the americanization of edward bok-第35部分

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ts　greatest　preachers。

In　fact；　we　may　well　ponder　whether　the　full　editorial　authority　and　direction　of　a　modern　magazine；　either　essentially　feminine　in　its　appeal　or　not；　can　safely　be　entrusted　to　a　woman　when　one　considers　how　largely　executive　is　the　nature　of　such　a　position；　and　how　thoroughly　sensitive　the　modern　editor　must　be　to　the　hundred　and　one　practical　business　matters　which　today　enter　into　and　form　so　large　a　part　of　the　editorial　duties。　We　may　question　whether　women　have　as　yet　had　sufficient　experience　in　the　world　of　business　to　cope　successfully　with　the　material　questions　of　a　pivotal　editorial　position。　Then；　again；　it　is　absolutely　essential　in　the　conduct　of　a　magazine　with　a　feminine　or　home　appeal　to　have　on　the　editorial　staff　women　who　are　experts　in　their　line；　and　the　truth　is　that　women　will　work　infinitely　better　under　the　direction　of　a　man　than　of　a　woman。

It　would　seem　from　the　present　outlook　that；　for　some　time；　at　least；　the　so…called　woman's　magazine　of　large　purpose　and　wide　vision　is　very　likely　to　be　edited　by　a　man。　It　is　a　question；　however；　whether　the　day　of　the　woman's　magazine；　as　we　have　known　it；　is　not　passing。　Already　the　day　has　gone　for　the　woman's　magazine　built　on　the　old　lines　which　now　seem　so　grotesque　and　feeble　in　the　light　of　modern　growth。　The　interests　of　women　and　of　men　are　being　brought　closer　with　the　years；　and　it　will　not　be　long　before　they　will　entirely　merge。　This　means　a　constantly　diminishing　necessity　for　the　distinctly　feminine　magazine。

Naturally；　there　will　always　be　a　field　in　the　essentially　feminine　pursuits　which　have　no　place　in　the　life　of　a　man；　but　these　are　rapidly　being　cared　for　by　books；　gratuitously　distributed；　issued　by　the　manufacturers　of　distinctly　feminine　and　domestic　wares；　for　such　publications　the　best　talent　is　being　employed；　and　the　results　are　placed　within　easy　access　of　women；　by　means　of　newspaper　advertisement；　the　store…counter；　or　the　mails。　These　will　sooner　or　laterand　much　sooner　than　latersupplant　the　practical　portions　of　the　woman's　magazine；　leaving　only　the　general　contents；　which　are　equally　interesting　to　men　and　to　women。　Hence　the　field　for　the　magazine　with　the　essentially　feminine　appeal　is　contracting　rather　than　broadening；　and　it　is　likely　to　contract　much　more　rapidly　in　the　future。

The　field　was　altogether　different　when　Edward　Bok　entered　it　in　1889。　It　was　not　only　wide　open；　but　fairly　crying　out　to　be　filled。　The　day　of　Godey's　Lady's　Book　had　passed；　Peterson's　Magazine　was　breathing　its　last；　and　the　home　or　women's　magazines　that　had　attempted　to　take　their　place　were　sorry　affairs。　It　was　this　consciousness　of　a　void　ready　to　be　filled　that　made　the　Philadelphia　experiment　so　attractive　to　the　embryo　editor。　He　looked　over　the　field　and　reasoned　that　if　such　magazines　as　did　exist　could　be　fairly　successful；　if　women　were　ready　to　buy　such；　how　much　greater　response　would　there　be　to　a　magazine　of　higher　standards；　of　larger　initiativea　magazine　that　would　be　an　authoritative　clearing…house　for　all　the　problems　confronting　women　in　the　home；　that　brought　itself　closely　into　contact　with　those　problems　and　tried　to　solve　them　in　an　entertaining　and　efficient　way；　and　yet　a　magazine　of　uplift　and　inspiration：　a　magazine；　in　other　words；　that　would　give　light　and　leading　in　the　woman's　world。

