the americanization of edward bok-第62部分

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tanding　was　in　both　faces；　and　every　looker…on　smiled　with　them。

〃Good…by；　Curtis；〃　came　at　last　from　the　President。

〃Good…by；　Mr。　President；〃　came　from　the　boy。

Then；　with　another　pump…handly　shake　and　with　a　〃Gee；　but　he's　great；　all　right！〃　the　boy　went　out　to　see　the　cinnamon…bear　at　the　〃Zoo；〃　and　to　live　it　all　over　in　the　days　to　come。

Two　boy…hearts　had　met；　although　one　of　them　belonged　to　the　President　of　the　United　States。



XXVI。　The　Literary　Back…Stairs

His　complete　absorption　in　the　magazine　work　now　compelled　Bok　to　close　his　newspaper　syndicate　in　New　York　and　end　the　writing　of　his　weekly　newspaper　literary　letter。　He　decided；　however；　to　transfer　to　the　pages　of　his　magazine　his　idea　of　making　the　American　public　more　conversant　with　books　and　authors。　Accordingly；　he　engaged　Robert　Bridges　（the　present　editor　of　Scribner's　Magazine）　to　write　a　series　of　conversational　book…talks　under　his　nom　de　plume　of　〃Droch。〃　Later；　this　was　supplemented　by　the　engagement　of　Hamilton　W。　Mabie；　who　for　years　reviewed　the　newest　books。

In　almost　every　issue　of　the　magazine　there　appeared　also　an　article　addressed　to　the　literary　novice。　Bok　was　eager；　of　course；　to　attract　the　new　authors　to　the　magazine；　but；　particularly；　he　had　in　mind　the　correction　of　the　popular　notion；　then　so　prevalent　（less　so　to…day；　fortunately；　but　still　existent）；　that　only　the　manuscripts　of　famous　authors　were　given　favorable　reading　in　editorial　offices；　that　in　these　offices　there　really　existed　a　clique；　and　that　unless　the　writer　knew　the　literary　back…stairs　he　had　a　slim　chance　to　enter　and　be　heard。

In　the　minds　of　these　misinformed　writers；　these　back…stairs　are　gained　by　〃knowing　the　editor〃　or　through　〃having　some　influence　with　him。〃　These　writers　have　conclusively　settled　two　points　in　their　own　minds：　first；　that　an　editor　is　antagonistic　to　the　struggling　writer；　and；　second；　that　a　manuscript　sent　in　the　ordinary　manner　to　an　editor　never　reaches　him。　Hence；　some　〃influence〃　is　necessary；　and　they　set　about　to　secure　it。

Now；　the　truth　is；　of　course；　that　there　are　no　〃literary　back…stairs〃　to　the　editorial　office　of　the　modern　magazine。　There　cannot　be。　The　making　of　a　modern　magazine　is　a　business　proposition；　the　editor　is　there　to　make　it　pay。　He　can　do　this　only　if　he　is　of　service　to　his　readers；　and　that　depends　on　his　ability　to　obtain　a　class　of　material　essentially　the　best　of　its　kind　and　varied　in　its　character。

The　〃best；〃　while　it　means　good　writing；　means　also　that　it　shall　say　something。　The　most　desired　writer　in　the　magazine　office　is　the　man　who　has　something　to　say；　and　knows　how　to　say　it。　Variety　requires　that　there　shall　be　many　of　these　writers；　and　it　is　the　editor's　business　to　ferret　them　out。　It　stands　to　reason；　therefore；　that　there　can　be　no　such　thing　as　a　〃clique〃；　limitation　by　the　editor　of　his　list　of　authors　would　mean　being　limited　to　the　style　of　the　few　and　the　thoughts　of　a　handful。　And　with　a　public　that　easily　tires　even　of　the　best　where　it　continually　comes　from　one　source；　such　an　editorial　policy　would　be　suicidal。

Hence；　if　the　editor　is　more　keenly　alert　for　one　thing　than　for　another；　it　is　for　the　new　writer。　The　frequency　of　the　new　note　in　his　magazine　is　his　salvation；　for　just　in　proportion　as　he　can　introduce　that　new　note　is　his　success　with　his　readers。　A　successful　magazine　is　exactly　like　a　successful　store：　it　must　keep　its　wares　constantly　fresh　and　varied　to　attract　the　eye　and　hold　the　patronage　of　its　customers。

