The Cover Story: Crime Fiction Now and Then and Now Again

Let's talk crime novel covers. My, how they've changed over the years. Don't believe me? Let's go back to the (almost) beginning (we'll skip over Sherlock Holmes who-dun-its for this article). The that, we need to visit the pulp mags. 

The Pulp Era

The covers of the classic pulp era stand alone as works of "cheap," "vulgar," and "violent" art -- just to mention some of the adjectives thrown at them. But works of art they remain. They knew how to attract a reader with scenes of danger and drama (and more than a little sexual titillation, of course). 

In fact, because of the patriarchal views (some might say misogynistic) of the time, it was hard to find covers that didn't have some helpless woman in various states of either torture or undress. However, even when they didn't have such covers, the images were always high points of action (maybe or maybe not related to one of the stories between the covers) or danger or violence. 

Suspense was the key question when you saw one of these covers. Will the hero save the day? Will the beautiful dame get shishkabobbed? 

These covers screamed and begged you to drop a few cents and find out. And they did it very, very well. 

The Contemporary Summer Bestseller 

Things have changed between then and now. Book covers, even thriller and crime novel covers, are more about mood and tone than telling a story it seems. That's not a judgment, just an acknowledgment. On the plus side, we're no longer inundated with helpless women and burly men saving the day or gore-adjacent covers or some of the darker pulp mags, but I'm not sure the covers to many contemporary mysteries are doing the job they're supposed to (at least supposed to in my opinion). 

As I look at the covers below, I'm not sure I can tell you what the story is actually about. Or, honestly, I don't think I would recognize the book as a mystery/crime book if it weren't shelved in that section of the bookstore. 

Modern covers, while great examples of color, texture, and typographic art, don't feel as immediate to me. I don't get a sense of why I need to open the book oftentimes. I don't feel pressured to ask the questions that make me want to see what happens. 

A quick glance below says these books could just as easily be literary bestsellers or romantic dramas as they could be any other genre of fiction. (On a related but different note, not even the titles convince me they're thrillers, but that's an article for another day.)

 

Original Novels and the Hard-Boiled Pastiches

Let's step back a few decades now, shall we? Inspired by the pulp mags, novels of the '30s and '40s through the '60s and '70s tried to recapture the awesome of the pulp aesthetic without the awful of the pulp aesthetic. Violence was back. Sex was back. And danger was once again front and center. 

Now, the violence and sex tended to be far more subdued, maybe even subtle, as it the semi-open door (still locked) or the look of fear for The Glass Key, but it was there. And it while it also conveyed mood, it didn't shy away from actually teasing the story. There was no way you didn't know what kind of novel you were buying based on the covers on the paperback racks (or most of the hardcovers over earlier years). 

The genre grew up and became procedurals in addition to private eyes. Big thrillers replaced small-scale-one-man-against-the-bad-guys of Key Largo. And the covers grew with them, distancing themselves from the "thing of the past" ideals and values of yesteryear (as you move into the '70s particularly), but the hints were there to see what you were getting into. There was no confusing even the semi-vagueness of these spinner rack covers with a copy of a literary classic or a contemporary lit hit. 

Hard Case Crime 

Hands down, my favorite publisher nowadays is the retro-pulp, hard-boiled, noirish, crime story, private dick publisher Hard Case Crime. The stories are often reminiscent of early crime novels but updated for the present or written with modern sensibilities (sometimes not). And their cover game is top-notch. They do the best job I've seen of capturing the story sensibilities of the early pulp-inspired novels of the '30s and '40s and even tease it a bit with the voyeurism of the original pulp covers before Werthem's Seduction of the Innocent shut down the fun machine. 

To be fair, a lot of these covers do play up the big strong man trope and you see a lot of sexy women on the covers, but they are rarely women in peril. More often than not, they're holding either the gun or all the cards. 

But the thing that really draws me to Hard Case Crime is how I can usually tell exactly what I need to know about the book before I buy it. I can see it in a catalog or on a shell, and bam, I know the kind of story I'm about to spend good money on. To me, that's the main job of a cover. 

And That Leaves Us...

A cavaet: There's always an exception for every rule, and for every cover I've shown here, there a several that make an equal and opposite statement to prove me wrong. You can find vague, artsy '60s paperback covers or even pulpy cover versions of classic literature. You can find gripping, story-driven contemporary covers for thrillers that don't hide the genre in colorful photographic dreamscapes. But for this article, I'm addressing the generality, so don't feel the need to play the "what about" card. I'm not taking the bait. 

Let me reiterate, these are just my opinions about covers for mystery thrillers. Your mileage may vary. You may prefer pretty covers that tease the eye like an impressionist painting or a soft-palette photo of a beautiful tree. If that works for you, fine. You do you, boo. 

