How to write Little Blue Books by Lloyd E. Smith
How to write Little Blue Books by Lloyd E. Smith is a practical guidebook for writers and editors composed in the early 20th century. Aimed at prospective contributors to the five-cent Little Blue Books series, it explains what the series seeks, how to propose and deliver suitable manuscripts, and the standards of format, style, and subject matter expected. The book opens by situating the unique aims of the Little Blue Books and
stressing popular appeal over scholarly or highly personal work. It outlines what topics are discouraged, where demand exists, and how acceptance hinges on a title’s enduring sales potential. Smith then explains the assignment process: propose a specific idea with brief qualifications, await tentative approval, deliver within about sixty days, and understand that payment follows only if the manuscript meets the series’ standard. Detailed specifications follow—exact lengths (32 or 64 pages), word counts, typing format, pagination, handling of quotations, illustrations, and indices—so authors can submit camera-ready copy. A style chapter codifies spelling (Webster’s as the authority), capitalization, hyphenation, punctuation, and the use of footnotes with superior numbers. For abridgments and adaptations of classics, he describes two methods (selective cutting with transitions or full rewriting in condensed form), and advises adding clear introductions and helpful notes. The closing section lists promising fields—sports, commercial subjects, practical “how-to” guides, musical instruction, travel, timely social issues, and hobbies—while repeatedly emphasizing clarity, consistency, and the reader’s needs as the measure of a successful Little Blue Book. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Smith, Lloyd E. (Lloyd Edwin), 1902-1971 |
|---|---|
| Editor | Haldeman-Julius, E. (Emanuel), 1888-1951 |
| LoC No. | 2004574516 |
| Title | How to write Little Blue Books |
| Original Publication | Girard: Haldeman-Julius Publications, 1929. |
| Series Title | Little blue book ; no. 1366 |
| Credits | Tim Miller, chenzw, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at www.pgdp.net |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PN: Language and Literatures: Literature: General, Criticism, Collections |
| LoC Class | Z: Bibliography, Library science |
| Subject | Books and reading |
| Subject | Authorship -- Handbooks, manuals, etc. |
| Subject | Publishers and publishing -- United States |
| Subject | Little blue book |
| Category | Text |
| EBook-No. | 78066 |
| Release Date | Feb 28, 2026 |
| Copyright Status | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 5186 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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