Being a Writer in the Early 20th Century

Taylor Harbin · Feb 6, 2016

I would like to know anyone has ever seen a book about being a fiction writer in the 1920s-30s. I've learned bits and pieces from reading about guys like Hemingway and Fitzgerald, but what about those who didn't become superstars? I'm interested in pay rates for short fiction, what kind of stuff was popular, what forms were acceptable, how authors and agents/editors communicated and sent manuscripts, just about anything else that might help.

Katharine Tree · Feb 6, 2016

The best I can do for you is The Unstrung Harp or: Mr. Earbrass Writes a Novel. This is a humor piece and not contemporary with the period, but one can glean a few things about publishing in Ye Olde Days nevertheless.

mirandashell · Feb 6, 2016

how authors and agents/editors communicated and sent manuscripts

By post.

Jeff C. Stevenson · Feb 6, 2016

A great book is by Algernon Blackwood. It's called Episodes Before Thirty (1923) and it's how he made his living (or tried to) as a newspaper writer and then began selling short stories. The full text is available online.

King Neptune · Feb 6, 2016

There were many magazines that published fiction of any length, and they were widely read. You might be able to find the rates in a search. Hemingway and Fitzgerald sold large quantities of stories. The pay rates varied, but apparently Fitzgerald was able to live like a spend-thrift prince on pay from mags. https://books.google.com/books?id=-...s pay for a short story in the 1920s&f=false

This lists periodicals published from 1890 to 1922 http://modjourn.org/periodicals.html

Being a Writer in the Early 20th Century

Taylor Harbin

Power to the pen!

Katharine Tree

Þæt wæs god cyning

mirandashell

Jeff C. Stevenson

Author of FORTNEY ROAD

King Neptune