Personally, I'd like to see crime fiction return to the style of the paperback racks before the sort of homogenous look took over publishing. I like the covers that tell the story to sell the story. Now, that doesn't mean I want to see a return to the ideals and patronizing and patriarchal values of the '30s and the '40s those old covers may have reflected, just that storytelling style. 

But, as they say, if wishes were horses... 

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING NEW STORIES OF FIRST HARD BOILED DETECTIVE! “RACE WILLIAMS-SHOOT FIRST, TALK NEVER” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring characters Steeger either owns or manages, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for RACE WILLIAMS-SHOOT FIRST, TALK NEVER, an anthology of all-new stories featuring John Carroll Daly’s two-fisted hero, considered to the archetype for the hardboiled detective.

First appearing in BLACK MASK in June 1923, Race Williams fought and shot his way through short stories in various pulp magazines and novels through 1955. Though not quite the gentleman or smart guy later detectives proved to be, and, by some standards, more thug with a license than PI, Race Williams busted down the door and paved the way with bullets and blood for what would become known as hard-boiled in the mystery scene, one of the enduring sub-genres of detective tales since Williams’ first story.

"Pro Se has had the honor for the last twelve years," says Tommy Hancock, partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions, "to bring new life to many characters from the past, both those in the public domain and licensed concepts.  None, however, have the historical significance of Race Williams.  The character that established what hard-boiled means from the get-go, revolutionizing detective fiction in a way probably no other has, I mean, for Pro Se to be able to contribute to this canon, to this life in fiction. I really don't have words, except to say we are looking forward to doing right by Race Williams."

Writers interested in proposing a story for RACE WILLIAMS-SHOOT FIRST, TALK NEVER should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of six of the published stories. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 5-6,000 words. This is a work-for-hire arrangement. 

The image with this release is the cover of the March 1931 issue of BLACK MASK featuring Williams on the cover. 

Following the anthology being filled with accepted proposals, there will be a call for a full-length RACE WILLIAMS novel as well.

For more information on this announcement, email editorinchief@prose-press.com.

A Veritable Cornucopia of Submissions Opportunities from Pro Se Productions!

Note: For more information on these announcements, email editorinchief@prose-press.com.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING LESTER DENT’S FIRST SERIES CHARACTER!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CURT FLAGG” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with the heirs of the Estate of Norma Dent, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for an anthology featuring the first series character created by Lester Dent, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CURT FLAGG!

Debuting in Dell’s SCOTLAND YARD INTERNATIONAL DETECTIVE STORIES in March 1931, Curt Flagg was a violent, two fisted Private Detective very much cast in the hard boiled mold. Over four stories, Dent, never once actually being bylined with his actual name, developed Flagg from a fight first detect later gumshoe into someone who bore more than a passing resemblance to later characters created by Dent, including Doc Savage. Rising through the ranks to eventually be a partner in an agency, Curt Flagg is undoubtedly the character Dent cut his series teeth on.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six open slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CURT FLAGG should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of the character’s four published stories. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image accompanying this press release is from the May 1931 cover of SCOTLAND YARD, the second issue Curt Flagg appeared in.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING POTENTIAL INSPIRATION FOR PERRY MASON!  “THE NEW CASES OF GILLIAN HAZELTINE” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring some of Steeger’s characters, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW CASES OF GILLIAN HAZELTINE, an anthology featuring a series character from ARGOSY Magazine.

Thought by many to be Erle Stanley Gardner’s model for his hugely successful Perry Mason series, Gillian Hazeltine, created by George F. Worts, debuted in 1926, seven years before Mason, and would appear in almost thirty stories, the majority of them in Argosy. Known as ‘The Silver Fox’, Hazeltine utilized his encyclopedic knowledge of the law as well as well played court theatrics, to defend his clients to the best of his ability, proving he was willing to use legal smoke and mirrors to prove his clients innocent. Hazeltine’s cases, though never simple, read like true pulp stories with well timed, almost breakneck pacing and wild mysteries with twists and turns throughout.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW CASES OF GILLIAN HAZELTINE should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of two of the published stories. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image with this release is the cover of the October 1927 issue of ARGOSY featuring Hazeltine on the cover. 

Following the anthology being filled with accepted proposals, there will be a call for a full length GILLIAN HAZELTINE novel as well.

Other calls for Steeger Properties LLC characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING SCIENCE/OCCULT SUPER VILLAIN!  “THE NEW DANGERS OF DOCTOR DEATH’ OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring some of Steeger’s characters, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW DANGERS OF DOCTOR DEATH, an anthology featuring author Harold Ward’s odd and unique super villain.

