Was Hawthorne paid by the word when he wrote "The Scarlet Letter"?

Question: Was Hawthorne paid by the word when he wrote "The Scarlet Letter"!?

I'm currently reading it, and I was just wondering if he was paid by the word like some novelists were!. Anybody know!? Sources would be nice!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:

It's a popular myth among students, especially those who have to read this novel's preface, the Custom House or whatever its called!. Students assume the only reason he wrote that dreadfully boring piece was for extra cash!.

A lot of writers back then were paid by the word, but Hawthorne was actually writing the Scarlet Letter not for money, but to give himself some peace due to his family's role in the Salem Witch Trials!. His ancestor was a hanging judge and he felt guilty about it!. It may be a first example of therapeutic literature in the American Canon, he even changed his name to distance himself from that ancestor!. Www@QuestionHome@Com

I recently studied that book for my English 3AP class!. Trust me, I researched the hell out of it and analyzed everything there was to analyze, and everywhere I looked, there was no mention of him being paid for writing the Scarlet Letter!.

So to answer your question, no, I highly doubt it :)Www@QuestionHome@Com

No idea!.

The book is here (I know you already have it, but for your online reference):
http://www!.webliterature!.net/literature/!.!.!.

Payments - I have no idea as I said!. I tried to find in Wikipedia but it is apparently not mentioned there!. So maybe there was nothing special about his payments!.Www@QuestionHome@Com