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Vampire, whole no. 8, December 1946
Page 28
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shooting aren't going to be able to put out a newsstand publication with fanzine contents; you might conceivably build up a reading clientele large enough to make it profitable after a few years, but all fandom's resources combined couldn't meet the loss that would be experienced on the first two issues. And why would anyone want to put out a newsstand "fanzine" devoted mostly to fiction? Fiction now appearing in fanzines is usually inferior to that in pro-zines, even though it does aim at a higher goal or contain really-good ideas. If you paid for the fiction, you would be even worse off financially than in the case of a newsstand zine with article content. However, the idea might very possibly be adapted somewhat, and an effort made to manage a really good printed fanzine, restricted to fan circulation. Stardust and Bizarre failed for two principal reasons: feuding and finances.-- Hamling could have managed it financially if temperament hadn't entered the picture, and Miske-Marconette's combination had everything except the money, apparently. Hufan nature has hardly changed much since then, but after all, Fantasy Magazine kept struggling for a number of years with results that haven't been topped since. If a bunch of clashing personalities in Los Angeles can continue over a number of years to cough up enough money to rent a clubroom, is there any good reason why we couldn't find a couple of dozen fans willing to spend two or three dollars each to help finance every new issue of a printed fanzine? Even in these days of high costs, I think that a good-looking, reasonably large publication could be managed at a loss of not more than fifty bucks per issue, and very possibly would come closer to paying for itself after it was solidly established. It would mean, of course, finding backers who would let the editors have their own way, and would require a friendly printer, preferably someone who understood the situation and would keep his prices down to the very minimum. C. Burton Stevenson's statement that fan publishing is at a "general level of mediocrity" bothered me considerably. He forgets, of course, that the ideal of a few fanzines containing only the very best material would kayo the method by which most of today's good fan writers have learned how to do it-- trial and error, getting both bad and good stuff published, and finding out from reader reaction which is good and which isn't. GENE HUNTER San Gabriel, Calif. As for the Shaver mystery-- I must say Vamp has been less harsh in its criticism than most. In my opinion, Rap had a pretty good thing there, but he ruined it beyond repair in publishing it as truth or even possible truth. As fiction, the Lemurian yarns aren't bad. Dammit, they're good. But no doubt Palmer increased the circulation tremendously by frothing at the mouth about the truthfulness therein. Making money, however, seems to be our prime purpose in the glorious capitalistic world we live in, and not even the most heartless can condemn Palmer for wanting to get his share. Amazing Stories would have folded in '37 anyway, if Rap had [page number:] -28-
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shooting aren't going to be able to put out a newsstand publication with fanzine contents; you might conceivably build up a reading clientele large enough to make it profitable after a few years, but all fandom's resources combined couldn't meet the loss that would be experienced on the first two issues. And why would anyone want to put out a newsstand "fanzine" devoted mostly to fiction? Fiction now appearing in fanzines is usually inferior to that in pro-zines, even though it does aim at a higher goal or contain really-good ideas. If you paid for the fiction, you would be even worse off financially than in the case of a newsstand zine with article content. However, the idea might very possibly be adapted somewhat, and an effort made to manage a really good printed fanzine, restricted to fan circulation. Stardust and Bizarre failed for two principal reasons: feuding and finances.-- Hamling could have managed it financially if temperament hadn't entered the picture, and Miske-Marconette's combination had everything except the money, apparently. Hufan nature has hardly changed much since then, but after all, Fantasy Magazine kept struggling for a number of years with results that haven't been topped since. If a bunch of clashing personalities in Los Angeles can continue over a number of years to cough up enough money to rent a clubroom, is there any good reason why we couldn't find a couple of dozen fans willing to spend two or three dollars each to help finance every new issue of a printed fanzine? Even in these days of high costs, I think that a good-looking, reasonably large publication could be managed at a loss of not more than fifty bucks per issue, and very possibly would come closer to paying for itself after it was solidly established. It would mean, of course, finding backers who would let the editors have their own way, and would require a friendly printer, preferably someone who understood the situation and would keep his prices down to the very minimum. C. Burton Stevenson's statement that fan publishing is at a "general level of mediocrity" bothered me considerably. He forgets, of course, that the ideal of a few fanzines containing only the very best material would kayo the method by which most of today's good fan writers have learned how to do it-- trial and error, getting both bad and good stuff published, and finding out from reader reaction which is good and which isn't. GENE HUNTER San Gabriel, Calif. As for the Shaver mystery-- I must say Vamp has been less harsh in its criticism than most. In my opinion, Rap had a pretty good thing there, but he ruined it beyond repair in publishing it as truth or even possible truth. As fiction, the Lemurian yarns aren't bad. Dammit, they're good. But no doubt Palmer increased the circulation tremendously by frothing at the mouth about the truthfulness therein. Making money, however, seems to be our prime purpose in the glorious capitalistic world we live in, and not even the most heartless can condemn Palmer for wanting to get his share. Amazing Stories would have folded in '37 anyway, if Rap had [page number:] -28-
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