From top pulp editor, Arthur S. Hoffman, who edited Adventure for the better part of two decades and made it into one of the top general fiction pulps, comes this advice on story openings. Originally published in Author & Journalist, August 1930. THE mystery is: Why aren’t they better? Much has been written telling how… Continue reading Starting right: Powerful advice on story openings
Category: Secrets
Pulp ad: Just wait a cotton-picking minute
This has to be the most innovative ad for a pulp magazine. If you send a dime, they’ll send you a free issue of the magazine and spend the dime on buying cotton to help the south. Any other wacky pulp ads you can remember? Leave a note in the comments. PS: If you want… Continue reading Pulp ad: Just wait a cotton-picking minute
Last Wish: Argosy
Asks for Copies of Argosy Magazine to Finish Serial Story Who in Livingston has copies of the Argosy magazine for August 17 and 24? The Enterprise wants one copy of each. The request is made in order that Rollin Davisson, condemned to die Oct. 30. may be able to complete a continued story which he… Continue reading Last Wish: Argosy
Look inside: Producing magazines at Street & Smith
Earlier we saw what happened to manuscripts when they arrived at Street & Smith. Now let’s see what happened when producing the physical magazine. Pictures taken from the December 1904 issue of The Popular Magazine, which included a self-congratulatory section on the magazine’s success. Typing it out These are linotype machines; the user types out… Continue reading Look inside: Producing magazines at Street & Smith
One Man Show: Authors, pound that typewriter till it bleeds!
During my time attending pulp conventions, I heard about an author who, under one pseudonym or another, wrote the entire fiction contents of an all-fiction magazine. But it was never clear to me who it was we were talking about. Some authors were obvious candidates – H. Bedford-Jones, Max Brand, Arthur J. Burks etc. Could… Continue reading One Man Show: Authors, pound that typewriter till it bleeds!
Bellem Lettres: The secret life of a pulpster
And no, that isn’t a spelling mistake. Read on and find out why. While pursuing some research, I came across five letters from Robert Leslie Bellem, the creator of Dan Turner, Hollywood Detective and prodigious producer of pervy passion plots for the pulps. These letters have little personal stuff but quite a bit about the… Continue reading Bellem Lettres: The secret life of a pulpster
The mysterious life of Robert Reeves – Storyteller, Soldier
Robert Reeves, the author of the Cellini Smith stories in Black Mask, is a mysterious character. The veil of mystery around Reeves starts with his life. He seems to appear out of nowhere in the magazines, showing no evidence of newspaper work or other professions connected to the publishing business. Who was he? Where did… Continue reading The mysterious life of Robert Reeves – Storyteller, Soldier
How Spicy Can You Make It? The Bare Truth
as revealed by the editor of Spicy Detective in the Author and Journalist, 1935. This is a letter to a contributor who must have transgressed the Spicies unwritten code, outlining guidelines for the stories. The editor of the trade magazine chose to publish it for the benefit of would be authors. Dear : On account… Continue reading How Spicy Can You Make It? The Bare Truth
Secrets of the Mask, part 21: Greatest Hits
We’ve come to the end of this series of posts on Black Mask. When I started, I had no idea they were going to take up months of my time. No regrets on my side, and I hope none on yours if you’ve read them. And if you haven’t, go here to catch up. I… Continue reading Secrets of the Mask, part 21: Greatest Hits
Secrets of the Mask, part 20: The latest Avatar
Now we come to the latest avatar of Black Mask, as a magazine this time. Published by Steeger Books, the first issue came out in 2016 and the latest, the fifth, in 2019. Put out by Matt Moring at what was then Altus Press and has now become Steeger Books, it came in a very… Continue reading Secrets of the Mask, part 20: The latest Avatar