5 paper-book rights, $ 500.00
Serial for All-Story, 400.00
Novelette for Adventure, 250.00
Serial for The Argosy, 250.00
Novelette for The Blue Book, 200.00
Short stories for The Blue Book, 150.00
Short story for Harper's Weekly, 75.00
Serial for "Top-Notch," 150.00
--------
Total, $1975.00
George Ade asked an actress, who was one of the original cast of "The
County Chairman," to whom he had just been introduced, "Which would
you rather be--a literary man or a burglar?" It is related that the
actress, who was probably as excited as Ade, answered, "What's the
difference?" And this is supposed to be a humorous anecdote!
* * * * *
The man who tells stories, sometimes fiction and sometimes stories,
about the Harper publications, evolves the following realistic story
about "The Masquerader," originally published in _The Bazaar_. Well,
it seems that one morning, the editor sat her down and found the
following letter, which is truly pathetic and possibly pathetically
true: "You may, and I hope you have, some little remembrance of my
name. But this will be the very oddest letter you have ever received.
I am reading that most clever and wonderfully well-written novel,
'The Masquerader.' I have very serious heart trouble and may live
years and may die any minute. I should deeply regret going without
knowing the general end of that story. May I know it? Will be as
close as the grave itself if I may. I really feel that I may not live
to know the unravelling of that net. If I may know for reason good
and sufficient to yourself and by no means necessary to explain, may
I please have the numbers as they come to you, and in advance of
general delivery?" The editor sent on the balance of the story, but
it was never revealed whether it made the person well again or not.
Edwards imagines that the whirl of action in books would not be good
for the heart--or, for the matter of that, the soul.
XXV.
EXTRACTS
GRAVE AND GAY,
WISE AND OTHERWISE
Cigars on the Editor:
"The berth check came to me this morning. I suppose the cigars are
on me. At the same time, there is another kind of check which you
get when you buy your Pullman accomodation at the Pullman office in
the station. It was that which I had in mind. I suppose the one you
enclosed is the conductor's check. I don't believe I ever saw one
before."
How "Bob" Davis hands you a Lemon:
"The first six or seven chapters of 'Hammerton's Vase' are very
lively and readable--after which it falls off the shelf and is badly
shattered. Everybody in the yarn is pretty much of a sucker, and the
situations are more or less of a class. I think, John, that there is
too much talk in this story. Your last thirty pages are nothing but.
What struck me most was the ease with which you might have wound
the story up in any one of several places without in anyway
injuring it. That is not like the old John Milton of yore. You used
to pile surprise upon surprise, and tie knot after knot in your
complications. But you didn't do it in 'Hammerton's Vase'--for which
reason I shed tears and return the manuscript by express."
How Mr. White does it:
"I am very sorry to be obliged to make an adverse report on 'The Gods
of Tlaloc.' For one thing the story is too wildly improbable, for
another the hero is too stupid, and worse than all the interest is of
too scrappy a nature--not cumulative. You have done too good work for
The Argosy in the past for me to content myself with this.... When I
return Aug. 9, I shall hope to find a corking fine story from your
pen awaiting my perusal. I am sure you know how to turn out such a
yarn."
A tip regarding "Dual-identity":
"The story opens well, and that is the best I can say for it. I put
up the scheme to Mr. Davis and he expressed a strong disinclination
for any kind of a dual-identity story."--Matthew White, Jr.
How Mr. Davis takes over the Right Stuff:
"We are taking the sea story. Will report on the other stuff you
have here in a day or two. In the meantime, remember that you owe me
an 80,000-word story and that you are getting the maximum rate and
handing me the minimum amount of words. You raised the tariff and I
stood for it and it is up to you to make good some of your threats
to play ball according to Hoyle. It is your turn to get in the box
and bat 'em over the club-house. And remember, I am always on the
bleachers, waiting to cheer at the right time."
How Mr. White lands on it:
"'Helping Columbus' pleases me very much, and on our principle of
paying for quality I am sending you for it our check for $350."
During the earlier years of his writing Edwards made use of an
automatic word-counter which he attached to his Caligraph--the machine
he was using at that time. He discovered that if a story called for
30,000 words, and he allowed the counter to register that number,
the copy would over-run about 5,000 words. At a much later period he
discovered by actual comparisons of typewritten with printed matter
just the number of words each page of manuscript would average in the
composing-room. From his publishers, however, he once received the
following instructions:
"To enable you to calculate the number of words to write each week,
we make the following suggestions: Type off a LONG paragraph from
a page of one of the weeklies that has been set solid, so that the
number of words in each line will correspond with the same line in
print.
