THE WRITER MUST TEACH HIMSELF I don't believe that newspaper work is of any special value or importance to the writer of fiction. It may provide him with raw material or enable him to earn a congenial livelihood during the years in which he is fledging himself; but the art of writing a news story has no relation to the art of fiction, and a man acquiring skill in news writing is, as often as not, handicapped when he turns to the short story or novel. He must, very likely, learn all over again. The two things are not comparable. In the main, one can be instructed how to write news; but no one can successfully instruct another in the writing of fiction. I know it is tried, but it produces only mechanical excellence; and I do not believe that any correspondence school or other form of instruction ever has made or ever will make, a first-class fiction writer. How can it? NO EFFECT EITHER WAY In reply to your inquiry I can only say that, to my conjecture, the influence of newspaper experience on creative writing is purely negative. I cannot perceive that my own ex GRANT OVERTON Every story is different, every effort should JAMES BRANCH CABELL perience of this sort has either helped or hindered me. James Branch Cabell. The Manuscript Market THIS information as to the present special needs of various peri- CONTEMPORARY VERSE will not cease publica- poets. The eccentric and bizarre are not West Stories, and the Lariat. The magazine makes its appeal to the girl whose life is drab and who longs for romance and exciting moments. The editor wants clean love stories, with emotional depth, mystery and suspense, pathos and heartache. The heroine, as a rule, should be the girl into whose life come romance and drama; she should be placed in gripping situations and her emotions should be sympathetically treated, with the story told in such a way that the reader feels the heartache, the struggle, and the thrill and happiness of the heroine. The plot, which should contain plenty of action, may be melodramatic and extravagant, and the more unusual and original, the better. Stories should be written in the third person, and the plots should be strong in drama but not sophisticated. The ideal story is a strong story, full of "sob," struggle, action, romance, and glamor, with a satisfying love ending. The socalled sex story and the story of the confession type are not wanted. Publishing SWEETHEART STORIES -Dell SIMON AND SCHUSTER, INC.-37 West Fifty- THE UNIVERSAL TRADE PRESS SYNDICATE 522 Fifth avenue, New York, is in need of merchandising stories in the automotive field. Such stories should contain authoritative accounts of successful merchandising methods as developed by prominent automotive men throughout the country, and will be paid for on publication at the rate of one cent a word. As the Universal Trade Press Syndicate renders a daily service, the quantity of stories needed is large, and intending contributors should communicate with the News Editor, T. A. Gallagher, inclosing a stamped and addressed envelope, and indicating what story they have in mind, about whom it is to be written, and a brief digest of the intended content. The Syndicate is also anxious to get in touch immediately with radio editors of newspapers, and others qualified to write on non-technical radio topics. THE NORTHWESTERN MILLER- Minneapolis, Minn., wants illustrated articles, of from 2,000 to 4,000 words, on subjects of general and technical interest to millers, bakers, flour merchants or grain dealers; short illustrated articles, of from 200 to 1,000 words, dealing with picturesque or historical flour mills; personality articles, with portraits and illustrations, dealing with veteran millers of the old school or with successful figures in modern milling; short humorous anecdotes concerning mills and millers; an occasional short story, not exceeding 3,000 words, with a strictly milling flavor; and an occasional poem with the flavor of the flour mill, the wheat field, or a loaf of bread. Poetry must have literary merit, articles must be authoritative and accurate, and all material must be written with distinction. Payment will be made on acceptance, at the rate of one cent a word and upward, and one dollar each for photographs. Carroll K. Michener is the managing editor of the Northwestern Miller. MUSIC AND YOUTH-16 Arlington street, Boston, would like some musical articles of an educational character. JUNIOR LIFE Box 5, Station N, Cincinnati, Ohio, a new church-school paper published by the Standard Publishing Company, is in the market for stories or articles, not exceeding 1,000 words, of interest and educational value to children of from eight to twelve. YOUTH 199 Waverly place, New York, is a new magazine, the first issue of which is that for December. The editor says that "Youth will be a magazine where youth will, in its own way, voice its own opinions and aspirations, and make manifest its own