IT HAS been said—truthfully, we think—that if any editor knew exactly what everybody wants to read he could speedily attain for his magazine a tremendous circulation. But no editor knows. It's largely guesswork—this matter of publishing what people want.
Ourself, we get a staggering amount of manuscripts of every conceivable sort; and we frankly confess that half the time we're uncertain which ones to refuse and which to accept. At this moment we are confronted by such a dilemma in the shape of a story that has us (in a manner of speaking) all up in the air.
This story presents an interesting problem. We don't know what to do with it. We don't know whether it's a masterpiece of weird literature, or a new interpretation of the Einstein Theory, or a puzzle picture, or what it is. And so we're going to submit it to our readers. We're going to print the letter that accompanied the manuscript; and we ask you to read this letter, and then (remembering that the manuscript is written in the same matchless style) tell us whether or not you want us to print the story. Here's the letter:
"Mr. Edwin Baird, Editor, of the Wierd Tales.
Dear Sir Your Name hase been sent to me that you are in the market for short Stories. and I am going to send you one of my manuscripts. of one of my short stories. The Name of the Storie is—The Transparent Ghost, After you have looked and read my Manuscript. of this short storie and if you think you want it for your magazine, plese let me know at once and if you think you cant youse it you will find Postage. Stamps to return it back to me and if you have a plase in you magazine for it let me know soon as posaballe I have a few more short stories one Detective storie and if you like this one I would like to send to you my manuscript of the Detective StorieHoping to here from you soon and al so that you can youse thas Storie of the Transparent Ghost in your magazine,
and also that I my Have the pleasure of writing sevril more Stories for youResp. yours
Please Adress all my letters to the adress below.
Mrs, D. M. Manzer.
Amarillo. Texas,
Gen. Del.But as the Author to all my Stories is to be as my name is asined below
Author of the
Transparent Ghost, Mrs. Isa-belle Manzer."
So there you are! If you like the letter you'll surely like the story. We promise you that. And if you want the story you shall have it.
Another remarkable feature of this extraordinary yarn is that you may start reading it at any point and lose none of its charm. You can read it forward, or backward, or either way from the middle—and you'll never know you're off the track. A most unusual tale!
We discovered this, inadvertently, when we first opened the manuscript and began on the first sentence of the top page and read steadily through to the last sentence of the bottom page, and then, chancing to notice the number thereon, we found, to our amazement, that we'd read the thing backward! The pages had been transposed, so that the last page was first and the first page last, and we'd read the whole blooming thing upside down without ever knowing the difference. That's the sort of story it is.
What say? Would you care to see this treasure? If so, speak up, and we'll start it serially in our next issue.
THAT matter disposed of, we'll look through our correspondence and see what our readers are saying about us. We always enjoy letters like this from Homer O. Peterson of Delaware, Ohio—short and snappy and to the point:
"Now about the September number: Every story was good, most of them excellent, with the exception of one, 'The Autobiography of a Blue Ghost.' Evidently Mr. Lemon, whoever he is, tried to write a humorous story. Well, in my opinion he made a miserable failure. This story is the most ridiculous thing, the most ludicrous one, I ever read. It did not start out so badly, but the latter part! Do you think our ghosts, anyone's, could do as many silly things as was cited in this story? But we can easily excuse this little mistake this time, and maybe later Mr. Lemon will write a really sensible ghost story. If there was one poor story in your magazine there were a dozen good ones to make up for it. I can hardly wait for the conclusion of the 'People of the Comet' by Austin Hall. 'The Case of Dr. Johnstone' by Burton Peter Thom is one of the best scientific stories you have published. It is convincing, appealing, and has all the elements that go to make up a good short story. 'The Old Burying Ground' by Edgar Lloyd Hampton was another excellent story. The realism made the appearance of the night riders all the more striking and haunting. This story is in my opinion the best novelette you have published. I am anxiously awaiting the next number of WEIRD TALES."