When you have finished the paragraph you can get the average length
of the typed line as written on your machine, and by setting your
bell guard at this average length you will be able to fairly
approximate, line for line, manuscript and printed story.
A complete story should contain 3,000 lines. Calculating in this way,
you will be able to turn in each week a story of about the right
length. Our experience shows us that the calculated length of a story
based on a roughly estimated number of words usually falls short of
our requirements, and although to proceed in the manner suggested
above may involve a little extra work--not above half an hour at the
outside and on one occasion only--by it alone are we convinced that
you will strike the right number of words for each issue."
"Along the Highway of Explanations":
"I cannot see 'The Yellow Streak' quite clear enough. You whoop it up
pretty well for about three-quarters of the story, and then it begins
to go to pieces along the highway of explanations."--Mr. Davis.
Concerning the "Rights" of a Story:
"Unless it is otherwise stipulated, WE BUY ALL MANUSCRIPTS WITH FULL
COPYRIGHT."--F. A. Munsey Co.
And again:
"The signing of the receipt places all rights in the hands of the
Frank A. Munsey Company, but they will be glad to permit you to make
a stage version of your story, only stipulating that in case you
succeed in getting it produced, they should receive a reasonable
share of the royalties."
The Last Word on the Subject:
"Mr. White has turned over to me your letter of October 12, as
I usually answer letters relating to questions of copyright. I
think, under the circumstances, if you want to dramatize the story
we ought to permit you to do so without payment to us. The only
condition we would make would be that if you get the play produced,
you should print a line on the program saying,--'Dramatized from a
story published in _The Argosy_,' or words to that effect."--Mr.
Titherington, of _Munsey's_.
Paragraphing, Politics and Puns:
"Your paragraphs are pretty good, so far. But SHUN POLITICS AND
RELIGION in any form, direct or indirect, as you would shun the
devil. And please don't pun--it is so cheap."--Mr. A. A. Mosley, of
_The Detroit Free Press_.
Climaxes, Snap and Spontaneity:
"We don't like to let this go back to you, and only do so in the
hope that you can let us have it again. The sketch is capitally
considered, the character is excellent, the way in which it is
written admirable, the whole story is very funny, and yet somehow it
does not quite come off. The climax--the denouement--seems somewhat
labored and lacks snaps and spontaneity. Can't you devise some other
termination--something with more 'go?' This is so good we want it to
be better."--Editor _Puck_.
Novelty and Exhilarating Effect:
"We have no special subject to suggest for a serial, but would
cheerfully read any you think desirable for our needs. The better
plan always is to submit the first two installments of about four
columns each. Novelty and exhilarating effect are desirable."--Editor
_Saturday Night_.
Saddling and Bridling Pegasus:
"We are very much in need of a short Xmas poem--from 16 to 20
lines--to be used at once. Knowing your ability and willingness to
accomodate at short notice, I write you to ask if you can get one to
us by Saturday of this week, or Monday at latest. I know it is a very
short time in which to saddle and bridle Pegasus, but I am sure you
can do it with celerity if any one can."--Editor _The Ladies' World_.
Carrying the Thing too Far:
"We regret that we cannot make use of 'The Brand of Cain,' after
your prompt response to our call, but the title and story are JUST
A LITTLE BIT too sensational for our paper, and we think it best
to return it to you. It is a good story and well written, but we
get SO MUCH condemnation from our subscribers, often for a trifle,
that we are obliged to be very careful. Only a week or two ago we
were severely censured because a recipe in Household Dep't called
for a tablespoonful of wine in a pudding sauce, and the influence
of the writer against the paper promised if the offense were
repeated."--From the editor of a woman's journal.
And, finally, this from Mr. Davis:
"We are of the non-complaining species, ourself, and aim only to
please the mob. Rush the sea story. If it isn't right, I'll rush it
back, by express.... Believe, sir, that I am personally disposed to
regard you as a better white man than the average white man because
you a larger white man, and, damnitsir, I wish you good luck."
XXVI.
PATRONS AND
PROFITS FOR
TWENTY-TWO YEARS
On the 20th of this month (September, 1911) it will be just twenty-two
years since Edwards received payment for his first story. On Sept. 20,
1889, _The Detroit Free Press_ sent him a check for $8. On that $8 the
Fiction Factory was started.
Who have been the patrons of the Factory for these twenty-two years,
and what have been the returns?
A vast amount of work has been necessary in order to formulate exact
answers to these questions. Papers and other memoranda bearing upon
the subject were widely scattered. During Edwards' travels about the
country many letters and records were lost. The list that follows,
therefore, is incomplete, but exact as far as it goes. More work was
realized upon, by several thousands of dollars, than is here shown. For
every item in the record Edwards has a letter, or a printed slip that
accompanied the check, as his authority. The errors are merely those of
omission.
