the americanization of edward bok-第28部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


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　to　them　in　articles　and　departments；　but　never　on　the　level　suggested　by　them。　He　gave　them　the　subjects　they　asked　for；　but　invariably　on　a　slightly　higher　plane；　and　each　year　he　raised　the　standard　a　notch。　He　always　kept　〃a　huckleberry　or　two〃　ahead　of　his　readers。　His　psychology　was　simple：　come　down　to　the　level　which　the　public　sets　and　it　will　leave　you　at　the　moment　you　do　it。　It　always　expects　of　its　leaders　that　they　shall　keep　a　notch　above　or　a　step　ahead。　The　American　public　always　wants　something　a　little　better　than　it　asks　for；　and　the　successful　man；　in　catering　to　it；　is　he　who　follows　this　golden　rule。



XVI。　First　Years　as　a　Woman's　Editor

Edward　Bok　has　often　been　referred　to　as　the　one　〃who　made　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　out　of　nothing；〃　who　〃built　it　from　the　ground　up；〃　or；　in　similar　terms；　implying　that　when　he　became　its　editor　in　1889　the　magazine　was　practically　non…existent。　This　is　far　from　the　fact。　The　magazine　was　begun　in　1883；　and　had　been　edited　by　Mrs。　Cyrus　H。　K。　Curtis；　for　six　years；　under　her　maiden　name　of　Louisa　Knapp；　before　Bok　undertook　its　editorship。　Mrs。　Curtis　had　laid　a　solid　foundation　of　principle　and　policy　for　the　magazine：　it　had　achieved　a　circulation　of　440；000　copies　a　month　when　she　transferred　the　editorship；　and　it　had　already　acquired　such　a　standing　in　the　periodical　world　as　to　attract　the　advertisements　of　Charles　Scribner's　Sons；　which　Mr。　Doubleday；　and　later　Bok　himself；　gave　to　the　Philadelphia　magazineadvertising　which　was　never　given　lightly；　or　without　the　most　careful　investigation　of　the　worth　of　the　circulation　of　a　periodical。

What　every　magazine　publisher　knows　as　the　most　troublous　years　in　the　establishment　of　a　periodical；　the　first　half…dozen　years　of　its　existence；　had　already　been　weathered　by　the　editor　and　publisher。　The　wife　as　editor　and　the　husband　as　publisher　had　combined　to　lay　a　solid　basis　upon　which　Bok　had　only　to　build：　his　task　was　simply　to　rear　a　structure　upon　the　foundation　already　laid。　It　is　to　the　vision　and　to　the　genius　of　the　first　editor　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　that　the　unprecedented　success　of　the　magazine　is　primarily　due。　It　was　the　purpose　and　the　policy　of　making　a　magazine　of　authoritative　service　for　the　womanhood　of　America；　a　service　which　would　visualize　for　womanhood　its　highest　domestic　estate；　that　had　won　success　for　the　periodical　from　its　inception。　It　is　difficult　to　believe；　in　the　multiplicity　of　similar　magazines　to…day；　that　such　a　purpose　was　new；　that　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　was　a　path…finder；　but　the　convincing　proof　is　found　in　the　fact　that　all　the　later　magazines　of　this　class　have　followed　in　the　wake　of　the　periodical　conceived　by　Mrs。　Curtis；　and　have　ever　since　been　its　imitators。

When　Edward　Bok　succeeded　Mrs。　Curtis；　he　immediately　encountered　another　popular　misconception　of　a　woman's　magazinethe　conviction　that　if　a　man　is　the　editor　of　a　periodical　with　a　distinctly　feminine　appeal；　he　must；　as　the　term　goes；　〃understand　women。〃　If　Bok　had　believed　this　to　be　true；　he　would　never　have　assumed　the　position。　How　deeply　rooted　is　this　belief　was　brought　home　to　him　on　every　hand　when　his　decision　to　accept　the　Philadelphia　position　was　announced。　His　mother；　knowing　her　son　better　than　did　any　one　else；　looked　at　him　with　amazement。　She　could　not　believe　that　he　was　serious　in　his　decision　to　cater　to　women's　needs　when　he　knew　so　little　about　them。　His　friends；　too；　were　intensely　amused；　and　took　no　pains　to　hide　their　amusement　from　him。　They　knew　him　to　be　the　very　opposite　of　〃a　lady's　man；〃　and　when　they　were　not　convulsed　with　hilarity　they　were　incredulous　and　marvelled。