Cecil John Eustace of the Bank of Montreal, St. Catharines, Ontario, has a happy way of summing up his likes and dislikes thus:
"Dear Editor: I have just finished reading the August copy of WEIRD TALES, and I want to tell you how much your effort in producing such a magazine as this is appreciated. It is just the thing that a large section of the reading public has always wanted, a good collection of unusual and weird stories. It is the first copy that I have seen in Canada, and I hope we get plenty more. I agree with W. T. F. about the covers, as I think that many more people would buy WEIRD TALES if they were not scared off it by the cover.In the August number I thought the following were good: 'The Two Men Who Murdered Each Other,' 'The Strange Case of Jacob Arum,' 'Riders in the Dark,' 'Outcasts.'
The following fair: 'The Guard of Honor, 'Black Cunjer,' 'Shades.'
And the following bad: 'The Room in the Tower,' 'Senorita Serpente,' 'Mandrake.'
As you wisely remark, however, it is a good thing that everybody is not pleased by the same thing."
WE'VE received, and are still receiving, a considerable number of flattering letters about Austin Hall's bizarre serial, "The People of the Comet," which came to an end in the October number, and in view of this we feel persuaded to quote an excerpt from a letter which the author writes to us:
"My dear Mr. Baird: I hope that both your magazines will be going like whirlwinds before long. Let me commend you for the form of the magazines that you now have on the market, and let me give you a few pointers. When your DETECTIVE TALES came out I picked it up because I had to—because of its shape, size, neatness and general get-up. It spoke 'class' from the start. Then, when your WEIRD TALES came out—old style—I was interested; I had always wanted to see a magazine that catered to the imagination. I had hopes; but at first I was afraid. One newsstand that I was watching had fourteen copies and sold just one—and that one I bought myself. The same with the next issue. But when you came out with the large size—what a difference! I stepped into the newstand the other day, and out of fourteen they had one left."
After that (by way of thanking Mr. Hall), we can do no less than show him one of the many letters concerning his novel:
"My dear sir: Your September issue of WEIRD TALES more than upholds the standard set by your former numbers. The kaleidoscopic imagination of Austin Hall which produced that fantastic piece of fiction, 'The People of the Comet,' sets a pace which others may well emulate. Stories such as this intrigue the imagination, and in touching upon the wonderful possibilities of science they appeal to a great number of readers. They may be weird and fantastic without being downright revolting in their filth, as are many stories in which authors attempt the unusual. WEIRD TALES is 'Unique' and has its own place in the magazine field. Continue the present policy and style.—Charles G. Kidney, 1437 W. 126th St., Cleveland, Ohio."
Here is one that quite makes us blush—and fills us with gratitude:
"Mr. Edwin Baird: Just a word about WEIRD TALES. Some day the fiction center of the United States is going to shift from New York to Chicago; and then WEIRD TALES will be found leading the van if it keeps up with the WEIRD TALES of today. I find the ——— and other fiction magazines of the old style, as one would find a steady diet of oysters, palling. Fancy the same dish for twenty years! I scatter the copies of WEIRD TALES I buy in an endeavor to make more readers.—Sidney E. Johnson, Motor Route B, Box 395, Joplin, Mo."
FROM Mrs. Elizabeth Purington of 1018 W. Walnut. St., Santa Ana, California, comes an interesting letter in which she asks our opinion of a dream she had. We're not so good at interpreting feminine dreams, so we pass her letter on to you, with the hope that somebody may be able to help the lady:
"Dear Editor: Bought the September issue of WEIRD TALES last night and have just finished it. Sort of a relief, and yet I wish there were more. . . . I had rather a queer experience one night. Was it a dream, or, if not, what really happened? I 'dreamed' I died. I often faint while asleep, but this was different. I seemed to be conscious, but I can't be sure of that. Everything was dark, and I seemed to be walking along a rough road. All around me were dead bodies. I kept falling over them. Finally I saw a small light 'way ahead. When I reached it I was at the edge of a high cliff. Thinking I was going to fall, I glanced up and above me were a dozen or more illuminated hands. As I grasped a pair of these I turned cold, and then truly opened my eyes. I found myself stretched full length in bed, fully covered, but icy cold, and could not move a muscle. I must have lain this way for an hour or more before I felt warmth coming back to me. Then, and not before, I was able to move. . . . Do you think it was only a dream, or was it more than that? I'm all puzzled."
