In the struggle for literary talents: The fee policy of The Russian Messenger (Russkiy Vestnik) in the 1850s-1980s

The article analyses the fee policy of The Russian Messenger (Russkiy vestnik) under M.N. Katkov and P.M. Leontiev. The Russian Messenger was a most respected Russian monthly magazine in the late 1850-1880s that published I.S. Turgenev, L.N. Tolstoy, F.M. Dostoevsky, A.A. Fet, F.I. Tyutchev, A.K. Tolstoy and others. The author focuses on the role of publishers in the monetary remuneration with authors, including criteria affecting the size of the remuneration for publication, and the measures used by the editors to encourage writers to cooperate. This perspective appears to be very topical in the context of growing interest to the processes of commercialisation of the Russian press in the second half of the nineteenth century. For the first time, the author introduces new, previously unexplored archival materials and unpublished letters of M.N. Katkov, N.F. Shcherbina, B.M. Markevich, P.I. Melnikov, previously understudied memories by E.A. Drashusova, A.I. Sokolova et al., data from the "Outgoing Papers" record-book of the joint editorial staff of The Russian Messenger and Moskovskie Vedomosti newspaper for 1870-1877. The analysis has shown that The Russian Messenger introduced a high flat fee, ranging from 75-100 roubles for aspiring authors to 300-400 roubles for renowned writers. I.S. Turgenev's and L.N. Tolstoy's fees were exceptionally high - 500 roubles per printer's sheet. Poetry could bring up to 25 roubles per poem. It was very important for professional writers who did not have other sources of income that they got their fee from The Russian Messenger without delay and could get a substantial advance for their future works. The publishers provided a substantial financial support to F.M. Dostoevsky, N.S. Leskov, K.N. Leontiev and other authors, who constantly needed money and who could stick to creative work. The Russian Messenger publishers leased the Moscow University printing house, where they reprinted the most popular literature, which also substantial material support to professional writers. The author concludes that the fee policy of The Russian Messenger, namely its high flat fee and the system of advance payments, attracted the most brilliant and talented writers of the second half of the 19th century. High fees paid by M.N. Katkov and P.M. Leontiev promoted further professionalisation of literature and the higher social status of writers, thus making literary work a prestigious and respected activity.

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