(r-review.) Abbott, Eleanor, Style of, 61 rected, 17, 33, 49, 64, 77, 133, 149 ; Hughes, 161, 177 33, 49, 64, 77, 133, 149, 161, 177 137, 156, 170, 184 Editor of the Sketch Book, 102 Fiction Writers, Rules for, 125 Fitch, Clyde, The Writing of Plays, 3 (r), 14 103 Corrected, 161, 177 ; keeping the Typewriter Clean, 19 109, 127, 143, 158, 174, 186 Liberties with, 173 Mendès, Catulle, 56 Begin, 145 176, 788 159, 174, 187 151, -165 120, 136, 153, 166, 183 Walter, Klein, 2 Scott's * Lady of the Lake," External Nature in, Younglove, 50 115 Theme in Poetry and Prose, 113 151, 165 External Nature in Scott's A MONTHLY MAGAZINE TO INTEREST AND HELP ALL LITERARY WORKERS. Vol. XXI. BOSTON, JANUARY, 1909. No. 1. ENTERED AT THE BOSTON POST-OFFICE AS SECOND-CLASS MAIL MATTER. PAGE 2 8 . 8 . lor IO 10 II II . “ Ben Bolt” eye simply because he does not know his market. CONTENTS: And this is costly. Leaving out the quesJARKETING MANUSCRIPTS. W. Carey Wonderly tion of postage both ways and envelopes THE WRITING OF PLAYS. Israel Zangwill, Percy two each time a manuscript is sent out - the Mackaye, Clyde Fitch, Booth Tarkington, Eugene continual returning of a story or article Walter, Charles Klein again and again by magazine after magazine EDITORIAL will tell in time upon the stoutest heart. Importance of Punctuation, 6 - Must True Poetry Be Obscure ? 6 -- The Historian's The story which you once hailed with enTask, 7- The Mark Twain Corporation, 7- thusiasm becomes weak and commonplace, a Disfigurement of Manuscripts by Editors . thing unsalable, and you begin to wonder “ NEWSPAPER ENGLISH” EDITED whether you have any real talent, aiter all. WRITERS OF THE DAY This is the most natural feeling in the world, Mary Constance Du Bois, 8 - Arnold Haultain, 8 – Edith Hibbard, 9- Walter Leon but very oiten the story would have found a Sawyer, 9 - Effie Smith, 10 – Emerson Tay- home long ago had its author but taken the proper care to learn where it would receive PERSONAL Gossip ABOUT AUTHORS a ready welcome. Manuscripts sent out in Paul H. Hayne, 10 – S. Weir Mitchell, 10 – haphazard fashion seldom come to any good. Charles Dudley Warner CURRENT LITERARY Topics In fact, after a time their parent comes to reHow Was Written, II - The gard them as being very poor stuff indeed. Pigeon-hole Snare, 12 — Literary Questions Every writer should make it a point to see BOOK REVIEWS at least a certain number of magazines each LITERARY ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS NEWS AND NOTES. month. All of these cannot be read thoroughly or dissected page by page, but a glance at the table of contents, a knowledge MARKETING MANUSCRIPTS. of the names of contributors will help out wonderfully. In this way the general motif Vowadays, with almost every magazine in of the publication can be gained, and a little further study will show you that while all of the country using short stories, at least one them use short stories, the 'short stories or two in a single issue, it would seem that themselves in the different magazines are as the aspiring author would have a compara different and as wide apart as the poles themtively easy time of it in marketing his wares. selves. And he would have, did he but study his It is not enough to know that Harper's, market a little more closely. the Smart Set, the Argosy, and the Red The broker, the actor, even the corner Book short stories. They do - but grocer gives time and attention to the market what a wonderful difference between them ! wherein he would earn a livelihood, but the A Smart Set story would never do for the author for the most part contents himself Argosy, and a Red Book story would be with writing a story and then sending it off, equally out of place in Harper's. And yet haphazard, to his “favorite magazine," or to each story is good in its own way, the difsome journal he knows only by repute. And ference resting in the secret that they are of nine times out of ten he fails to hit the bull's- a different type. Therefore, how can a per Copyright, 1909, by William H. Hills. All rights reserved. a m son hope to find an acceptance with a magazine he does not know simply because he has been told that the magazine in question uses short fiction ? The story, and often it is a good enough tale of its kind, meets failure principally because its author does not know the markets. And very often, after having his fond hopes dashed to the ground, the aspiring author will go off in a corner by himself and talk of “pull with editors." This is all foolishness. It is not yet three years ago since I sold the Smart Set my first story, and before that I had not had published so much as a poem” in a college paper. Since then I have sold to thirty different publications, and to their editors my name must have meant literally nothing at all. There is no such thing as "pull with editors"; that much I will declare until I am hoarse. If a writer will but think, when his brain child is returned to him with the politelyworded rejection slip, which in most cases tells nothing, that the fault lies not so much with the story as with the market to which he has offered it, if he will but study his markets anew, select a magazine whose stories ring with the same rhythm as does his own, if he will do this, then, unless I am very much mistaken, a letter of acceptance will more than repay him for the time spent in selecting his market. Misfit manuscripts are not happy accidents at best, and a Smart Set tale wandering into the Argosy office is very much a case of a fish out of water. The result is inevitable, but a man who studied his markets would never make so stupid a mistake. Both publications use very excellent stuff of their kind, but the two magazines are not twin brothers, Indeed, it seems to me, and it must surely appear the same to all thoughtful authors, that enough cannot be said about marketing manuscripts. It should be gone over again and again, until every person who writes or who ever hopes to write will see the importance of studying the various magazines, and noting wherein they differ. For individuality is the secret of a successful magazine. There are so many, many really good stories that even now are wandering over the face of the earth, outcasts and ashamed, when an anchorage could be found for them did their authors spend but half the time in looking up a market that they did in naming the heroine. Chance may bring you an acceptance once, twice, but unless you know your markets, and until then, you can never hope to make a place for yourself in literature. Plot, method, character, all of these are essential to successful writing, but equally as great, if indeed not greater, is – to know your market ! IV. Carey Il'onderly. BALTIMORE, Md. THE WRITING OF PLAYS. some Prominent playwrights were asked by the New York Times some pertinent questions about writing plays. They were asked about the source of their inspiration ; their object, if they had any : their method of working out their themes ; the source of their plots ; the selection of "types" ; the obstacles encountered; the hours of work; the time spent in producing the finished product ; and many other suggestive points the public is curious over. Following are their own descriptions of their methods : Israel Zangwill : How do I write my plays ? Really, it is hard to tell. Still, considering the matter from a psychological standpoint, it presents interesting phases. The play I am bringing out now is the result of three years' observation and study. I am president of the Jewish Territorial Organization and the Jewish Immigration Regulation Department. It is with the work of those societies that I have been latterly concerned. Naturally, in the pursuance of this work, |
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