creative work. It will be a meeting-place for the youth of the world, for it seeks out and invites the co-operation of young folks every-[242] where." The magazine will publish the works of poets and writers who have something to say which is not of a specifically local nature. The magazine does not pay for contributions at present. FAWCETT'S MAGAZINE-Robbinsdale, Minn., is in the market for short sport stories with a romantic angle, and for brief personality sketches of picturesque young women. Photographs must accompany all human-interest features. ALLAN A. HOFFMAN, of the Hoffman-Maxwell Play Company-830 Market street, San Francisco, Calif., writes that the Company is at all times interested in every type of play sketches, monologues, children's plays, full evening plays, musical comedies, and so forth for the use of little theatres, amateurs, or or professionals. Manuscripts should be accompanied by return postage, and reports are made in from ten days to two weeks. TRIPLE-X MAGAZINE - Robbinsdale, Minn., especially wants short stories not exceeding 8,000 words. Stories must have an outdoor flavor, Western, railroad, sea, north woods, and sports subjects being most in demand. While love stories in these various outdoor settings are not wanted, woman interest is not excluded, but it must be subdued. Only Western and action detective novelettes, not exceeding 15,000 words, can be considered at this time. THE AUTOMOTIVE DAILY NEWS-25 City Hall place, New York, can use good merchandising stories telling of the successful business methods of automobile dealers, accessory merchants, tire and battery dealers, truck dealers, bus operating companies, and garages. The stories should contain helpful data, and range from about 500 to 1,500 words. Prize Offers and Awards contest will close January 25, 1926, and in the event of a tie for any prize offered, all tying contestants will receive the full amount of the prize. TRIPLE-X MAGAZINE - Robbinsdale, Minn., offers monthly prizes of $25, $15, and $10 in a personal experience department, designated as the Reader's Rodeo. Exciting personal experiences in which the relators faced grave danger or death are wanted. Contributions should not exceed 1,000 words, and a photograph of the contributor must accompany the manuscript. Contributions which do not win prizes will be accepted at the regular rate of payment. Poems sent in competition for the NATION'S annual poetry prize of $100 for the best poem submitted by an American poet, must reach the office of the NATION-20 Vesey street, New York, not earlier than December 1, and not later than December 31. Envelopes must be marked on the outside: "For the NATION'S Poetry Prize." POETRY awards four prizes this year: The Helen Haire Levinson prize of $200, presented for the twelfth time by Salmon O. Levinson, of Chicago, to Ralph Cheever Dunning, an American poet now living in Paris, for his group of poems, "The Four Winds," published in the April number of POETRY; the prize of $100 for a poem, or group of poems, without distinction of nationality, to Leonora Speyer, of New York, for her poem, "Ballad of a Lost Horse," published in the October, 1924, number; the prize of $100 intended as a token of appreciation and encouragement for good work by a young poet, to George H. Dillon, of Chicago, for his group of poems, "Preludes," published in the August number; and the John Reed Memorial prize of $100 founded by Louise Bryant, to Countee P. Cullen, of New York, not only for his poem, "Threnody for a Brown Girl," published in the April number, but also for the general quality and promise of his work pub lished elsewhere. PRIZE OFFERS STILL OPEN Prizes in Letters offered by the Columbia University School of Journalism: For the American novel published during the year which shall best present the wholesome atmosphere of American life and the highest standard of American manners and manhood, $1,000; for the original American play, performed in New York, which shall best represent the educational value and power of the stage in raising the standard of good morals, good taste, and good manners, $1,000; for the best book of the year on the history of the United States, $2,000; for the best American biography teaching patriotic and unselfish services to the people, illustrated by an eminent example, $1,000; for the best volume of verse published during the year by an American author, $1,000. Also, Prizes in Journalism, amounting to $3,000 and a $500 medal, and three traveling scholarships having a value of $1,500 each. All offered annually under the terms of the will of Joseph Pulitzer. Nominations of candidates must be made in writing on or before February 1 of each year, addressed to the Secretary of Columbia University, New York, on forms that may be obtained on application to the Secretary of the University. Pasadena Prize Play contest for 1925-1926, with prizes of $300 for the best full