How To Write Special Feature Articles Part 28

To be paid for at usual Written for The Outlook rates, or to be returned with the ten (10) cents in stamps enclosed, to Arthur W. Milton, 582 Wilson Street, Des Moines, Iowa.

CONFESSIONS OF A FRESHMAN

Why I Was Dropped From College at the End of My First Year

By Arthur W. Milton

(Note. This article is based on the writer's own experience in a large Middle Western state university, and the statistics have been obtained from the registrars of four state universities. It contains 2,750 words.)

Four (4) Photographs are Enclosed, as follows:

1. How I Decorated My Room

2. I Spent Hours Learning to Play My Ukelele

3. When I Made the Freshman Team

4. Cramming For My Final Exams

TYPOGRAPHICAL STYLE. Every newspaper and magazine has its own distinct typographical style in capitalization, abbreviation, punctuation, hyphenation, and the use of numerical figures. Some newspapers and periodicals have a style book giving rules for the preparation and editing of copy. A careful reading of several issues of a publication will show a writer the salient features of its typographical style. It is less important, however, to conform to the typographical peculiarities of any one publication than it is to follow consistently the commonly accepted rules of capitalization, punctuation, abbreviation, and "unreformed" spelling. Printers prefer to have each page end with a complete sentence. At the close of the article it is well to put the end mark (#).

When a special feature story for newspaper publication must be prepared so hastily that there is no time to copy the first draft, it may be desirable to revise the ma.n.u.script by using the marks commonly employed in editing copy. These are as follows:

american Three short lines under a letter or a = word indicate that it is to be set in - capital letters; thus, American.

New York Times Two short lines under a letter or a = = = word indicate that it is to be set in - - - small capital letters; thus, NEW YORK TIMES.

sine qua non One line under a word or words indicates ---- --- --- that it is to be set in italics; thus, _sine qua non_.

He is a /Soph.o.m.ore An oblique line drawn from right to left through a capital letter indicates that it is to be set in lower case; thus, He is a soph.o.m.ore.

____ _____ There are |10| in a |bu.| A circle around numerical figures or ---- ----- abbreviations indicates that they are to be spelled out; thus, There are ten in a bushel.

___________ _______ |Professor| A.B.Smith is |sixty|. A circle around words or figures ----------- ------- spelled out indicates that they are to be abbreviated or that numerical figures are to be used; thus, Prof. A.B. Smith is 60.

not a It is complimentry to him A caret is placed at the point in the ^ ^ line where the letters or words written above the line are to be inserted; thus, It is not complimentary to him.

__________ ______ to |carefullyXstudy| A line encircling two or more words ---------- ------ like an elongated figure "8" indicates that the words are to be transposed; thus, to study carefully.

to[=()]morrow Half circles connecting words or letters indicate that they are to be brought together; thus, tomorrow.

all/right A vertical line between parts of a word shows that the parts are to be separated; thus, all right.

U S 4 per cent. bonds A small cross or a period in a circle x x may be used to show that a period is to be used; thus, U.S. 4 per cent.

bonds.

")Yes, ')Love laughs at lock- Quotation marks are often enclosed smiths(', you know(", he replied. in half circles to indicate whether they are beginning or end marks.

--"How old are you?" he asked. The paragraph mark (--) or the _|"Sixteen", she said. sign [_|] may be used to call attention to the beginning of a new paragraph.

MAILING Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS. Since ma.n.u.scripts are written matter, they must be sent sealed as first-cla.s.s mail at letter rates of postage. For the return of rejected articles stamps may be attached to the cover page by means of a clip, or a self-addressed envelope with stamps affixed may be enclosed. The writer's name and address should always be given on the envelope in which the ma.n.u.script is sent to the publishers.

The envelope containing the article should be addressed to the "Editor"

of a magazine or to the "Sunday Editor" of a newspaper, as nothing is gained by addressing him or her by name. If a writer knows an editor personally or has had correspondence with him in regard to a particular article, it may be desirable to send the ma.n.u.script to him personally.

An accompanying letter is not necessary, for the cover page of the ma.n.u.script gives the editor and his a.s.sistants all the information that they need.

Articles consisting of only a few pages may be folded twice and mailed in a long envelope; bulkier ma.n.u.scripts should be folded once and sent in a manila ma.n.u.script envelope. Photographs of sizes up to 5 x 7 inches may be placed in a ma.n.u.script that is folded once, with a single piece of stout cardboard for protection. When larger photographs, up to 8 x 10 inches, accompany the article, the ma.n.u.script must be sent unfolded, with two pieces of cardboard to protect the pictures. Ma.n.u.scripts should never be rolled.