There's such a huge stack of letters here on our desk that, to use the utmost number of them, we'll have to step aside. and print 'em without editorial comment. After all, an editor, like a stage director, should stay in the wings, not in front of the curtain.
"Dear Mr. Baird: I have been reading all issues of WEIRD TALES, and I think the magazine is going, or should go, good. Four out of five yarns are A-1. Guess you saw the complimentary notice given it in the 'Thinks and Things' department of the Writers' Monthly several months ago. The newsstands here don't give your magazine much prominence; can't you get some advance placards regarding the current numbers? They help immensely. . . . As for DETECTIVE TALES, I don't think favorably of it. It's hard to get away from the regular formula detective stories; your Henry Leverage stories are the only ones that impress me. The make up and the illustrations of the two magazines are good, in my estimation. If this letter is a 'knocker,' don't mind it. My opinion isn't worth much. But I do want to see WEIRD TALES, in especial, go big. Wishing you all sorts of good luck—Joseph Faus, 408 First National Bank Building, Miami, Fla."
"My dear Mr. Baird: Have read all the issues to date of your unique magazine. Some of them were good, some excellent, and some were—well, just tales. However, you have gained a reader just the same, who is fed up on the wishy-washy tales in the average magazine. You deserve the acme of success for your courage in taking the radical step that you have, and all best wishes for that success.—Ralph S. Happel, 93 State St., Albany, N. Y."
"Dear sirs: I want to congratulate you on the wonderful book your company is putting out. In this month's issue 'The Cup of Blood' was a corker. It was one of the most interesting stories in the book.—Thomas J. Harris, 83 Kingston Ave., Brooklyn, N. Y."
"Dear Mr. Baird: Allow me to express, again, my appreciation for the kind of story WEIRD TALES stands for. As soon as I get definitely located, I intend to show my appreciation in a more substantial way by subscribing for this magazine. I have all the numbers except the first, and am thus proving my right to be a WEIRD TALES fan.—Walter F. McCanless, Wadesboro. N. C."
"My dear Editor: The readers in The Eyrie are all enthusiasts, no doubt, but they can't beat me in voicing my praise of your new book. . . . Poe is the best of this kind I have yet read, but weird stories are hard to get, and, being especially interested in ancient Egypt, I enjoyed 'The Hall of the Dead' the most. What do you suppose E. E. L. of Chicago considers Poe's 'supreme tale'? . . The present-day conventions in movies, stories and drama are downright hokum. Why? They never consider the occult at all. They must have a happy ending. The editor says so. Don't you think people are about fed up on the same old stories day by day? Why did O. Henry make such a hit? Not from a weird standpoint, of course, but his stories travel along life's path as only life itself would and can!—Godfrey Lampert, Jasper, Ind."
"Mr. Edwin Baird: I started reading your youthful magazine at its first appearance, and, like everybody else, I enjoy the stories, but I have a bit of criticism to make. . . . I am very fond of weird stories, tales of terror and mystery, but it would never do for anyone to read this type of story only and continuously. What we read has a vital part in moulding our thoughts and life, and too much of this morbid stuff would drive a person insane. . . The most terrifying of stories are those which suggest the horrors of insanity, of the premature pronouncing of death and premature burial and the dead-seeming form of catalepsy. With the thought of these brought out in a story, the afterthought would be, 'What if it should happen to me!' So I suggest that in closing the magazine each month you have some story practical and wholesome in nature, so that we readers can read it last and sleep without dreams that are frightful. If not a story of that kind, then print a page of jokes (but I fear they would be read first, not last). For proof that WEIRD TALES is strong stuff, my mother (who is usually bored by the usual kind of stories and goes to sleep reading them) is able to stay awake long enough to read W. T.—Lee Andrews, 220 Minerva St., Indianapolis, Ind."
