Making Small Journals.
The Table is much interested in amateur journalism, and is able to print herewith two morsels that may be of benefit to all. Ralph T. Hale is co-editor with F. W. Beale, of the Amateur Collector, 11½ Spring Street, Newburyport, Mass., and Edward Lind edits the Jug, Box 633, East Oakland, Cal., and is greatly interested in the National Press Association. Both papers are models, the Table thinks, of what play journals should be. Of course Sir Ralph may send us that natural history morsel. He writes:
"When a person has decided to publish an amateur paper, he first prepares a 'dummy' showing the size of his pages and their number, the number of columns on a page, the place where he intends to print his sub-heading and editorials, and the amount of space he intends to give to advertisements. Then he goes round among his friends and asks their subscriptions, and likewise solicits advertisements from his business acquaintances. Having established his paper on a comparatively firm financial basis, he next proceeds to prepare copy for his first issue, first consulting a printer as to prices which he should pay for a good job. After he has published his first number it is much easier to secure subscriptions and advertisements, as he has a paper to show to doubtful persons.
"The prices for printing depend largely on the quality of work and the size and number of papers printed. Printers will generally print five hundred papers at about the same price as that asked for one hundred. Remember that it is the amount of type which a printer has to set which decides the price. Sometimes the price is as high as seven or eight dollars per hundred, and again it is as low as two dollars and a half for five hundred.
"Of course, if you are lucky enough to have a press of your own, the cost of an amateur paper is not so large, but for a boy busy with school-work it pays better in the end to hire the greater part of his printing done. The size of an amateur paper is one of the most important points to be considered. It should not be too large, for then it has an overgrown appearance, nor yet too small. A medium size is preferable. Good sizes are 8 by 5½ inches, and 7 by 10 for each page. I am very much interested in botany, and would like to correspond on that subject. May I write again on natural history?
"Ralph T. Hale."
As there are amateur papers, there are also amateur printers. As a rule, these printers do good work for a much less price than professional printers charge. Perhaps the cheapest amateur printer is M. R. King, of Cobleskill, N. Y. Mr. King will print 500 copies of a paper, size page of Harper's Magazine, for $1 per page. The National Amateur Press Association convenes at Chicago July 16-18. The ticket below is the one favored most by the Pacific coast: For President, David L. Hollub, of San Francisco; for First Vice-President, C. W. Kissinger, of Reading, Pa.; for Recording Secretary, A. E. Barnard, of Chicago, Ill.; for Corresponding Secretary, E. A. Hering, of Seattle, Wash.; for Treasurer, Alson Brubaker, of Fargo, N. D.; for Official Editor, Will Hancock, of Fargo, N. D.; for Executive Judges, C. R. Burger, Miss E. L. Hauck, and J. F. Morton, Jun.
The Pacific coast is the most active amateur centre in the world. There are thirty-four amateur papers in San Francisco. Seattle has a live amateur press club of thirty members. I shall be glad to send sample copies of amateur papers and to give further information.
Edward Lind.