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Fantascience Digest, v. 1, issue 5, July-August 1938
Page 11
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Page 11 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST the Story behind AMAZING By Mark Reinsberg When Ziff-Davis bought RADIO NEWS from Teck Publications it was only under the condition that they take Amazing Stories too... They did. AMAZING was down and nearly out then, and Mr. Davis, who had never read science fiction before, found himself with a magazine[[crossed out "t"]]hat was, to all intents and purposes, headed for the graveyard. A magazine whose circulation did not exceed 23,000 copies! What to do? Fate took a hand, and it was a lucky day for science fiction. Ralph Milne Farley dropped in from Milwaukee to get a line on the type of stories they wanted and found Mr. Davis was in dire need of an s-f editor. Farley knew just the person. Raymond A. Palmer went to work as managing editor the next day. He had a tremendous job on his hands---knew it---but he went to work fired with enthusiasm and determination. There were about 200 manuscripts on hand which had come along on the Teck deal. None of these were of any value. They were returned, and, in the same mail, letters were posted to all parts of the United States announcing the new AMAZING. . . .promising a report on all MSS submitted within twenty-four hours. . .immediate payment. This brought results. But the solution of the story problem was a greater one. The illustrations. . . .none of the known artists. .s-f artists. .lived in Chicago. Wesso, Brown, Schneeman, and even Paul, were in New York. Again, what to do? The "deadline" was dangerously close. . . .no time to send to New York for art work. Finally, two artists with no s-f experience were located. They would have to do for the first issue. But neither could do a decent science fiction cover. Mr. Palmer came to the rescue. A photographic cover, says he. So it was. And the time was even shorter. Other questions arose.....the prices had to be lowered in keeping withbthe financial state of the country. . .Done. . .The back cover. . . pub an advertisement there?No! It cost more money. . .$300 for the special back cover,not mentioning the $500 literally thrown away by not putting an ad there. But if a better magazine ensued, that could be overlooked. So. . .ten days past the deadline, in the middle of April, a rejuvenated and drastically changed AMAZING appeared on the newsstands. It was crammed full of interesting new features. Moreover. . ."Rap" had established two precedents in one issue;the front photographic cover and the back scientific cover. Both met the whole hearted approval of the science fiction circle, and even beyond. The front cover won a contest in New York! Clear skies were ahead. . .with the June issue the circulation doubled itself! Science fiction had a new outlook. In short, AMAZING had clicked! With the first great hurdle behind him, Mr. Palmer became aware of the next test of his editorial abil-
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Page 11 FANTASCIENCE DIGEST the Story behind AMAZING By Mark Reinsberg When Ziff-Davis bought RADIO NEWS from Teck Publications it was only under the condition that they take Amazing Stories too... They did. AMAZING was down and nearly out then, and Mr. Davis, who had never read science fiction before, found himself with a magazine[[crossed out "t"]]hat was, to all intents and purposes, headed for the graveyard. A magazine whose circulation did not exceed 23,000 copies! What to do? Fate took a hand, and it was a lucky day for science fiction. Ralph Milne Farley dropped in from Milwaukee to get a line on the type of stories they wanted and found Mr. Davis was in dire need of an s-f editor. Farley knew just the person. Raymond A. Palmer went to work as managing editor the next day. He had a tremendous job on his hands---knew it---but he went to work fired with enthusiasm and determination. There were about 200 manuscripts on hand which had come along on the Teck deal. None of these were of any value. They were returned, and, in the same mail, letters were posted to all parts of the United States announcing the new AMAZING. . . .promising a report on all MSS submitted within twenty-four hours. . .immediate payment. This brought results. But the solution of the story problem was a greater one. The illustrations. . . .none of the known artists. .s-f artists. .lived in Chicago. Wesso, Brown, Schneeman, and even Paul, were in New York. Again, what to do? The "deadline" was dangerously close. . . .no time to send to New York for art work. Finally, two artists with no s-f experience were located. They would have to do for the first issue. But neither could do a decent science fiction cover. Mr. Palmer came to the rescue. A photographic cover, says he. So it was. And the time was even shorter. Other questions arose.....the prices had to be lowered in keeping withbthe financial state of the country. . .Done. . .The back cover. . . pub an advertisement there?No! It cost more money. . .$300 for the special back cover,not mentioning the $500 literally thrown away by not putting an ad there. But if a better magazine ensued, that could be overlooked. So. . .ten days past the deadline, in the middle of April, a rejuvenated and drastically changed AMAZING appeared on the newsstands. It was crammed full of interesting new features. Moreover. . ."Rap" had established two precedents in one issue;the front photographic cover and the back scientific cover. Both met the whole hearted approval of the science fiction circle, and even beyond. The front cover won a contest in New York! Clear skies were ahead. . .with the June issue the circulation doubled itself! Science fiction had a new outlook. In short, AMAZING had clicked! With the first great hurdle behind him, Mr. Palmer became aware of the next test of his editorial abil-
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