DIY History | Transcribe | Hevelin Fanzines | Alchemist, v. 1, issue 4, December 1940

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Alchemist, v. 1, issue 4, December 1940

Page 20

20     ALCHEMIST

format; it is a book which will stand beside any book from any publisher. We had the option of publishing the material in THE OUTSIDER & OTHERS in five separate volumes at $2 or $2.50 each -- for, make no mistake about it, there is actually enough wordage in this omnibus volume to fill five books of average novel size! That would have cost us far more in printing costs, and it would have cost the fans from $10.00 to $12.50. As a matter of simple arithmetic, any fan will see at once that one book at $5 is a better buy than five books containing no more material at $10.00. As for the fixing of the price at $5.00, it will be seen at once that the actual cash outlay required from Don Wandrei and myself amounted to $3100.00, conservatively estimated. This is quite apart from the time expended by both of us, time for which we would not think of accounting, since to H. P. Lovecraft far more honor than that is due. But it should be considered by any fan who feels that $5 is too much to ask for a copy of THE OUTSIDER & OTHERS.

At this writing, we need only 100 more sales at $5 each to break even on the printing bill, which of course was paid out of our own pockets long ago. In short, $500 will see us out of the red on the printing; we are frankly, not concerned about the $1000 of expences -- that was our donation to the cause in addition to the time we took from our own work. All money taken in over that amount will go into a fund for the publication of the two remaining volumes of the project. 100 copies of THE OUTSIDER & OTHERS sold will thus assure the appearance of a second book by HPL next year, 1941. And in this connection, it will be of interest to the fans to know that we have discovered a hitherto unpublished complete short novel by H. P. Lovecraft -- THE CASE OF HARLES DEXTER WA which, failing publication by the usual channels, will appear in the second volume of Lovecraft's collected works.

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20 ALCHEMIST format; it is a book which will stand beside any book from any publisher. We had the option of publishing the material in THE OUTSIDER & OTHERS in five separate volumes at $2 or $2.50 each -- for, make no mistake about it, there is actually enough wordage in this omnibus volume to fill five books of average novel size! That would have cost us far more in printing costs, and it would have cost the fans from $10.00 to $12.50. As a matter of simple arithmetic, any fan will see at once that one book at $5 is a better buy than five books containing no more material at $10.00. As for the fixing of the price at $5.00, it will be seen at once that the actual cash outlay required from Don Wandrei and myself amounted to $3100.00, conservatively estimated. This is quite apart from the time expended by both of us, time for which we would not think of accounting, since to H. P. Lovecraft far more honor than that is due. But it should be considered by any fan who feels that $5 is too much to ask for a copy of THE OUTSIDER & OTHERS. At this writing, we need only 100 more sales at $5 each to break even on the printing bill, which of course was paid out of our own pockets long ago. In short, $500 will see us out of the red on the printing; we are frankly, not concerned about the $1000 of expences -- that was our donation to the cause in addition to the time we took from our own work. All money taken in over that amount will go into a fund for the publication of the two remaining volumes of the project. 100 copies of THE OUTSIDER & OTHERS sold will thus assure the appearance of a second book by HPL next year, 1941. And in this connection, it will be of interest to the fans to know that we have discovered a hitherto unpublished complete short novel by H. P. Lovecraft -- THE CASE OF HARLES DEXTER WA which, failing publication by the usual channels, will appear in the second volume of Lovecraft's collected works.