THE LITERARY -RACKET”

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 70, 15 December 1933, Page 12 (Supplement)

THE LITERARY -RACKET”

-You, Too, Can be a Writer...”

RAINBOW END OF AUTHORSHIP

(By

“Anonymous”)

Amateur writers in New Zealand, to whom the Christmas season is a busy marketing time, do not enjoy unlimited opportunities. But at least they are free from' the wiles of the “literary racketeer” of the U.S.A., whose methods are described from the inside in this racy article.

I began my new job with the Blank Agency—a Literary Agency and Criticism Bureau—the first thing that impressed me was the extraordinary number of average people in Ame-

' rica who write. But the second was their extraordinary willingness to be aken in by adverising ballyhoo. The Agency’s advertisement in the papers and magazines announces in bold type that you, too, can write and earn a glittering income. If you have suffered, if you have known life, send us your story. Submit your manuscript to us for a free reading, with absolutely no cost or obligation on your part. We are on the lookout for good marketable material.

Now this appeal is read, let us say, by Mary Noblik out in Wisconsin. She sends off her manuscript with a letter telling how -she wrote the story with hei- heart’s blood. A week later she receives a reply, saying her story has been received and a preliminary reading will be given it immediately. In another few days comes a second letter. Her manuscript has passed the preliminary reading—they all do in our agency!—and is now definitely in the class of marketable stories... It shows promise, but of course it has a certain lack of polish, and needs a little critical reworking. Let us help you discover your talent. If you will remit a two-dollar handling'fee to cover the overhead (we keep a large staff of experienced men for this work), we-will go ahead at once with the detailed criticism of your story. Sends Iler Two Dollars.

"Well, Mary sends her two dollars. She can understand that that staff of trained men must represent an enormous expense, and she is happy because her letter was answered in person by the Big Cheese himself! Had there been anything fishy about the Agency, the letter would surely have been a printed one, a form.

Then comes a communication saying that the work on her story is being carried forward, and if she will please remit the amount due for the work (let us say it is 5 dollars at so much per 1000 words), the detailed analysis will be sent as soon as possible. In all probability Alary will send the five dollars. She may, however, write that she thought the two dollars covered all that: whereupon the Big Cheese replies that the. two dollars was merely a handling or retaining fee, while the five dollars is the cost of the actual criticism per 1000 words. Alary is anxious not to prejudice the B. C. against her story. She sees that of course the error was hers. The money is duly sent and she waifs again. But, as you can see, she has already spent more than she bargained for.

The “detailed analysis, and criticism” arrives at last. She tears it open. The entire critique is several pages long, and seems to cover all the technique of writing, With hints on the craft, tricks of exposition, things she never suspected had any place at all in art. Actually the criticism is made up of form paragraphs systematised by the Big Cheese, and copied off by a typist to make it look personal. The only, original thing in it is ah ihterpblated paragraph, written by a. man who has at least glanced at Alary’s story, This, paragraph is a revelation of faults. I Gift of Originality. But—and here the letter I becomes weighty with her future—the essential story,is interesting..and original; it isfresh,- stimulating. ' In writing, this means everything. - Does Miss Noblik realise how rare a gift originality is? How few writers have it? Many have style and finish and technique. But. the important thing in literature is what one feels. Now it is clear that Miss Noblik feels. Therefore she is qualified to become a writer. -Why worry about technique? We will give you, the benefit of technique at so much per 1000 words. For authors in such’ a predicament we have designed a wonderful Revision service. In collaboration with the author. we,' the Agency, make a complete revision and correction of your story; we polish it, make it saleable, give you the benefit of our long and ' varied “experience. When your story is completely revised We send you a copy for approval before marketing. The cost of this Revision Service varies with the length of the manuscript. Miss Alary’s let us say, will come to only 20 dollars, because hers is a short story. When the manuscript is finished and approved, we will proceed to market it. Only after the story is sold and the cheque forwarded to you do we get a 10 per cent, commission for marketing services. Alary Noblik reasons thus: The Agency can get nothing out of marketing. until after publication. Therefore the Agency will try-to make the story as good os possible; for successful revision means 10 i per cent, of the