborious introduction, manuscripts constantly appear that impede the reader most inconsiderately. Here is the astonishing way one author, evidently a strong-lunged person, has of blowing out his cheeks and holding his breath over nothing of much importance:

"On his first arrival in Peking, in an environment, that is to say, where at the time Chank Tso Lin. the Chinese Avenger, as the younger enlightened element of Chihli Province styled him—though the old and conservative foreign-bought or foreignsinged mandarins saw in him only a destroying and accursed image-breaker — had gloriously levelled all opposition and was in supreme control, where his venerated parents and their friends, who had lived by the Book of Three Thousand Rules of Politeness

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