Titles of the material sold will not be given, but following the name
of the publication that purchased the material will be found the year
in which it was either published or paid for.
Adventure, The Ridgway Company,
Spring & Macdougal Streets, New York City,
1911--1 novelette. $ 250.
All-Story Magazine, The F. A. Munsey Co.,
175 Fifth Ave., New York City,
1904--1 serial. 225.
1905--2 short stories, 1 serial. 255.
1906--2 serials. 950.
1908--3 serials. 1,000.
American Press Association,
45 & 47 Park Place, New York City,
1905--2 short stories. 30.
The Argosy, F. A. Munsey Co.,
175 Fifth Ave., New York City,
1900--1 serial. 250.
1901--1 serial. 200.
1902--1 serial. 250.
1903--1 novelette, 4 serials. 1,050.
1904--1 short story, 1 novelette, 4 serials. 975.
1905--3 serials, 1 novelette. 925.
1906--2 serials. 600.
1911--1 serial. 250.
Boston Globe, Boston, Mass.,
1897--1 short story. 4.
Boyce's Monthly, Chicago, Ills.,
1901--1 short story. 10.
Banner Weekly, The, Beadle & Adams, New York City,
1889--1 short story. 4.
Blue Book, The, Chicago, Ills.,
1907--1 novelette. 220.
1908--2 novelettes. 400.
1910--1 short story, 1 novelette. 240.
1911--1 novelette, 3 short stories. 350.
Chips, Frank Tousey's Publishing House,
New York City,
1901--1 short story. 4.
Chatter, 12 Beekman St., New York,
1890--1 short story. 5.
--1 short story. 5.
Chicago Inter-Ocean, Chicago, Ills.,
1898--1 article, space rates. 2.50
Chicago Record, Chicago, Ills.,
1897--1 short story. 5.
1898--1 short story. 7.
--1 short story. 4.
1901--1 short story. 6.
Chicago Daily News, Chicago, Ills.,
1898--1 short story. 3.
1899--1 short story. 3.50
1899--4 short stories. 14.50
1901--1 short story. 5.
Chicago Blade, Chicago, Ills.,
1891--2 articles, space rates, 1 short story. 10.
Chicago Ledger, Chicago, Ills.,
1891--3 serials. 120.
1892--2 serials. 55.
1896--1 serial. 50.
1904--1 serial. 75.
1905--2 serials. 80.
1906--2 serials. 100.
1907--1 serial. 75.
Columbian Magazine, New York City,
1910--1 short story. 15.
Demorest's Monthly, New York City,
1899--1 article. 5.
Dillingham Co., G. W., New York City,
1903--royalties. 96.60
1906--royalties. 10.20
1908--royalties. 1.50
1909--Cloth book rights. 100.
Detroit Free Press, The, Detroit, Michigan.
1889--1 short story. 8.
--1 short story. 7.
1890--2 serials. 203.
1889--2 short stories. 23.
1891--1 short story, space rates. 95.
1892--6 short stories. 48.50
1893--1 short story. 10.
1894--1 space rate. 20.
1895--1 space rate. 22.
1896--1 short story. 1.50
1899--2 short stories. 7.
1900--1 short story. 3.
Essanay Film Manufacturing Company,
Chicago, Illinois.
1910--M. P. scenario. 25.
Figaro, 170 Madison St., Chicago,
1890--1 space rate. 30.
1891--1 space rate. 90.
1892--1 space rate. 10.
Frank Leslie's Popular Monthly,
110 Fifth Ave., New York City.
1897--1 short story. 8.
Gunter's Magazine, Street & Smith, New York City.
1910--1 short story. 40.
Harper's Weekly, New York City.
1911--1 short story. 75.
Illustrated American,
1123 Broadway, New York City.
1896--2 verses. 10.
Kellogg Newspaper Co., The A. N.,
71-73 W. Adams St., Chicago.
1903--1 serial. 115.
Life, New York City.
1897--1 short story. 3.
Ledger Monthly, Ledger Building, N. Y.
1899--1 short story. 10.
Lubin Mfg. Co., Philadelphia, Pa.
1910--M. P. scenario 30.
Ladies' World, The, New York City.
1890--2 short stories. 8.
1891--1 verse. 2.
--1 verse. 2.
1892--2 verses. 4.
1894--1 verse. 2.
1898--1 short story. 2.
McClure's Newspaper Syndicate, The,
116 Nassau St., New York City.
1901--2 short stories, 2 serials. 295.
