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Fantasy Magazine, v. 4, issue 4, whole no. 28, February-March 1935
Page 92
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FANTASY SPILLING the Atoms with RAP [drawing: Large ball on a stand on the left, similar ball on the right, connected by lelectrical charges coming afrom a small ball in the center. Below small ball is a man with typewriter, pages flying.] Some time ago this column dwelt at length on the science fiction game from the standpoint of the author, who's viewpoint was in his stomaach, in other words, the possibilities of his field for bringing him something to eat. The picture painted was extremely gloomy, and must have been true, because several authors, notably among them Frank Kelly, went so far as to write about it. Now, at the beginning of 1935, I am going to look at the science fiction field again, from the same viewpoint. And when I arrive at my result, I will have presented the best indication we have as to whether science fiction is getting anywhere or not. I am also going to point out a prediction I made in that last resume, and show you what happened to it. First, the market. There is one more science fiction magazine in the field: Astounding Stories. It's entrance, in the author's viewpoint, means that the market has doubled. That is, they pay one cent a word, in contrast to the half cent of their competitors. What does this mean? Originally, the top number of stories per year by any author (which cannot be construed as average, of course, but I will use it for an example) was nine. The average wordage of those nine was 10,000 words. That meant the author drew down $450.00 during the year. His exoense ran to perhaps $100.00, leaving $350.00 for his year's work. Obviously if he wasn't working at something else also, he wasn't eating at all regularly, and he was the top-notcher. What was the average man who had three stories a year doing? Yes, he's probably dead now—if he didn't get a hand out in some break line. And now, with his market doubled, Mr. Topnotcher is making about $68.00 a month at his science fiction writing. Mr. Average is making $23. monthly. Obviously market conditions have bettered, but I say not enough! We still can't make a living at writing science fiction! Why do I insist on wanting my science fiction writers to make their entire living by their writing, you ask? Think it over. It's absolutely necessary if we are to get really good science fiction. As an author, I know that you've got to keep pace, especially, with science fiction to keep your stuff up to average, and you can't improve without practice. The steady science fiction writer is going to turn out the best stuff. And that's why we aren't getting improved stuff (no, I don't say it hasn't
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FANTASY SPILLING the Atoms with RAP [drawing: Large ball on a stand on the left, similar ball on the right, connected by lelectrical charges coming afrom a small ball in the center. Below small ball is a man with typewriter, pages flying.] Some time ago this column dwelt at length on the science fiction game from the standpoint of the author, who's viewpoint was in his stomaach, in other words, the possibilities of his field for bringing him something to eat. The picture painted was extremely gloomy, and must have been true, because several authors, notably among them Frank Kelly, went so far as to write about it. Now, at the beginning of 1935, I am going to look at the science fiction field again, from the same viewpoint. And when I arrive at my result, I will have presented the best indication we have as to whether science fiction is getting anywhere or not. I am also going to point out a prediction I made in that last resume, and show you what happened to it. First, the market. There is one more science fiction magazine in the field: Astounding Stories. It's entrance, in the author's viewpoint, means that the market has doubled. That is, they pay one cent a word, in contrast to the half cent of their competitors. What does this mean? Originally, the top number of stories per year by any author (which cannot be construed as average, of course, but I will use it for an example) was nine. The average wordage of those nine was 10,000 words. That meant the author drew down $450.00 during the year. His exoense ran to perhaps $100.00, leaving $350.00 for his year's work. Obviously if he wasn't working at something else also, he wasn't eating at all regularly, and he was the top-notcher. What was the average man who had three stories a year doing? Yes, he's probably dead now—if he didn't get a hand out in some break line. And now, with his market doubled, Mr. Topnotcher is making about $68.00 a month at his science fiction writing. Mr. Average is making $23. monthly. Obviously market conditions have bettered, but I say not enough! We still can't make a living at writing science fiction! Why do I insist on wanting my science fiction writers to make their entire living by their writing, you ask? Think it over. It's absolutely necessary if we are to get really good science fiction. As an author, I know that you've got to keep pace, especially, with science fiction to keep your stuff up to average, and you can't improve without practice. The steady science fiction writer is going to turn out the best stuff. And that's why we aren't getting improved stuff (no, I don't say it hasn't
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