How to write Little Blue Books, Lloyd E. (Lloyd Edwin) Smith

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by Lloyd E. (Lloyd Edwin) Smith · 1902–1971

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How to write Little Blue Books by Lloyd E. Smith is a practical guidebook for aspiring contributors to the Haldeman-Julius five-cent series, written in the late 1920s. The book explains how to propose and prepare manuscripts that fit the series’ mission, outlining acceptable subjects, editorial expectations, and the mechanics of submission and style. The book opens with Smith’s role and the series’ aims, then lays down core principles: seek broad, self-educational topics; avoid narrow scholarship, original fiction or poetry, vanity projects, and oversupplied fields like religion, philosophy, psychology, and evolution. It details how to obtain an assignment by pitching a specific idea with credentials, the 60-day delivery expectation, and the acceptance-and-payment process. A substantial section gives exact manuscript specifications—Little Blue Books must be 32 or 64 pages; target word counts; typing, spacing, margins, pagination; handling quotations, chaptering, contents vs. index; and how to supply simple line illustrations. Style rules follow, standardizing spelling (per Webster’s New International), capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation, and the use of accents, plus the requirement to include the author’s name and address. Smith also explains how to abridge or condense classics, add clear footnotes (using superior numbers), and write helpful introductions. He closes with a list of needed subjects—especially sports, business skills, practical how-to topics, simple instrument lessons, travel sketches, timely issues, and hobbies—urging writers to secure an assignment first and deliver precise, readable copy.

Summary generated automatically by Project Gutenberg.

Read time
34 min
Words
7,557
Chapters
8
Paragraphs
107
Price
Free
  • Authorship -- Handbooks, manuals, etc.
  • Books and reading
  • Little blue book
  • Publishers and publishing -- United States
How to write Little Blue BooksSOME GENERAL PRINCIPLES

Literary criticism is at present in disfavor in the editorial sanctum of the Little Blue Books.

Literaturkritik ist derzeit im redaktionellen Heiligtum der Little Blue Books in Ungnade gefallen.

Critical surveys or literary outlines of any kind are hardly likely to meet with approval.

Kritische Übersichten oder literarische Umrisse jeder Art werden kaum auf Zustimmung stoßen.

There are several titles of this nature already in print, and they are apparently adequate to the present demands of the reading public.

Es gibt bereits mehrere Titel dieser Art im Druck, und sie scheinen den gegenwärtigen Anforderungen des Lesepublikums angemessen zu sein.

History is a classification that is rather sparse in the Little Blue Book series.

Geschichte ist eine Klassifikation, die in der Little Blue Book-Reihe eher spärlich vertreten ist.

The right approach to the various phases of history has perhaps not yet been hit upon.

Der richtige Ansatz zu den verschiedenen Phasen der Geschichte ist vielleicht noch nicht gefunden worden.

However, it is safe to say that histories of various countries are not desired just now--the histories of Mexico and Japan already in the list are not doing so well as was hoped.

Doch es ist sicher zu sagen, dass Geschichtsbücher verschiedener Länder derzeit nicht gewünscht werden – die Geschichtsbücher über Mexiko und Japan, die bereits in der Liste stehen, schneiden nicht so gut ab, wie gehofft.

The histories of the American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the World War, are doing better than any of the other historical titles.

Die Geschichtsbücher über die Amerikanische Revolution, den Amerikanischen Bürgerkrieg und den Weltkrieg schneiden besser ab als alle anderen historischen Titel.

But with an _Outline of United States History and Lives of United States Presidents_ already in the list, United States history is pretty well taken care of for the present.

Aber mit einem _Outline of United States History und Lives of United States Presidents_, die bereits in der Liste stehen, ist die Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten für den Moment ziemlich gut abgedeckt.

Biography is well represented.

Biografie ist gut vertreten.

Except for a few outstanding names here and there--a biography of Charles Lindbergh has just been added--further biographical titles are not desired.

Mit Ausnahme einiger herausragender Namen hier und dort – eine Biografie von Charles Lindbergh wurde gerade hinzugefügt – werden weitere biografische Titel nicht gewünscht.

Of course, these negative suggestions that I am setting down here may change at any time, but it will be helpful, I think, for future Little Blue Book writers to have some notion of what is not wanted immediately.

Natürlich können sich diese negativen Vorschläge, die ich hier niederschreibe, jederzeit ändern, aber es wird hilfreich sein, denke ich, für künftige Little Blue Book-Autoren, eine Vorstellung davon zu haben, was unmittelbar nicht gewünscht ist.

They will do much better to direct their efforts along the lines of expansion that are at present strong.

Sie werden viel besser daran tun, ihre Bemühungen in die Richtung der Expansion zu lenken, die derzeit stark ist.

Obviously, much more chance of acceptance lies in these desired directions.

Offensichtlich liegt die Chance auf Akzeptanz in diesen gewünschten Richtungen viel höher.

(For particulars of how to find out whether a title is likely to be acceptable, see the section following.)

(Für Einzelheiten darüber, wie man herausfindet, ob ein Titel wahrscheinlich akzeptiert wird, siehe den folgenden Abschnitt.)

About the author

Lloyd E. (Lloyd Edwin) Smith1902–1971

The Lloyd E. (Lloyd Edwin) Smith page, and where to start →

Questions about How to write Little Blue Books

Can I read How to write Little Blue Books in English with German side by side online?

Yes, free. Paralelo shows the English original with a German machine translation beside it, aligned phrase by phrase: hover or tap a phrase and its counterpart lights up in the other column. Anyone can read a passage; a free account opens the whole book.

What level do I need to read How to write Little Blue Books here?

There is no set level. How to write Little Blue Books runs to 7,557 words in 8 chapters, and the translation sits beside it, aligned phrase by phrase, so you can start below the level the original would need on its own and lean on the translation only where you stumble.

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How long does How to write Little Blue Books take to read?

About 34 min at a normal pace, longer if you stop to look at the alignment, which is rather the point.

Book details

Original language
English
Translation
German, machine translation
Source text
Project Gutenberg #78066
Licence
Public domain in the United States

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