--1 serial. 200.
McC's Monthly, Detroit, Michigan,
1898--2 short stories. 10.
Munsey's Magazine, New York City,
1896--1 short story. 10.
1904--1 short story. 40.
1910--1 short story. 75.
New York World, New York City,
1894--1 short story. 5.64
1897--2 short stories. 15.02
1898--1 short story. 4.68
1899--1 short story. 5.50
Overland Monthly, 508 Montgomery St., San Francisco,
1897--1 short story. 10.
Ocean, F. A. Munsey Co., New York City,
1907--1 serial. 450.
People's Magazine, The, Street & Smith,
New York City,
1906--1 serial. 200.
1907--1 serial. 250.
1908--2 serials. 600.
Popular Magazine, The, Street & Smith,
New York City,
1904--2 novelettes. 265.
1909--1 serial. 200.
Puck, Keppler & Schwartzmann,
Puck Building, New York City,
1891--2 short stories. 20.
1892--1 short story. 5.
1893--2 short stories, 1 verse. 14.
1896--1 short story. 6.
1897--2 short stories, 1 verse. 22.
1899--2 short stories. 17.
Railroad Man's Magazine, F. A. Munsey Co.,
New York,
1906--2 serials. 700.
1907--1 serial. 500.
1908--2 serials. 650.
1909--2 short stories. 70.
Red Book, Chicago, Ills.,
1906--1 short story. 75.
1909--1 short story. 40.
Scrap Book, F. A. Munsey Co., N. Y. C.,
1905--1 serial. 200.
1908--1 serial. 300.
1910--1 serial. 400.
1911--1 serial. 400.
Saturday Times, The, Chicago, Ills.,
1907--1 serial. 60.
Southern Tobacco Journal, Winston, N. C.,
1897--1 verse. 2.
Short Stories, Current Literature Pub. Co.,
New York City,
1891--1 short story. 5.
1898--2 short stories. 10.
1900--2 short stories. 30.
San Francisco Chronicle, San Fran.,
1896--1 short story. 6.
Saturday Night, James Elverson Pub.
Philadelphia, Pa.,
1890--1 serial. 75.
1891--1 serial, 8 short stories. 166.
1892--5 short stories. 10.
1893--1 serial, 5 short stories. 160.
Truth, 203 Broadway, New York City,
1893--1 short story. 3.50
1897--7 short stories. 57.
Top-Notch Magazine, Street & Smith,
New York City,
1911--1 serial. 150.
Translation Rights, 1908. 40.
Vitagraph Company of America, The,
Brooklyn, N. Y.,
1909--M. P. 10.
Wayside Tales, Detroit Monthly Publishing Co.,
Detroit, Mich.,
1901--3 short stories. 23.
1902--2 short stories. 35.
1903--1 short story. 15.
White Elephant, Frank Tousey's Pub. House,
New York City,
1897--2 short stories. 30.
Western World, Chicago, Ills.,
1900--2 serials, 7 short stories, 1 space rates. 308.80
Woman's Home Companion, New York,
1905--1 serial, space rate. 205.
Yankee Blade, Boston, Mass.,
1890--2 short stories. 20.
1891--3 short stories, 2 verses. 13.
1893--1 short story. 6.50
--1 short story. 4.
Powers Company, New York City,
1910--M. P. 25.
Street & Smith, New York City,
1909--34 issues "Motor Boys" 2,550.
1908-- 7 paper-book rights. 700.
1909--21 paper-book rights. 2,100.
1910-- 2 paper-book rights. 200.
1911-- 5 paper-book rights. 500.
Dodd. Mead & Co., New York City,
1904--Cloth book rights. 200.
Harte & Perkins, New York,
Nickel Novels: $ 23,964.44
1893-- 4 @ $ 50 each,. 200.
1894-- 3 @ $ 50 each,. 150.
--31 @ $ 40 each,. 960.
1896--24 @ $ 40 each,. 960.
1897-- 2 @ $ 40 each,. 80.
1898--16 @ $ 40 each,. 640.
1899--38 @ $ 40 each,. 1,400.
1900--51 @ $ 40 each,. 2,040.
Completing story. 20.
1901--10 @ $ 30 each,. 300.
-- 8 @ $ 50 each,. 400.
--16 @ $ 40 each,. 640.
1902--31 @ $ 40 each,. 1,240.
1903--44 @ $ 40 each,. 1,760.
1904--26 @ $ 40 each,. 1,040.
-- 4 @ $ 50 each,. 200.
1905--10 @ $ 50 each,. 500.
1906--18 @ $ 50 each,. 900.
