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Show The Froflts of Anthorshlp. I caught one of our best known au-. au-. thors in a confidential mood recently, and his comments on the revenue of authorship, au-thorship, which he gave me permission afterward to print, carry interest with them. I may add that the name of this author is one of the most widely Wnown in American literature today. "Seven years ago I chose between law and literature. lit-erature. I had every opportunity tosuc-ceed tosuc-ceed at the bar, for through hard study and my connections a lucrative practice teemed open to me. But I turned to authorship. Today I am what the world calls a successful author. My last novel was bid for by three publishers, and ray royalties, I am told by my publishers, are higher than those of the majority of their writers. I have the pleasure of hearing my books and name hawked on . , the trains when I am traveling, the newspapers give me from a quarter of a column to a column and a half reviews. "But what has literature brought me in money? Let me open my vest pocket to you. Here is my actual revenue for 18U9, and includes, as yon see, royalties cut six of my novels, magazine articles, trtoh, and everything is collected. Here pj i'iva total, $3,170.40. Compare these uetual figures to the paragraph recently circulated in which I am reputed to earn $10,000 from my pen. Is it any wonder that the unsophisticated enter literature with false hopes? Yes, print these facts if you wish; only, of course, withhold my name and identity." I reproduce hero the facts and figures as they were given to me. I only wish it were possible, pos-sible, for the sake of those who think that literature is a bed of roses, to give thiB author's name. New York Letter. |