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Fanfare, v. 1, issue 4, October 1940

Page 6

6                                             FANFARE
         THIS ONE'S ON THE HOUSE
                             by
                  Sam Msokowitz

   All of those naive "readers"--who, (the science-fiction editors glibly inform us) make up at least ninety percent of the s-f pulp audience--although the editors seem to have a profound difficulty in locating even one--must have viewed the epistle of Bob the Tuck (page 110, August 1940 ASTONISHING STORIES) with little concern. To  them, it looked and read innocently enough. I quote:
   "Among the other authors I want to see in future issues areL A.R. Steber, Morris J. Steele, Harvey Emerson, Dave Vern, Darwin Lesser, Ransom Reade, Don A. Stuart, Karl van Kampen, and perhaps Will Garth, if you can catch him in a certain individual mood."
   So spake the Confucius of fandom in mild and rtrite terms.
   But--the select, honored, super-intelligent, amazing, unpredictable geniuses, who make up the "rare" ten per cent of s-f readers known as "fans", experienced a good belly-laugh from the above--as, no doubt, did the editor. 
   If you are so naive as not to have guessed by this time, all the above names, with the exception of Reade and Emerson, are of the genus generally specified as "house". They pop up with exasperating regularity, but only in the pages of the magazines of their particular chain.
   They are the necessary (and ofttimes unnecessary) devices employed by such prominent publishing companies as Standard, Street and Smith, Ziff-Davis, Blue ribbon, etc., to serve for the following reasons:
1. To fill in when an author has two stories in one issue, and the publishers are not anxious to let you know it.
2. To build up a name for their house which they hope will help sell the magazines.
3. To use instead of the real authors name, because they're paying ultra-low rates, which do not entitle them to the dubious value of the science-fiction hack's "name".
   And you could probably dig up several auxiliary reasons.
   Undoubtedly the most important use is number two. In fact, all the reasons for the use of a "house" name, lead us eventually to number two on my list. (The publishers' hope!)
   Now, in order to sell, most pulp magazines must utilize at least a flimsy sort of policy. A science-fiction magazine, for instance, must decide whether it is going to specialize in straight adventure with a fantastic background, "human interest" stories with a fantastic setting, or "straight" science-fiction of any of the diverse and popular types.
   Suppose a "reader", in examining the newsstands, sees a copy of AMAZING STORIES. If he's in the mood for s-f, he knows instantly that he won't be bored with any heavy science---God, no! So being a weak-minded idiot, (jut because the guy wants to enjoy himself instead of improving his mind, people call him names. There ain't no justice!) he buys it, and thrills to fast action, plenty of gore--tainted slightly with heat raysppand a nice, heavy love interest.
   Pretty soon he begins to learn the names of the authors who please him most. When he sees the banner, "Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr., a 'great' author with a 'great' story," he makes a dash for the ewsstands, and avidly devours every syllable of Kummer that's avail-

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6 FANFARE THIS ONE'S ON THE HOUSE by Sam Msokowitz All of those naive "readers"--who, (the science-fiction editors glibly inform us) make up at least ninety percent of the s-f pulp audience--although the editors seem to have a profound difficulty in locating even one--must have viewed the epistle of Bob the Tuck (page 110, August 1940 ASTONISHING STORIES) with little concern. To them, it looked and read innocently enough. I quote: "Among the other authors I want to see in future issues areL A.R. Steber, Morris J. Steele, Harvey Emerson, Dave Vern, Darwin Lesser, Ransom Reade, Don A. Stuart, Karl van Kampen, and perhaps Will Garth, if you can catch him in a certain individual mood." So spake the Confucius of fandom in mild and rtrite terms. But--the select, honored, super-intelligent, amazing, unpredictable geniuses, who make up the "rare" ten per cent of s-f readers known as "fans", experienced a good belly-laugh from the above--as, no doubt, did the editor. If you are so naive as not to have guessed by this time, all the above names, with the exception of Reade and Emerson, are of the genus generally specified as "house". They pop up with exasperating regularity, but only in the pages of the magazines of their particular chain. They are the necessary (and ofttimes unnecessary) devices employed by such prominent publishing companies as Standard, Street and Smith, Ziff-Davis, Blue ribbon, etc., to serve for the following reasons: 1. To fill in when an author has two stories in one issue, and the publishers are not anxious to let you know it. 2. To build up a name for their house which they hope will help sell the magazines. 3. To use instead of the real authors name, because they're paying ultra-low rates, which do not entitle them to the dubious value of the science-fiction hack's "name". And you could probably dig up several auxiliary reasons. Undoubtedly the most important use is number two. In fact, all the reasons for the use of a "house" name, lead us eventually to number two on my list. (The publishers' hope!) Now, in order to sell, most pulp magazines must utilize at least a flimsy sort of policy. A science-fiction magazine, for instance, must decide whether it is going to specialize in straight adventure with a fantastic background, "human interest" stories with a fantastic setting, or "straight" science-fiction of any of the diverse and popular types. Suppose a "reader", in examining the newsstands, sees a copy of AMAZING STORIES. If he's in the mood for s-f, he knows instantly that he won't be bored with any heavy science---God, no! So being a weak-minded idiot, (jut because the guy wants to enjoy himself instead of improving his mind, people call him names. There ain't no justice!) he buys it, and thrills to fast action, plenty of gore--tainted slightly with heat raysppand a nice, heavy love interest. Pretty soon he begins to learn the names of the authors who please him most. When he sees the banner, "Frederic Arnold Kummer, Jr., a 'great' author with a 'great' story," he makes a dash for the ewsstands, and avidly devours every syllable of Kummer that's avail-