HOW Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS ARE HANDLED. In order to handle hundreds of ma.n.u.scripts as expeditiously as possible, most large editorial offices have worked out systems that, though differing slightly, are essentially the same.

When a ma.n.u.script is received, a record is made of it on a card or in a book, with the name and address of the author, the t.i.tle and character of the contribution, and the time of its receipt. The same data are entered on a blank that is attached to the ma.n.u.script by a clip. On this blank are left s.p.a.ces for comments by each of the editorial a.s.sistants who read and pa.s.s upon the article.

After these records have been made, the ma.n.u.script is given to the first editorial reader. He can determine by glancing at the first page or two whether or not the article is worth further consideration. Of the thousands of contributions of all kinds submitted, a considerable proportion are not in the least adapted to the periodical to which they have been sent. The first reader, accordingly, is scarcely more than a skilled sorter who separates the possible from the impossible. All ma.n.u.scripts that are clearly unacceptable are turned over to a clerk to be returned with a rejection slip.

When an article appears to have merit, the first reader looks over it a second time and adds a brief comment, which he signs with his initials.

The ma.n.u.script is then read and commented on by other editorial readers before it reaches the a.s.sistant editor. The best of the contributions are submitted to the editor for a final decision. By such a system every meritorious contribution is considered carefully by several critics before it is finally accepted or rejected. Moreover, the editor and the a.s.sistant editor have before them the comments of several readers with which to compare their own impressions.

In newspaper offices ma.n.u.scripts are usually sorted by the a.s.sistant Sunday editor, or a.s.sistant magazine editor, and are finally accepted or rejected by the Sunday or magazine editor.

REJECTED Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS. In rejecting contributions, editorial offices follow various methods. The commonest one is to send the author a printed slip expressing regret that the ma.n.u.script is not acceptable and encouraging him to submit something else. Some ingenious editors have prepared a number of form letters to explain to contributors the various reasons why their ma.n.u.scripts are unacceptable. The editorial a.s.sistant who rejects an unsuitable article indicates by number which of these form letters is to be sent to the author. A few editors send a personal letter to every contributor. Sometimes an editor in rejecting a contribution will suggest some publication to which it might be acceptable. If a ma.n.u.script has merit but is not entirely satisfactory, he may suggest that it be revised and submitted to him again.

KEEPING A Ma.n.u.sCRIPT RECORD. Every writer who intends to carry on his work in a systematic manner should keep a ma.n.u.script record, to a.s.sist him in marketing his articles to the best advantage. Either a book or a card index may be used. The purpose of such a record is to show (1) the length of time required by various publications to make a decision on contributions; (2) the rate and the time of payment of each periodical; (3) the present whereabouts of his ma.n.u.script and the periodicals to which it has already been submitted.

It is important for a writer to know how soon he may expect a decision on his contributions. If he has prepared an article that depends on timeliness for its interest, he cannot afford to send it to an editor who normally takes three or four weeks to make a decision. Another publication to which his article is equally well adapted, he may find from his ma.n.u.script record, accepts or rejects contributions within a week or ten days. Naturally he will send his timely article to the publication that makes the quickest decision. If that publication rejects it, he will still have time enough to try it elsewhere. His experience with different editors, as recorded in his ma.n.u.script record, often a.s.sists him materially in placing his work to the best advantage.

The rate and the time of payment for contributions are also worth recording. When an article is equally well suited to two or more periodicals, a writer will naturally be inclined to send it first to the publication that pays the highest price and that pays on acceptance.

A ma.n.u.script record also indicates where each one of a writer's articles is at a given moment, and by what publications it has been rejected. For such data he cannot afford to trust his memory.

