the americanization of edward bok-第28节
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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