1907--33 @ $ 50 each,. 1,650.
1908--45 @ $ 50 each,. 2,250.
1909-- 9 @ $ 60 each,. 540.
1910--54 @ $ 60 each,. 3,240.
Ten-Cent Novels:
1893--13 @ $100 each,. 1,300.
1894--10 @ $100 each,. 1,000.
1895-- 2 @ $ 40 each,. 100.
Serials for "Guest:"
1894-- 2 @ $300 each,. 600.
-- 2 @ $500 & $400 900.
1897-- 1. 300.
1895-- 2 @ $300 & $200. 500.
1898-- 2 @ $300. 600.
1899-- 1. 300.
1906-- 1. 250.
1907-- 1. 300.
Juvenile Serials:
1893-- 2 @ $100 & $75. 175.
1894-- 1. 175.
1894-- 1. 100.
1901-- 4 @ $100 each,. 400.
1902-- 4 @ $100 each,. 400.
Miscellaneous:
1897-- 4 magazine sketches. 40.
-- 1 magazine sketches. 6.16
1900--10 trade-paper sketches. 100.
1901-- 9 trade-paper sketches. 90.
1902-- 1 trade-paper sketch. 10.
-----------
Total $ 65,859.60
The finest music in the room is that which streams out to the ear
of the spirit in many an exquisite strain from the hanging shelf of
books on the opposite wall. Every volume there is an instrument which
some melodist of the mind created and set vibrating with music, as a
flower shakes out its perfume or a star shakes out its light. Only
listen, and they soothe all care, as though the silken-soft leaves
of poppies had been made vocal and poured into the ear.--_James Lane
Allen._
* * * * *
When William Dean Howells occupied an editorial chair in Harper's
office, a young man of humble and rough exterior one day submitted
personally to him a poem. Mr. Howells asked:
"Did you write this poem yourself?"
"Yes, sir. Do you like it?" the youth asked.
"I think it is magnificent," said Mr. Howells. "Did you compose it
unaided?"
"I certainly did," said the young man firmly. "I wrote every line of
it out of my head."
Mr. Howells rose and said:
"Then, Lord Byron, I am very glad to meet you. I was under the
impression that you died a good many years ago."
ADVERTISEMENTS
Announcement
In addition to "The Fiction Factory," The Editor Company are publishers
at Ridgewood, New Jersey, of THE EDITOR, (The Journal of Information
for Literary Workers), which has been published solely in the interests
of writers for eighteen years, and of the following books:
THE WRITER'S BOOK $2.50
_Compiled by William R. Kane._
PRACTICAL AUTHORSHIP 1.50
_By James Knapp Reeve._
1001 PLACES TO SELL MMS 1.00
(_The American Writer's, Artist's
and Photographer's Year Book_)
_in its ninth edition_.
POINTS ABOUT POETRY .60
_By Donald G. French._
RHYMES AND METERS .50
_By Horatio Winslow._
THE FICTION WRITER'S
WORKSHOP .50
_By Duncan Francis Young._
HOW TO WRITE A SHORT STORY .50
THE EDITOR MANUSCRIPT
RECORD (loose leaf) .50
ESSAYS ON AUTHORSHIP .25
THE WAY INTO PRINT .25
THE EDITOR COMPANY
RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY
THE EDITOR
If you write, or if you have an itching to write, we want to talk to
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THE EDITOR, we may explain, is "The Journal Of Information For Literary
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We aim to show our patrons, so far as such things may be taught, how
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We've succeeded in pleasing and making famous the promising writer-folk
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Transcriber's Notes:
Italics are represented with _underscores_, bold with =equal signs=.
Inconsistent and occasionally inaccurate capitalization/italicization
of publication titles are retained from the original.
Retained some archaic/unusual spellings from the original (e.g.
"grevious," "Omniverous").
Retained inconsistent spellings from the original where different
writers used different word variations (e.g. "installment" in the main
text vs. "instalment" in a quoted letter). Inconsistent spellings
within the same context have been normalized as noted in detail below.
Retained some inconsistent hyphenation from the original (e.g.
viewpoint vs. view-point).
The original text contained several instances of "he" / "be" confusion.
These have been corrected and are noted below. They are not the result
of OCR errors; they are present in the original typography.
Page 10, normalized indentation before "The modest goal, the lesser
fame."
Page 15, changed double to single quotes around "When the Editor's Eye
Struck" and added missing end double quote.
Page 21, changed "ocassion" to "occasion." Normalized second appearance
of "sewer-pipe" to include hyphen. Changed "Ewards" to "Edwards"
("first story for which Edwards").