Opening the text

The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfullyCook, William Wallace

Philosophy

The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfully

Name: The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfully
Author: Cook, William Wallace

Cook, William Wallace

Authorship; Fiction

Several guns were fired during this invasion of Germany, but only
one shell "went home." This was not the fault of Mr. Niemann. In
Edwards' brief experience with him he found him always a scholar and
a gentleman. Sincerity and courtesy were his never-failing traits.
The pleasant little twists he gave his English, and the occasional
naive expression that struggled through his typewriter, along with the
prodigal use of "caps," will perhaps excuse a further offering from the
correspondence. Here is the shot that hit the mark:

                                                    "May 12, 1908.

  "Dear Sir:--

  Before I have even had time to forward 'The Billionaire's Dilemma'
  and 'On the Stroke of Four', and to await your other announced
  stories, a letter comes from one of my German correspondents, saying
  he had run through your short story: 'The Shadow of the Unknown' and
  would purchase the rights of translation if you will accept an offer
  of FORTY DOLLARS.

  Perhaps you will say, "such an offer is absurd," but first let me
  state to you, that the best books placed in GERMANY bring at the most
  ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, and oftener anywhere from FIFTY to ONE HUNDRED,
  that the chief profit, is not a monetary one, rather the spreading
  of the writer's name and fame.

  'The Shadow of the Unknown,' writes the publisher, is a very short
  story, and if you will be guided by my long experience, dear Sir,
  you will accept the offer, in order to make our name popular and
  facilitate a better sale of your following stories, which I shall
  take double pleasure in forwarding, feeling surer of a good offer.

  Were I guilty of business indiscretion, you would be surprised
  to know the names of the already published 'BOOKS' I have sold
  and am daily selling the GERMAN rights of, for hardly a monetary
  consideration at all, and yet the literary satisfaction quite
  out-balances all other considerations, does it not?

  I enclose the customary form of assignment, which you can sign and
  have duly witnessed by a NOTARY PUBLIC, if you see fit to accept the
  offer, and which you will please then send me per AMERICAN EXPRESS C.
  O. D. subject to examination to avoid every possible chance of error.

  The personal receipt need not be signed before the NOTARY PUBLIC,
  your signature without witness suffices.

  Hoping to do much better for you with your other fine stories and
  appreciating your confidence, I remain, dear Sir,

                                            Very truly yours,
                                                 "EUGENE NIEMANN."

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfullyCook, William Wallace

Philosophy

The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfully

Cook, William Wallace

Authorship; Fiction

Several guns were fired during this invasion of Germany, but only
one shell "went home." This was not the fault of Mr. Niemann. In
Edwards' brief experience with him he found him always a scholar and
a gentleman. Sincerity and courtesy were his never-failing traits.
The pleasant little twists he gave his English, and the occasional
naive expression that struggled through his typewriter, along with the
prodigal use of "caps," will perhaps excuse a further offering from the
correspondence. Here is the shot that hit the mark:

                                                    "May 12, 1908.

  "Dear Sir:--

  Before I have even had time to forward 'The Billionaire's Dilemma'
  and 'On the Stroke of Four', and to await your other announced
  stories, a letter comes from one of my German correspondents, saying
  he had run through your short story: 'The Shadow of the Unknown' and
  would purchase the rights of translation if you will accept an offer
  of FORTY DOLLARS.

  Perhaps you will say, "such an offer is absurd," but first let me
  state to you, that the best books placed in GERMANY bring at the most
  ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS, and oftener anywhere from FIFTY to ONE HUNDRED,
  that the chief profit, is not a monetary one, rather the spreading
  of the writer's name and fame.

  'The Shadow of the Unknown,' writes the publisher, is a very short
  story, and if you will be guided by my long experience, dear Sir,
  you will accept the offer, in order to make our name popular and
  facilitate a better sale of your following stories, which I shall
  take double pleasure in forwarding, feeling surer of a good offer.

  Were I guilty of business indiscretion, you would be surprised
  to know the names of the already published 'BOOKS' I have sold
  and am daily selling the GERMAN rights of, for hardly a monetary
  consideration at all, and yet the literary satisfaction quite
  out-balances all other considerations, does it not?

  I enclose the customary form of assignment, which you can sign and
  have duly witnessed by a NOTARY PUBLIC, if you see fit to accept the
  offer, and which you will please then send me per AMERICAN EXPRESS C.
  O. D. subject to examination to avoid every possible chance of error.

  The personal receipt need not be signed before the NOTARY PUBLIC,
  your signature without witness suffices.

  Hoping to do much better for you with your other fine stories and
  appreciating your confidence, I remain, dear Sir,

                                            Very truly yours,
                                                 "EUGENE NIEMANN."

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfully

The Fiction Factory: Being the experience of a writer who, for twenty-two years, has kept a story-mill grinding successfully

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