Part 2 (1/2)
”Will the reader like this?” is the question that he e of his work Unless he can convince hie person who reads the periodical to which he proposes to sub, he cannot hope to sell it to the editor
UNDERSTANDING THE READER Instead of thinking of readers as a more or less indefinite eous to picture to himself real persons who may be taken as typical readers It is very easy for an author to think that what interests hieneral To write successfully, however, for the Sunday azine of a newspaper, it is necessary to keep in mind the butcher, the baker, and--if not the candlestick-rapher and the department store clerk--as well as the doctor, lawyer, merchant, and chief What is true of the Sunday newspaper is true of the popular azine
The most successful publisher in this country attributes the success of his periodical to the fact that he kept before his mind's eye, as a type, a family of his acquaintance in a Middle-Western town of fifteen hundred inhabitants, and shaped the policy of his publication to meet the needs and interests of all its members An editor who desired to reach such a fa his e froh his hands It is equally true that a writer desiring to gain ad the sa as vividly as possible a similar family Every successful writer, consciously or unconsciously, thus pictures his readers to hi an article for an agricultural journal, he e farmer and this fars; he must try to see life from their point of view The attitude of the typical city man toward the farm and country life is very different froht is a fatal defect in many an article intended by the writer for farm readers
Whatever the publication to which an author desires to contribute, he should consider first, last, and all the tis, their education, their income, their ambitions, their amusements, their prejudices--in short, he must see the the reader and his point of view has been well brought out by Mr John M Siddall, editor of the _A excerpt from an editorial in that periodical:
The ination to enable his from the other fellow's point of view simply cannot exercise wide influence He cannot reach people
Underneath it, soreat law, the law of service You can't expect to attract people unless you do so to selluseful to sell, and he must talk about it from the point of view of the people to whooods In the same way, the journalist, the preacher, and the politician s from the point of view of those they would reach They must feel the needs of others and then reach out andunless they give so The same law runs into the human relation Hoe abhor the man who talks only about himself--the man who never inquires about _our_ troubles, _our_ probleinatively and unsy away on the only subject that interests him--namely _himself_
STUDYING NEWSPAPERS AND MAGAZINES Since every successful publicationits readers to a considerable degree, the best way to determine what kind of readers it has, and what they are interested in, is to study the contents carefully No writer should send an article to a publication before he has examined critically several of its latest issues In fact, no writer should prepare an article before deciding to just what periodical he wishes to submit it The more familiar he is with the periodical the better are his chances of having his contribution accepted
In analyzing a newspaper or azine in order to determine the type of reader to which it appeals, the writer should consider the character of the subjects in its recent issues, and the point of view from which these subjects are presented Every successful periodical has a distinct individuality, which arded as an expression of the editor's idea of what his readers expect of his publication To become a successful contributor to a periodical, a writer must catch the spirit that pervades its fiction and its editorials, as well as its special articles
In his effort to deteriven publication, a writer lance decide that timeliness is the one element that dominates their choice, but a closer examination of the articles in one or more issues will reveal a more specific basis of selection Thus, one Sunday paper will be found to contain articles on the latest political, sociological, and literary topics, while another deals almost exclusively with society leaders, actors and actresses, and other men and woht thereater value to find out by careful reading of the entire contents of several numbers of a periodical, the exact point of view from which the material is treated Every editor aims to present the contents of his publication in the way that will est appeal to his readers This point of view it is the writer's business to discover and adopt
analYSIS OF SPECIAL ARTICLES An inexperienced writer who desires to subin by analyzing thoroughly the stories of this type in the daily papers published in his own section of the country Usually in the Saturday or Sunday issues he will find typical articles on topics connected with the city and with the state or states in which the paper circulates The advantage of beginning his study of newspaper stories with those published in papers near his home lies in the fact that he is familiar with the interests of the readers of these papers and can readily understand their point of view By noting the subjects, the point of view, the forth, and the illustrations, he will soon discover what these papers want, or rather, what the readers of these papers want The ”Outline for the analysis of Special Articles” in Part II will indicate the points to keep in et a broader knowledge of the scope and character of special feature stories, a writer azine sections of the leading papers of the country Froinal of the feature writers, which is generally to be found in these metropolitan papers, the novice will derive no little inspiration as well as a valuable knowledge of technique
Thespecial feature stories in newspapers are applicable also to the study of azines afford a better opportunity than do newspapers for an analysis of the different types of articles discussed in Chapter V Since ned, it is possible to seek out and study the work of various successful authors in order to deterinning with the popular weekly and azines, a writer may well extend his study to those periodicals that appeal to particular classes, such as woricultural journals, and trade publications
IDEALS IN FEATURE WRITING After thoughtful analysis of special articles in all kinds of newspapers andwriter with a critical sense developed by reading English literaturein periodicals falls far short of the standards of excellence established by the best authors Because he finds that the average uncritical reader not only accepts commonplace work but is apparently attracted by h literary standards are not essential to popular success The tereat both for editors and writers to supply articles that are no better than the average reader demands, especially in such epheazines
Nevertheless, the writer who yields to this temptation is sure to produce only mediocre work If he is satisfied to write articles that will be characterized merely as ”acceptable,” he will never attain distinction
The special feature writer owes it both to himself and to his readers to do the best work of which he is capable It is his privilege not only to inform and to entertain the public, but to create better taste and a keener appreciation of good writing That readers do not deazines does not inality and precision in style necessarily ”go over the heads” of the average person Whenever writers and editors give the public solect a great opportunity to aid in the development of better literary taste, particularly on the part of the public whose reading is largely confined to newspapers and periodicals
Because of the co his readers, an editor occasionally assuive all of the the public what it wants,” is his excuse for printing fiction and articles that are obviously deeneous public inevitably includes a considerable nuestive treatment of morbid phases of life To cater to the low desires of so the public what it wants,” will always be regarded by self-respecting editors and authors as indefensible
The writer's opportunity to influence the mental, moral, and aesthetic ideals of hundreds of thousands of readers is reater than he often realizes When he considers the extent to which uided in their ideas and aspirations by what they read in newspapers and azines, he cannot fail to appreciate his responsibility Grasping the full significance of his special feature writing, he will no longer be content to write just well enough to sell his product, but will deter articles that are the best of which he is capable
CHAPTER III
FINDING SUBJECTS AND MATERIAL
SOURCES OF SUBJECTS ”What shall I write about?” is the first question that inexperienced writers ask their literary advisers ”If you haven't anything to write about, rite at all?” ht be an easy answer
Most persons, as a matter of fact, have plenty to write about but do not realize it Not lack of subjects, but inability to recognize the possibilities of what lies at hand, is their real difficulty