The　method　of　editorial　expression　in　the　magazines　of　1889　was　also　distinctly　vague　and　prohibitively　impersonal。　The　public　knew　the　name　of　scarcely　a　single　editor　of　a　magazine：　there　was　no　personality　that　stood　out　in　the　mind：　the　accepted　editorial　expression　was　the　indefinite　〃we〃；　no　one　ventured　to　use　the　first　person　singular　and　talk　intimately　to　the　reader。　Edward　Bok's　biographical　reading　had　taught　him　that　the　American　public　loved　a　personality：　that　it　was　always　ready　to　recognize　and　follow　a　leader；　provided；　of　course；　that　the　qualities　of　leadership　were　demonstrated。　He　felt　the　time　had　comethe　reference　here　and　elsewhere　is　always　to　the　realm　of　popular　magazine　literature　appealing　to　a　very　wide　audiencefor　the　editor　of　some　magazine　to　project　his　personality　through　the　printed　page　and　to　convince　the　public　that　he　was　not　an　oracle　removed　from　the　people；　but　a　real　human　being　who　could　talk　and　not　merely　write　on　paper。

He　saw；　too；　that　the　average　popular　magazine　of　1889　failed　of　large　success　because　it　wrote　down　to　the　publica　grievous　mistake　that　so　many　editors　have　made　and　still　make。　No　one　wants　to　be　told；　either　directly　or　indirectly；　that　he　knows　less　than　he　does；　or　even　that　he　knows　as　little　as　he　does：　every　one　is　benefited　by　the　opposite　implication；　and　the　public　will　always　follow　the　leader　who　comprehends　this　bit　of　psychology。　There　is　always　a　happy　medium　between　shooting　over　the　public's　head　and　shooting　too　far　under　it。　And　it　is　because　of　the　latter　aim　that　we　find　the　modern　popular　magazine　the　worthless　thing　that；　in　so　many　instances；　it　is　to…day。

It　is　the　rare　editor　who　rightly　gauges　his　public　psychology。　Perhaps　that　is　why；　in　the　enormous　growth　of　the　modern　magazine；　there　have　been　produced　so　few　successful　editors。　The　average　editor　is　obsessed　with　the　idea　of　〃giving　the　public　what　it　wants；〃　whereas；　in　fact；　the　public；　while　it　knows　what　it　wants　when　it　sees　it；　cannot　clearly　express　its　wants；　and　never　wants　the　thing　that　it　does　ask　for；　although　it　thinks　it　does　at　the　time。　But　woe　to　the　editor　and　his　periodical　if　he　heeds　that　siren　voice！

The　editor　has；　therefore；　no　means　of　finding　it　out　aforehand　by　putting　his　ear　to　the　ground。　Only　by　the　simplest　rules　of　psychology　can　he　edit　rightly　so　that　he　may　lead；　and　to　the　average　editor　of　to…day；　it　is　to　be　feared；　psychology　is　a　closed　book。　His　mind　is　all　too　often　focussed　on　the　circulation　and　advertising；　and　all　too　little　on　the　intangibles　that　will　bring　to　his　periodical　the　results　essential　in　these　respects。

The　editor　is　the　pivot　of　a　magazine。　On　him　everything　turns。　If　his　gauge　of　the　public　is　correct；　readers　will　come：　they　cannot　help　coming　to　the　man　who　has　something　to　say　himself；　or　who　presents　writers　who　have。　And　if　the　reader　comes；　the　advertiser　must　come。　He　must　go　where　his　largest　market　is：　where　the　buyers　are。　The　advertiser；　instead　of　being　the　most　difficult　factor　in　a　magazine　proposition；　as　is　so　often　mistakenly　thought；　is；　in　reality；　the　simplest。　He　has　no　choice　but　to　advertise　in　the　successful　periodical。　He　must　come　along。　The　editor　need　never　worry　about　him。　If　the　advertiser　shuns　the　periodical's　pages；　the　fault　is　rarely　that　of　the　advertiser：　the　editor　can　generally　look　for　the　reason　nearer　home。

One　of　Edward　Bok's　first　acts　as　editor　was　to　offer　a　series　of　prizes　for　the　best　answers　to　three　questions　he　put　to　his　readers：　what　in　the　magazine　did　they　like　least　and　why；　what　did　they　like　best　and　why；　and　what　omitted　feature　or　department　would　they　like　to　see　installed？　Thousands　of　answers　came；　and　these　the　editor　personally　read　carefully　and　classified。　Then　he　gave　his　readers'　suggestions　back