 Settled in London by 1888, Long, through a stroke of luck, was introduced to Jerome K. Jerome (1859–1927), journalist and author of "Three Men in a Boat" (1889) fame, who promptly hired him as an office boy.Jerome was then the co-editor of "The Idler" and sole editor of "To-Day", two of the most popular British periodicals of the time.Robert soon began writing book reviews and other short items which he then submitted to Jerome.