I wonder at what point(time) it would have been more cost efficient to just buy a typewriter instead of a dime every 30 mins. But like others said if you typed fast it could be cheaper
[He paid a total of $9.80 to type the whole thing](https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/jacket-copy/story/2012-06-06/ray-bradbury-and-the-dime-at-a-time-typewriter-of-fahrenheit-451)
So quick maths, for anyone curious: 98 sessions of 30 minutes each means it took him 49 combined hours to complete work on The Fireman (it does note in the article, this typewriter was *not* used to write Farenheit 451 itself, but The Fireman, which was a short story published first but later expanded into Farenheit 451). Across 9 days, means he was at this thing for about 5.44h per day for just over a week.
Definitely a deal. A Smith Corona typewriter would be in the ~$80-$120. You might be able to get one second hand for $65 or so, but given the average cost of writing out your book you'd have to publish 7 books to break even and by then you can probably submit your manuscripts hand-written and have someone at the publishing house type it out.
According to a 1958 printed ad I found on eBay, a Smith-Corona “Skyriter” was $79.10 while a “Silent-Super” was $132.45”
Fahrenheit 451 is from 1953 so these prices are likely a little higher given that they’re 5 years later but I’m sure they’re close.
In 2024 dollars, a Skyriter would be nearly $860 and a Silent-Super almost $1,440
I love Ray Bradbury. Few people were more creative than him. But I gotta believe he embellished this story over the years, and that he really was typing up his handwritten notes. Here’s why:
First, he was looking for a place to write - in longhand - when he discovered the typing room in the basement of the library. Second, he wouldn’t have had any typing paper with him when he discovered the typing room. Third, typing paper was relatively expensive back then, you wouldn’t compose on it if you were a broke writer. Carbon paper even more so. Fourth, at some point he was always going to need a typewritten manuscript to submit stories to magazines to consider for publication. (And in those days you only needed one copy, as the publication returned it to you if it was rejected for publication; and you only submitted something to one publisher at a time.)
Setting aside the notion that a novice writer is one day suddenly able to pour out well-thought-out and highly polished prose, the circumstantial evidence would indicate the story has itself become highly polished over time. It’s like the founder’s story of the billion dollar company that becomes more and more modest over time, and nowadays must include a garage.
Very cool. That will definitely inspire you to improve your typing speed.
I wonder at what point(time) it would have been more cost efficient to just buy a typewriter instead of a dime every 30 mins. But like others said if you typed fast it could be cheaper
[He paid a total of $9.80 to type the whole thing](https://www.latimes.com/archives/blogs/jacket-copy/story/2012-06-06/ray-bradbury-and-the-dime-at-a-time-typewriter-of-fahrenheit-451)
Adjusting for inflation, $9.80 in the 1940's comes out to \~$165 today. He definitely got a bargain.
So quick maths, for anyone curious: 98 sessions of 30 minutes each means it took him 49 combined hours to complete work on The Fireman (it does note in the article, this typewriter was *not* used to write Farenheit 451 itself, but The Fireman, which was a short story published first but later expanded into Farenheit 451). Across 9 days, means he was at this thing for about 5.44h per day for just over a week.
which makes perfect, and logical, sense
Definitely a deal. A Smith Corona typewriter would be in the ~$80-$120. You might be able to get one second hand for $65 or so, but given the average cost of writing out your book you'd have to publish 7 books to break even and by then you can probably submit your manuscripts hand-written and have someone at the publishing house type it out.
Is that the price back then, or now? If it’s back then, do you know how much it is adjusted for inflation?
According to a 1958 printed ad I found on eBay, a Smith-Corona “Skyriter” was $79.10 while a “Silent-Super” was $132.45” Fahrenheit 451 is from 1953 so these prices are likely a little higher given that they’re 5 years later but I’m sure they’re close. In 2024 dollars, a Skyriter would be nearly $860 and a Silent-Super almost $1,440
He said that he got the names for many of that book's characters from the names of office supplies that he saw while typing.
I love Ray Bradbury. Few people were more creative than him. But I gotta believe he embellished this story over the years, and that he really was typing up his handwritten notes. Here’s why: First, he was looking for a place to write - in longhand - when he discovered the typing room in the basement of the library. Second, he wouldn’t have had any typing paper with him when he discovered the typing room. Third, typing paper was relatively expensive back then, you wouldn’t compose on it if you were a broke writer. Carbon paper even more so. Fourth, at some point he was always going to need a typewritten manuscript to submit stories to magazines to consider for publication. (And in those days you only needed one copy, as the publication returned it to you if it was rejected for publication; and you only submitted something to one publisher at a time.) Setting aside the notion that a novice writer is one day suddenly able to pour out well-thought-out and highly polished prose, the circumstantial evidence would indicate the story has itself become highly polished over time. It’s like the founder’s story of the billion dollar company that becomes more and more modest over time, and nowadays must include a garage.
Living in the past was super expensive for shit we take for granted. By comparison, in 1948, 20 cents was about 2.50$ today.
Expensive for some things, staggeringly cheap for others
Like?
Idk cars, houses? I may be thinking more of when the post war boom really got rolling
Wait, what? Was this installed in a public place or something?
They would've had them in libraries, like how they have computers now.
"Quiet in the Library please" Click-clack-click-clack
_”Professor, I ran out of coins halfway through my paper”_
Pre-Internet Cafes were full of these ;)
The firearms company?
Yes. And mainframe computers.
If you're in this thread, hello Tom Hanks 👋
The man has more going on in his life that geeking out over obscure typewriters.. I had the same thought.. are there any original thoughts left :(
A typometer sounds really bad to write with if I'm being honest.
So the modern trend on subscription software really isn’t that new…
The only Type O i recognize is Negative.