With　an　editor　ever　alive　to　the　new　message；　the　new　note；　the　fresh　way　of　saying　a　thing；　the　new　angle　on　a　current　subject；　whether　in　article　or　storysince　fiction　is　really　to…day　only　a　reflection　of　modern　thoughtthe　foolish　notion　that　an　editor　must　be　approached　through　〃influence；〃　by　a　letter　of　introduction　from　some　friend　or　other　author；　falls　of　itself。　There　is　no　more　powerful　lever　to　open　the　modern　magazine　door　than　a　postage…stamp　on　an　envelope　containing　a　manuscript　that　says　something。　No　influence　is　needed　to　bring　that　manuscript　to　the　editor's　desk　or　to　his　attention。　That　he　will　receive　it　the　sender　need　not　for　a　moment　doubt；　his　mail　is　too　closely　scanned　for　that　very　envelope。

The　most　successful　authors　have　〃broken　into〃　the　magazines　very　often　without　even　a　letter　accompanying　their　first　manuscript。　The　name　and　address　in　the　right…hand　corner　of　the　first　page；　some　〃return〃　stamps　in　the　left　corner；　and　all　that　the　editor　requires　is　there。　The　author　need　tell　nothing　about　the　manuscript；　if　what　the　editor　wants　is　in　it　he　will　find　it。　An　editor　can　stand　a　tremendous　amount　of　letting　alone。　If　young　authors　could　be　made　to　realize　how　simple　is　the　process　of　〃breaking　into〃　the　modern　magazine；　which　apparently　gives　them　such　needless　heartburn；　they　would　save　themselves　infinite　pains；　time；　and　worry。

Despite　all　the　rubbish　written　to　the　contrary；　manuscripts　sent　to　the　magazines　of　to…day　are；　in　every　case；　read；　and　frequently　more　carefully　read　than　the　author　imagines。　Editors　know　that；　from　the　standpoint　of　good　business　alone；　it　is　unwise　to　return　a　manuscript　unread。　Literary　talent　has　been　found　in　many　instances　where　it　was　least　expected。

This　does　not　mean　that　every　manuscript　received　by　a　magazine　is　read　from　first　page　to　last。　There　is　no　reason　why　it　should　be；　any　more　than　that　all　of　a　bad　egg　should　be　eaten　to　prove　that　it　is　bad。　The　title　alone　sometimes　decides　the　fate　of　a　manuscript。　If　the　subject　discussed　is　entirely　foreign　to　the　aims　of　the　magazine；　it　is　simply　a　case　of　misapplication　on　the　author's　part；　and　it　would　be　a　waste　of　time　for　the　editor　to　read　something　which　he　knows　from　its　subject　he　cannot　use。

This；　of　course；　applies　more　to　articles　than　to　other　forms　of　literary　work；　although　unsuitability　in　a　poem　is　naturally　as　quickly　detected。　Stories；　no　matter　how　unpromising　they　may　appear　at　the　beginning；　are　generally　read　through；　since　gold　in　a　piece　of　fiction　has　often　been　found　almost　at　the　close。　This　careful　attention　to　manuscripts　in　editorial　offices　is　fixed　by　rules；　and　an　author's　indorsement　or　a　friend's　judgment　never　affects　the　custom。

At　no　time　does　the　fallacy　hold　in　a　magazine　office　that　〃a　big　name　counts　for　everything　and　an　unknown　name　for　nothing。〃　There　can　be　no　denial　of　the　fact　that　where　a　name　of　repute　is　attached　to　a　meritorious　story　or　article　the　combination　is　ideal。　But　as　between　an　indifferent　story　and　a　well…known　name　and　a　good　story　with　an　unknown　name　the　editor　may　be　depended　upon　to　accept　the　latter。　Editors　are　very　careful　nowadays　to　avoid　the　public　impatience　that　invariably　follows　upon　publishing　material　simply　on　account　of　the　name　attached　to　it。　Nothing　so　quickly　injures　the　reputation　of　a　magazine　in　the　estimation　of　its　readers。　If　a　person；　taking　up　a　magazine；　reads　a　story　attracted　by　a　famous　name；　and　the　story　disappoints；　the　editor　has　a　doubly　disappointed　reader　on　his　hands：　a　reader　whose　high　expectations　from　the　name　have　not　been　realized　and　who　is　disappointed　with　the