"Dear Sir: As I have been a constant reader of your magazine for some time I feel that I must write and let you know how much I like it. By passing the copies among my friends, I have gained quite a number of readers for your magazine that heretofore did not know it existed. Have just finished reading your September issue, and think it great. I got a real thrill reading 'The Gorilla' by Horatio Vernon Ellis. It was a dandy. Would like to see him appear again in WEIRD TALES. . . . In my opinion, 'The Autobiography of a Blue Ghost' was, instead of being horrible, silly. But it is a wonderful magazine, and I wish it continued prosperity and a wider circulation.—Mrs. F. Wickman, 311 Second Ave., W., Duluth, Minn."
"Dear Mr. Baird: Destiny, I suppose, compelled me to drop in and visit my uncle, who works in a cigar and magazine booth in a hotel here in town. Idly glancing over the magazines in the rack, I saw one with a black front and the words, WEIRD TALES, printed on it in red and white. Not caring much for magazines, I had never noticed this one before. Picking it up, when my uncle's back was turned, the title, 'The People of the Comet,' immediately took my fancy, and, glancing at the titles of all the stories, I very soon made up my mind that I must have this magazine. I took 25 cents from a very nearly empty bank, went to the nearest magazine store and, after buying the magazine, ran all the way home, because I was afraid I might stop to read it on the street. Although I am only thirteen years old, I am crazy over WEIRD TALES. It is the very best magazine I have ever read. Some of the stories I don't like, but I have never yet been disappointed in the Unique Magazine. Here are some of the stories I like best: 'The Room with the Black Velvet Drapes,' 'Doctor X,' 'Shades,' 'The Room in the Tower,' 'The Corpse on the Third Slab,' 'The People of the Comet,' 'The Blood-Stained Parasol,' 'The Autobiography of a Blue Ghost.'—Ralph Fingle, 235 Fifth St., Long Beach, Calif.
"To the Editor of WEIRD TALES: Say, your magazine is GREAT. I have passed mine around among my friends, and they are all unanimous in the declaration that the fantastic tales in it are extremely interesting and unusual. The public DOES like creepy tales. We all like the unusual and we all enjoy letting our imagination take a wild flight occasionally. Your stories are a lot better than these risque stories the average editor is so pleased to accept and publish. I'm for stories like yours; unreal, some of them, but that is why they are good. For a while one can forget the dull grind of life. When you pick up WEIRD TALES you can't lay it down until you have read it all. That is something you can't say for most magazines. Of your stories, 'The Dead Man's Tale' is the best and most unusual. I don't believe that idea was ever put in a story before. Every one who read my magazine voted it the best. They all thought 'The Basket' and 'The Return of Black Jean' were rotten, and wondered why you took up space publishing them, but of course every one knows that editors have queer tastes sometimes, as well as the rest of us. I have never written anything but poety, but after reading your magazine, I thought I couldn't possibly do worse than 'The Basket,' so I'm enclosing a story.—Mrs. Thomas Earl Davison, 6520 Woodlawn Ave., Chicago."
"Dear WEIRD TALES Editor: I am enthusiastic over the 'new' magazine. I always loved weird stories, but never could get in touch with a magazine that produced them. So here's hoping you live and thrive and keep on keeping on.—Edith Lyle Ragsdale, Centralia, Ill."
"Dear Mr. Baird: I got hold of WEIRD TALES in Portland the other day. It's a hummer! You certainly have a new idea, and it's a boon for authors since they can cut loose and let their imaginations revel. I shouldn't be at all surprised if it fathered another 'King Solomon's Mines.'—E. B., West Point, Me."
"Dear Editor: Please do publish one of those 'dark night, awful storm, awfuler haunted house' ones that we girls are so fond of. Great work, yours, but too much detective stuff for us.—Gertrude Strauss, R. 3, B. 186, Puyallup, Wash."
DIVING through the remainder of our stack of letters, we encounter several that request us to bind several issues of WEIRD TALES and publish it quarterly. It's a clever idea. We'll do it some day—if enough of our readers want it.Meanwhile, don't forget to vote on "The Transparent Ghost." We're losing all our beauty sleep, thinking about that story.
THE EDITOR.