No　man；　perhaps；　could　have　been　chosen　for　the　position　who　had　a　less　intimate　knowledge　of　women。　Bok　had　no　sister；　no　women　confidantes：　he　had　lived　with　and　for　his　mother。　She　was　the　only　woman　he　really　knew　or　who　really　knew　him。　His　boyhood　days　had　been　too　full　of　poverty　and　struggle　to　permit　him　to　mingle　with　the　opposite　sex。　And　it　is　a　curious　fact　that　Edward　Bok's　instinctive　attitude　toward　women　was　that　of　avoidance。　He　did　not　dislike　women；　but　it　could　not　be　said　that　he　liked　them。　They　had　never　interested　him。　Of　women；　therefore；　he　knew　little；　of　their　needs　less。　Nor　had　he　the　slightest　desire；　even　as　an　editor；　to　know　them　better；　or　to　seek　to　understand　them。　Even　at　that　age；　he　knew　that；　as　a　man；　he　could　not；　no　matter　what　effort　he　might　make；　and　he　let　it　go　at　that。

What　he　saw　in　the　position　was　not　the　need　to　know　women；　he　could　employ　women　for　that　purpose。　He　perceived　clearly　that　the　editor　of　a　magazine　was　largely　an　executive：　his　was　principally　the　work　of　direction；　of　studying　currents　and　movements；　watching　their　formation；　their　tendency；　their　efficacy　if　advocated　or　translated　into　actuality；　and　then　selecting　from　the　horizon　those　that　were　for　the　best　interests　of　the　home。　For　a　home　was　something　Edward　Bok　did　understand。　He　had　always　lived　in　one；　had　struggled　to　keep　it　together；　and　he　knew　every　inch　of　the　hard　road　that　makes　for　domestic　permanence　amid　adverse　financial　conditions。　And　at　the　home　he　aimed　rather　than　at　the　woman　in　it。

It　was　upon　his　instinct　that　he　intended　to　rely　rather　than　upon　any　knowledge　of　woman。　His　first　act　in　the　editorial　chair　of　The　Ladies'　Home　Journal　showed　him　to　be　right　in　this　diagnosis　of　himself；　for　the　incident　proved　not　only　how　correct　was　his　instinct；　but　how　woefully　lacking　he　was　in　any　knowledge　of　the　feminine　nature。

He　had　divined　the　fact　that　in　thousands　of　cases　the　American　mother　was　not　the　confidante　of　her　daughter；　and　reasoned　if　an　inviting　human　personality　could　be　created　on　the　printed　page　that　would　supply　this　lamentable　lack　of　American　family　life；　girls　would　flock　to　such　a　figure。　But　all　depended　on　the　confidence　which　the　written　word　could　inspire。　He　tried　several　writers；　but　in　each　case　the　particular　touch　that　he　sought　for　was　lacking。　It　seemed　so　simple　to　him；　and　yet　he　could　not　translate　it　to　others。　Then；　in　desperation；　he　wrote　an　installment　of　such　a　department　as　he　had　in　mind　himself；　intending　to　show　it　to　a　writer　he　had　in　view；　thus　giving　her　a　visual　demonstration。　He　took　it　to　the　office　the　next　morning；　intending　to　have　it　copied；　but　the　manuscript　accidentally　attached　itself　to　another　intended　for　the　composing…room；　and　it　was　not　until　the　superintendent　of　the　composing…room　during　the　day　said　to　him；　〃I　didn't　know　Miss　Ashmead　wrote；〃　that　Bok　knew　where　his　manuscript　had　gone。

Miss　Ashmead？〃　asked　the　puzzled　editor。

Yes；　Miss　Ashmead　in　your　department；〃　was　the　answer。

The　whereabouts　of　the　manuscript　was　then　disclosed；　and　the　editor　called　for　its　return。　He　had　called　the　department　〃Side　Talks　with　Girls〃　by　Ruth　Ashmead。

〃My　girls　all　hope　this　is　going　into　the　magazine；〃　said　the　superintendent　when　he　returned　the　manuscript。

〃Why？〃　asked　the　editor。

〃Well；　they　say　it's　the　best　stuff　for　girls　t