evening play, and $100 for the best one-act play submitted by March 1. Particulars in October WRITER. Hart, Schaffner, & Marx prizes of $1,000, $500, $300 and $200 for the four best studies in the economic field submitted by June 1, 1926. Particulars in November WRITER. Prizes aggregating $9,500 offered by the Sesqui-Centennial Association of the SesquiCentennial International Exposition for musical compositions, contests ending March 1 and April 1. Particulars in November WRITER. Monthly prizes totalling $50 offered by Triple-X Magazine for experiences of readers. Particulars in May WRITER. Bookman prizes amounting to $250 for the best humorous poetry appearing in the Fun Shop $125 for the period from June 1 to December 25, and $125 for the period from December 26 to May 1, 1926. Particulars in August WRITER. Three prizes of $50 each for poems published in the Lyric West during 1925. Particulars in March WRITER. Prize of $2,500 to be awarded in 1925 and every three years thereafter, and an annual prize of $300, offered by the Chicago Trust Company for the best contribution on any subject relating to business development and the modern trust company. Particulars in March WRITER. Prize of $50 offered by the Harvard School of Education at Harvard University for an official song. Particulars in February, 1924, WRITER. Prize of $25 offered by the Harp (Larned, Kansas), for the best sonnet, or poem of no greater length than a sonnet, printed in the Harp before August, 1926. Prize of $25 for the best poem published in the Mesa during 1925. Particulars in March WRITER. The Canadian Bookman (125 Simcoe Street, Toronto, Canada) offers each month three prizes in a book review competition. Annual poetry prize of $100 offered by the Nation, poems to be submitted between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day of - each year. Particulars in February, 1923, WRITER. Annual prize for senior and high school student poetry offered by Witter Bynner through the Scholastic (Pittsburgh, Penn.). Prizes of the Poetry Society of South Carolina; Blindman Prize of $250; Southern Prize of $100; Society's Prize of $25; Henry E. Harmon Prize of $25; Sky Lark Prize of $10 -all offered annually. Particulars in January, 1923, WRITER. Monthly prizes offered by the Photo-Era Magazine (Wolfeboro, N. H.) for photographs, in an advanced competition and a beginner's competition. Walker prizes for the best memoirs on Natural History, offered annually by the Boston Society of Natural History, closing March 1 of each calendar year. Particulars in June WRITER. Current Literary Topics Writers Discovered by the New Editor of the Century. Hewitt Hanson Howland, the new editor of the Century Magazine, as literary adviser for the Bobbs-Merrill Publishing Company from 1900 to 1925 gave encouragement to many new authors. He quickly recognized the genius of James Whitcomb Riley, and established a relationship with him which gave impetus to the young publishing house and started Riley on the road to fame. Gene Stratton Porter, with a knowledge and love of nature, came from her Limberlost estate in northern Indiana to Howland with her first book, "The Song of the Cardinal." After a number of New York publishers had refused Mary Roberts Rinehart's first effort, "The Circular Staircase,” Howland accepted it, rushing to Pittsburgh overnight to get Mrs. Rinehart's name to a contract. Brand Whitlock as a Chicago newspaper reporter and a student of politics paved the way for his first book "The Thirteenth District." Howland heard of it and went to Toledo, then Whitlock's home, read the manuscript, accepted and published the book. From a Syracuse, New York, newspaper man, came a manuscript filled with adventure, humor and characterization. It was "The Puppet Crown," in embryo, and heralded the arrival of a new writer -Harold McGrath. newspaper man, George Barr McCutcheon, a brought from Lafayette, Indiana, the manuscript for his first novel, "Graustark." "The writer must be a story teller; he must have a background of good reading, and he must be willing to work long and hard. If he has these things he can succeed," says Mr. Howland. The First American Scholarship for Poets. - The will of Amy Lowell establishes a foundation to be known as The Amy Lowell Poetry Travelling Scholarship, provided for as follows: My trustees shall appoint a committee to be composed of one member of the English Department of Harvard University, and of two poets of recognized standing (preference being given to those of progressive literary tendencies), and of the trustees themselves, who collectively shall count as one. This committee shall each year name to receive the scholarship a poet of American birth and of good standing or able promise, preference again being given to those of progressive literary tendencies. By accepting the scholarship, the recipient shall agree with the trustees to spend one year outside of the |