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Comet, v. 1, issue 1, January-February 1940
Page 12
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WHAT OF THIS FAN MAGAZINE SITUATION? -- by WALTER FLEMING -- ?--?--?--?--?--?--?--?--? I just recently learned of the intended appearance of this magazine, THE COMET, and it added a straw to my un-camel like back. And to Fandom's very camel-like back. For in the past two weeks several other new fan magazines have appeared, or are announced! Francis Pare's FANFARE: J.J. Fortier's SCIENTIFAN; and MERCURY; Damon Knight's SNIDE; Harry Warner's new HORIZONS; the Rochester boys' GOLDEN ATOM; Jim Villman's LE WEREWOLF...well, the flood-gates are beginning to sag under the load. That many of these new magazines will not be successful unless they are extraordinary is a safe prediction. For there are so many already successful magazines publishing today, that there will be no room - and no money - left for so many new magazines appearing. And that "no-money" situation is the crucial factor. Under the present set-up that is. If the money situation could be got around, I don't believe anyone would attempt to limit the room needed for the appearance of new magazines. IT just is that very few fans have enuf money to even purchase one half the fan magazines appearing today. And for the new magazine to worm its way into that exclusive "one half" it has to be equall to the many fine ones already established. And if few fans can afford to buy a given magazine, that magazine barely pays for itself, in fact it probably doesn't, for there are established and successful fan mags today that still do not pay for themselves! I know of one publication in particular so loaded down with exchange and gratis subscriptions, that its publisher digs into his own pocket each publication-date for franfully 50% to 75% of the total publication cost! What chance, then, has the new magazine? None, absolutely none under the present subscription situation! The only possible solution is the formation of another fan magazine exchange organization along the FAPA line! Either that, or the FAPA open its' membership to include these newcomers. Under and exchange-basis as is nearly practiced by the FAPA, all these new fan magazines will have life. True, none of them will make any money -- but all of their editors will receive all the other magazines he himself cannot afford to buy, and, what is more important to him, publish a fan mag with a guaranteed audience. And I am afraid there is no other solution for these new ones. % ? % ? % ? % ? % ? % (continued from preceeding page) than some much better ones, for example: Meek had only 29, and Lemkin was down to 22. I don't know how many fans will agree with this, but the two regular and four occasional readers of stf. at Madison are agreed that it is pretty close to their viewpoint. How about yours??? ------------------------ [Illustration of an incendiary device pointed to the right.]
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WHAT OF THIS FAN MAGAZINE SITUATION? -- by WALTER FLEMING -- ?--?--?--?--?--?--?--?--? I just recently learned of the intended appearance of this magazine, THE COMET, and it added a straw to my un-camel like back. And to Fandom's very camel-like back. For in the past two weeks several other new fan magazines have appeared, or are announced! Francis Pare's FANFARE: J.J. Fortier's SCIENTIFAN; and MERCURY; Damon Knight's SNIDE; Harry Warner's new HORIZONS; the Rochester boys' GOLDEN ATOM; Jim Villman's LE WEREWOLF...well, the flood-gates are beginning to sag under the load. That many of these new magazines will not be successful unless they are extraordinary is a safe prediction. For there are so many already successful magazines publishing today, that there will be no room - and no money - left for so many new magazines appearing. And that "no-money" situation is the crucial factor. Under the present set-up that is. If the money situation could be got around, I don't believe anyone would attempt to limit the room needed for the appearance of new magazines. IT just is that very few fans have enuf money to even purchase one half the fan magazines appearing today. And for the new magazine to worm its way into that exclusive "one half" it has to be equall to the many fine ones already established. And if few fans can afford to buy a given magazine, that magazine barely pays for itself, in fact it probably doesn't, for there are established and successful fan mags today that still do not pay for themselves! I know of one publication in particular so loaded down with exchange and gratis subscriptions, that its publisher digs into his own pocket each publication-date for franfully 50% to 75% of the total publication cost! What chance, then, has the new magazine? None, absolutely none under the present subscription situation! The only possible solution is the formation of another fan magazine exchange organization along the FAPA line! Either that, or the FAPA open its' membership to include these newcomers. Under and exchange-basis as is nearly practiced by the FAPA, all these new fan magazines will have life. True, none of them will make any money -- but all of their editors will receive all the other magazines he himself cannot afford to buy, and, what is more important to him, publish a fan mag with a guaranteed audience. And I am afraid there is no other solution for these new ones. % ? % ? % ? % ? % ? % (continued from preceeding page) than some much better ones, for example: Meek had only 29, and Lemkin was down to 22. I don't know how many fans will agree with this, but the two regular and four occasional readers of stf. at Madison are agreed that it is pretty close to their viewpoint. How about yours??? ------------------------ [Illustration of an incendiary device pointed to the right.]
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