Life, 1907-07-11 · page 19 of 24
Life — July 11, 1907 — page 19: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This page is **not a cartoon but rather promotional/editorial content** about *The Smart Set* magazine, attributed to literary critic Hamilton Wright Mabie. The piece argues that *The Smart Set*'s success (founded March 1900) proves Mabie's maxim that magazines need a founding "idea" to succeed. That idea was publishing high-quality fiction based purely on merit, not author fame—complete stories without serialization, aimed at readers seeking rest and mental refreshment. The text emphasizes that *The Smart Set* discovers new talent (all great writers were once new) and attracts superior submissions because editors judge work fairly. It positions the magazine as superior to cheaper imitators, justifying its 25-cent price by maintaining "brilliancy, clean sentiment, good English literature." This appears to be **house advertising**—the magazine promoting itself to potential readers and aspiring writers. The implicit satire may target competitor magazines relying on established names rather than merit-based publishing.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
bach’s Milan Hamilton Wright Mabie in a recent address said: ‘‘No magazine not founded on an idea has ever been or can be successful.” Tue Smart Set was founded on ar. “idea” and from its first issue, March, 1900, has been a phenomenal success. The “idea” was to give to the world each month a volume of high-class fiction. Many imitators have since sprung up prompted by the marvelous popularity of THe Smart Ser. The “idea” proposed publishing fiction purely upon its merit as such, and not because it was the product of famed writers. Each contribution should be taken for its excellence without reference to its author. Incidentally there were included novel features in magazine publishing. There were to be no “continued” stories. The founder believed that in this age of rush and hurry, of diversified amusement and recreation, of rapid thought, the old practice of giving a few chapters of a novel in each of several issues was bad. He believed that the great public—men and women, young and old—wanted a magazine full of completed, bright, clean, cheery novelettes and short stories, poems, sketches and jokes, the perusal of whose pages would give rest and delight—be satisfying to the reader. Tue Smart Ser has never made a point of heralding noted authors. It has pub- lished short stories and novelettes from the most popular and brilliant writers of the day, but this was because the work offered by those writers has been good. Admittedly it has published many of the very brightest and most entertaining stories from authors never before read in any magazine. The work of such writers has found place in its columns because it was clever. A natural result has been that ten times more matter comes to its Editors than goes to any other magazine. New writers understand that they can get a hearing in THe Smart Set editorial rooms and that the hearing will be purely on the merit of their productions. All GREAT writers have once been NEW writers. It is recognized that in the case of many of them their first work has been their best. With the world of new writers sending their best to THe Smart Set, its readers are assured always of something fresh and novel and not the familiar and h neyed work of writers who by some felicitous effort have produced a fame-maker and then have lived for the rest of their days on that reputation. The remarkable circulation which THe Smart Set has attained has proved the value of the “idea.” If you like the “idea” you will buy it quite as readily at its price of 25 cents as though it were 10 cents. You will prefer it to the cheaper imitations. You ‘idea” which means brilliancy, clean sentiment, good may be sure at all times that the English literature, intensely interesting and constantly refreshing mental entertain- ment, will be vigorously and studiously maintained. comicbooks.com