WRITING FOR THE PRESS.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3727, 26 June 1883, Page 4

WRITING FOR THE PRESS.

I. Write upon ono side of the sheet only. Why? Because it is often necessary to cut the pages into " takes" for the compositors, and this cannot be done when both sides are written upon. 11. Write clearly and distinctly, being particularly careful in the matter of proper names, and words from foreign languages. Why ? Because you have no right to ask cither editor or compositor to waste his time puzzling out the results of your selfishness. 111. Don't write in a microscopic hand. Why ? Because the compositor has to read it across his case, at a distance of nearly two feet ; also, because the editor often wants to make additions and other changes. IV. Don't begin at the very top of the first page. Why ? Because if you have written a head for your article, the editor will probably want to change it; and if you have not, which is tho better way, he must write one. Besides, lie wants room in ■""•lich to write his instructions to the printer ™ f 0 the type to be used, where and when the proof ;* t,o be sent, &c. V. Never roll your manuscript. Why ? Because it maddens and exasperates every ono who touches it—editor, compositor, and proof-reader. VI. Be brief. Why ? Becausw people don't read long stories. The number of readers which any two articles have is inversely proportioned to the square of their respective length. That is, a half-column article is read by four times as many people as one of double that length. VII. Have tho fear of tho waste basket constantly and steadily before your eyes. Why? Because it will save you a vast amount of useless labor, to say nothing of paper and postage. VIII. Always write your full name and address plainly at the end of your letter. Why ? Because it will often happen that the editor will want to communicate with you, and because he needs to know the writer's name as a guarantee of good faith. If you use a pseudonym of initials, write your own name and address below it; it will never bo divulged. IX. "These precepts in thy memory keep," and for fear you might forgot them cut them out and put them where you can readily run through them when tempted to spill innocent ink. Causeur's word for it, those who heed theseruleswillbebelovedand favoured in every editorial sanctum,—Boston Transcript.