A writer may purchase a ma.n.u.script record book or may prepare his own book or card index. At the top of each page or card is placed the t.i.tle of the article, followed by the number of words that it contains, the number of ill.u.s.trations that accompany it, and the date on which it was completed. On the lines under the t.i.tle are written in turn the names of the periodicals to which the ma.n.u.script is submitted, with (1) the dates on which it was submitted and returned or rejected; (2) the rate and the time of payment; and (3) any remarks that may prove helpful. A convenient form for such a page or card is shown on the next page: ___________________________________________________________________________ |Confessions of a Freshman. 2,750 Words. 4 Photos. Written, Jan. 18, 1919.| |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| | |Sent |Returned|Accepted|Paid |Amount|Remarks | |-------------------------------------------------------------------------| |The Outlook |1/18/19 |1/30/19 | | | | | |The Independent |1/31/19 |2/10/19 | | | | | |The Kansas City Star|2/12/19 | |2/18/19 |3/12/19 |$9.50 |$4 a col.| | | | | | | | | |____________________|________|________|________|________|______|_________|

ACCEPTED Ma.n.u.sCRIPTS. Contributions accepted for publication are paid for at the time of their acceptance, at the time of their publication, or at some fixed date in the month following their acceptance or publication. Nearly all well-established periodicals pay for articles when they are accepted. Some publications do not pay until the article is printed, a method obviously less satisfactory to a writer than prompt payment, since he may have to wait a year or more for his money.

Newspapers pay either on acceptance or before the tenth day of the month following publication. The latter arrangement grows out of the practice of paying correspondents between the first and the tenth of each month for the work of the preceding month.

After a ma.n.u.script has been accepted, a writer usually has no further responsibility concerning it. Some magazines submit galley proofs to the author for correction and for any changes that he cares to make. It is desirable to make as few alterations as possible to avoid the delay and expense of resetting the type. Corrected proofs should be returned promptly.

Unless specific stipulations are made to the contrary by the author, an article on being accepted by a periodical becomes its property and cannot be republished without its consent. Usually an editor will grant an author permission to reprint an article in book or pamphlet form. By copyrighting each issue, as most magazines and some newspapers do, the publishers establish fully their rights to an author's work.

SYNDICATING ARTICLES. By sending copies of his articles to a number of newspapers for simultaneous publication, a writer of special feature stories for newspapers may add to his earnings. This method is known as syndicating. It is made possible by the fact that the circulation of newspapers is largely local. Since, for example, Chicago papers are not read in New York, or Minneapolis papers in St. Louis, these papers may well publish the same articles on the same day. Organized newspaper syndicates furnish many papers with reading matter of all kinds.

The same article must not, however, be sent to more than one magazine, but a single subject may be used for two entirely different articles intended for two magazines. If two articles are written on the same subject, different pictures should be secured, so that it will not be necessary to send copies of the same ill.u.s.trations to two magazines.

Agricultural journals with a distinctly sectional circulation do not object to using syndicated articles, provided that the journals to which the article is sent do not circulate in the same territory.

If a writer desires to syndicate his work, he must conform to several requirements. First, he must make as many good copies as he intends to send out and must secure separate sets of photographs to accompany each one. Second, he must indicate clearly on each copy the fact that he is syndicating the article and that he is sending it to only one paper in a city. A special feature story, for instance, sent to the _Kansas City Star_ for publication in its Sunday edition, he would mark, "Exclusive for Kansas City. Release for Publication, Sunday, January 19." Third, he must send out the copies sufficiently far in advance of the release date to enable all of the papers to arrange for the publication of the article on that day. For papers with magazine sections that are made up a week or more before the day of publication, articles should be in the office of the editor at least two weeks before the release date. For papers that make up their Sunday issues only a few days in advance, articles need be submitted only a week before the publication day.

SELLING ARTICLES TO SYNDICATES. The syndicates that supply newspapers with various kinds of material, including special feature stories, are operated on the same principle that governs the syndicating of articles by the writer himself. That is, they furnish their features to a number of different papers for simultaneous publication. Since, however, they sell the same material to many papers, they can afford to do so at a comparatively low price and still make a fair profit. To protect their literary property, they often copyright their features, and a line of print announcing this fact is often the only indication in a newspaper that the matter was furnished by a syndicate. Among the best-known newspaper syndicates are the Newspaper Enterprise a.s.sociation, Cleveland, Ohio; the McClure Newspaper Syndicate, New York; and the Newspaper Feature Service, New York. A number of large newspapers, like the _New York Evening Post_, the _Philadelphia Ledger_, and the _New York Tribune_, syndicate their popular features to papers in other cities.

A writer may submit his special feature stories to one of the newspaper syndicates just as he would send it to a newspaper or magazine. These organizations usually pay well for acceptable ma.n.u.scripts. It is not as easy, however, to discover the needs and general policy of each syndicate as it is those of papers and magazines, because frequently there is no means of identifying their articles when they are printed in newspapers.