LONDON EDITORS AND THEIR CHARMS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 418, 29 January 1909, Page 3

LONDON EDITORS AND THEIR CHARMS.

An Australian girl, writing in the "Sydney Morning Herald," gives an account of bei\ visits to several London editors, which must, inspire many of her compatriots with a desire to,follow her example. All the editors apparently were charming. This is easy,to believe.. * From the fiction editor'of one' magazine she received some valuable hints with regard to the successful placing of work. •'There are, thousands of stories sent to me from all parts of the world," he said. - I suggested that if the writers knew what numbers of others were sent they would not have the heart to add to the long list. , "But that would be foolish; everyone has an equal chancej although I can only choose a very few out of the lot. It doesn't always 'follow that a story is not good if'it is rejected. It is often not suitable for the particular magazines; simply a case of taking your goods to the wrong shop. Ile'turned manuscript should not dishearten the writers; only induce them to" be more careful to select the paper that their oopy would 'suit. People should always study the style of a paper well before they undertake to contribute to it. ; I often wonder why so many people go in for writing short stories. They* are infinitely v more difficult than eerals; so much more' is ■ expected of them, and they don't pay, nearly so well. A short story must spaikle from beginning to end; it must be full 1 of point, without any padding, and must not contain one dull line if it would be a success. I consider Guy de Maupassant's 'Diamond Necklace , tho best short story that-has even been written. It is a masterpiece I wish there were a few more like it to be found nowadays. ) , ' # "As for serials, well anyone' who has the gift of writing at all can very easily make a success of them. Thero is always such a tremendous demand for them. Did you notice a lady—a mere girl—go out 'as you came in ? She used to be- a typewriter m this office earning 15s. a week; now she makes about a thousand a year at serials. No, she really isn't particularly clever. She can write, of course, but she has simply stuck to the one , thing—serials; and is making quite a email fortune for herself out of them. "Now, tell me," suddenly looking into my face,' .'.'why did you wieh to see mo ? Have you brought a story?" I felt confuse)!, for there actually was a small roll o f manuscript carefully hidden in my muff, but I had made up my mind not to word about it after hearing his views as to what was expected of a ehort story. Ho evidently read my thoughts, for,'stretching out his hand, he said very kindly— • - "Yes, please leave it with mo. I will read ft:" / , The action made mo remember that I had stayed a long time—indeed, perhaps an.unfairly long time in' such' a busy man's working hours. I said something to this effect as I rose. He was charming. He said he rarely had an opportunity for having a chat with an Australian, and he was delighted to have met anjone from Sydney. He'had a lawjer brother there whom ho had not seen for very many \ears. "It is Ihe dream of my life to get out there dome day, when I can tako a long holiday; but"—and he shook his hoad as he, glanced it the pigeonholes filled with stories from all parts of the world—"l am afrjid that time is a long way off. . ' Come and see me again," shaking my hand as I stood at tho door to go. "And don't get discouraged. Remember that re- | jection isn't failure." i Miss Rose Fritz, tho champion typist of I the world, gave a demonstration before more than a thousand typewriting students at the I Holborn Town Hall, when s]ie created a new record of typing for seven minutes at the rate of over 117 Words a minute. In shorter tests of two minutes she reached a speed of 150 words a minute, typing from unknown matter. j