First appearing in his own self-titled magazine from Dell Publications in February 1935.  Doctor Death, created by Harold Ward under the pen name ‘Zorro’, was Dr. Rance Mandarin.  Convinced that the Earth needed to be cleansed of humanity, Mandarin used his extensive knowledge of both science and the occult to create potentially humanity ending devices and creatures. Facing off with his arch nemesis, Jimmy Holm, who was supported by the powerful group known as The Twelve, Doctor Death featured in all three issues of his own magazine and appeared in two more stories, both of the latter remaining unpublished until the 1980s.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW DANGERS OF DOCTOR DEATH should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of three of the five Doctor Death stories. 

Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image with this release is the cover of the February 1935 issue of Doctor Death, the character’s debut.  

A full length DOCTOR DEATH novel has been previously commissioned by Pro Se Productions and is currently in development.

Other calls for Steeger Properties LLC characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING LESTER DENT’S NEARLY SUPERHUMAN MOUNTIE!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE SILVER CORPORAL” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with the heirs of the Estate of Norma Dent, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for an anthology featuring a Lester Dent character from a popular genre in Pulp-THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE SILVER CORPORAL!

The Silver Corporal debuted in WESTERN TRAILS Magazine in 1933. Created by Dent, this diminutive silver haired Mountie appeared in a second story written by Dent that appeared, not in a Pulp, but in a collection of Mountie stories published in 1998.  While clearly a member of the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, the Corporal was actually a transplant from Wyoming who had superhuman strength, struck terror into the hearts of Canada’s worst villains, and even blended into the snowy landscape through disguise, armed with unique weapons. 

The image with this release is the cover of the May 1933 issue of WESTERN TRAILS, the first and only Pulp appearance of The Silver Corporal.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the four open slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE SILVER CORPORAL should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of the character’s only two stories. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

Other calls for anthologies featuring Lester Dent characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING BLACK MASK’S PENNY PINCHING PRIVATE EYE!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF REX SACKLER’ OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring some of Steeger’s characters, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW ADVENTURES OF REX SACKLER, an anthology featuring a series character from Black Mask Magazine.

Appearing in Black Mask Magazine from in various stories from 1940 through 1950, Rex Sackler, created and written by D. L. Champion, was a rather unique character in the Private Eye field.  Notoriously known as ‘the parsimonious prince of penny pinchers,’ Sackler was such a cheapskate that he was not beyond holding off solving cases until he was sure the client’s check cleared. In a series of tales narrated by a beleaguered assistant who Sackler constantly tried to cheat out of his wages, this definitely odd take on the Private Eye proves popular with Pulp fans today and makes for interesting, even humorous stories.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF REX SACKLER should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of the character's first four stories. 

Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image with this release is the cover of the October 1940 issue of Black Mask, the second Black Mask appearance of Rex Sackler.

Following the anthology being filled with accepted proposals, there will be a call for a full length REX SACKLER novel as well.

Other calls for Steeger Properties LLC characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING DIME DETECTIVE’S ORIGINAL OCCULT SLEUTH!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HORATIO HUMBERTON” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring some of Steeger’s characters, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HORATIO HUMBERTON, an anthology featuring a series character from Popular Publications’ Dime Detective Magazine.

Appearing in Dime Detective from 1932 through 1937, Horatio Humberton, created and written by J. Paul Suter, actually worked two jobs.  While a mortician during regular hours, Humberton pursued crimes, many of them with a supernatural bent, in his off time. One of the most original characters featured in Pulps, Humberton set the standard for occult investigators to follow, the stories a solid mix of paranormal danger, pulp excitement, and even quirky humor thrown in.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF HORATIO HUMBERTON should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of three of the character’s stories. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image with this release is the cover of the July 1932 issue of Dime Detective Magazine, the first appearance of Horatio Humberton.

Following the anthology being filled with accepted proposals, there will be a call for a full length HORATIO HUMBERTON novel as well.

Other calls for Steeger Properties LLC characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING BLACK MASK MEMPHIS BASED DETECTIVE!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LUTHER MCGAVOCK” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring some of Steeger’s characters, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LUTHER MCGAVOCK, an anthology featuring a series character from Black Mask Magazine.

Appearing in Black Mask Magazine from 1942 to 1948, Luther McGavock, created and written by Merle Constiner, worked for a Private Investigator Agency out of Memphis, Tennessee, after working for almost every other agency in the South. Not a white hat type hero, McGavock walked the line of hardboiled Private Eye and Noirish protagonist, sometimes easier not to like than the criminals he came up against. The McGavock stories were not what many considered typical mystery fare. Constiner presented detailed descriptions of the South, both the small towns and growing cities as well as the rather unique characters that peopled his version of the area. McGavock’s cases leaned into blood and violence, dark humor, betrayal, and double-crossing, sometimes even by McGavock himself, and often depended on little known facts of all sorts for resolution.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF LUTHER MCGAVOCK should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of the character's first four stories. 

Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image with this release is the cover of the January 1943 issue of Black Mask, the third appearance of Luther McGavock.

Following the anthology being filled with accepted proposals, there will be a call for a full length LUTHER MCGAVOCK novel as well.

Other calls for Steeger Properties LLC characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING LESTER DENT’S FIRST AND LARGELY UNPUBLISHED WESTERN HERO!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE COWL” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS!

With a licensing agreement with the heirs of the Estate of Norma Dent, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for an anthology featuring a character created by Lester Dent that remained unpublished in the classic era of the pulps-THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE COWL!

One of Lester Dent’s more unusual creations, The Cowl is also a character that was rejected by two Pulp magazines in 1930-31. The single story, a rather uniquely styled tale titled “The Cowled Nemesis”, would not see print until much later in the Spring 2007 issue of Ed Hulse’s BLOOD ‘N’ THUNDER magazine. The Cowl was in reality “Magic” Mason, a man of multiple skills on the hunt for his father’s killers. Mason was nearly as much masked hero with a bit of ‘super’ thrown in as he was saddle born cowboy. Clearly a western, the tale is set in a West similar to that depicted in many early Westerns: the Wild West still rarin’ and ridin’ in possibly isolated parts of the country while cars and other signs of progress moved forward.

The photo with this release is of The Cowl's creator, Lester Dent.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the four open slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THE COWL should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of the story/article previously mentioned. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

Other calls for anthologies featuring Lester Dent characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

SUBMISSIONS CALL FOR ANTHOLOGY FEATURING PULP’S ‘KING OF DETECTIVES’!  “THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN SATAN” OPEN FOR PROPOSALS

With a licensing agreement with Steeger Properties LLC for anthologies and novels featuring some of Steeger’s characters, Pro Se Productions proudly announces that submissions are being accepted for THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN SATAN, an anthology featuring a series character from Popular Publications.

In a move that was rare, if not unique in Pulps, Captain Satan became the lead of his own self-titled magazine in March 1938 when Popular changed the name of its recently debuted STRANGE DETECTIVE MYSTERIES magazine. Satan, in reality mysterious and wealthy playboy Cary Adair, would only lead the magazine for five issues and not appear again. As Captain Satan, Adair led a large force of variously skilled men who in many ways literally waged a war on specific crimes by using criminal tactics. Whether or not he took a third to pay his crew or performed as a Robin Hood of some sort, it was clear Captain Satan was on the side of the angels.

Writers interested in proposing for one of the six slots available in THE NEW ADVENTURES OF CAPTAIN SATAN should contact submissions@prose-press.com to request the bible for the anthology, which consists of all five originally published stories. Proposals must be 1-3 paragraphs long and must include the entire plot of the story, these are not elevator pitches or back cover blurbs. The stories should be approximately 10,000 words and payment will be on a royalty basis. This is a work for hire arrangement. The anthology will not be considered filled until six stories have been accepted.  

The image with this release is the cover of the July 1938 issue of CAPTAIN SATAN. 

Following the anthology being filled with accepted proposals, there will be a call for a full length CAPTAIN SATAN novel as well.

Other calls for Steeger Properties LLC characters will be forthcoming from Pro Se Productions.

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For more information on these announcements, email editorinchief@prose-press.com.

To learn more about Pro Se Productions, go to www.prose-press.com. Like Pro Se on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ProSeProductions

Write for Black Mask! Be part of pulp history!

By the fact that you are looking at this website should mean that at a minimum you are familiar with the work of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, Paul Cain and some of the second generation hard-boiled authors like Thompson and Spillane.

No cozy or locked room mysteries are wanted here. Keep the conversation terse and to the point, with concise, hard-hitting prose and you might have the makings of an author that would deserve a place on this site.

Need a starting point for a style guide? Read Shaw’s The Hard-Boiled Omnibus, Nolan’s The Black Mask Boys, Goulart’s The Hardboiled Dicks, or Dziemianowicz, Weinberg and Greenberg’s Hard-Boiled Detectives.

Story Submissions

Have you got a story that’s perfect for the pages of Black Mask? We’re actively looking for new material to publish. But it has to be the type of story that should see print in Black Mask.

What’s Black Mask’s preferred story length?

We don’t have one. We’re in the market for 5,000-word shorts, and if your story is good enough, we’ll entertain novel-length yarns as well. But remember: it has to be the type of story which would be at home amongst the material originally published in Black Mask during the 1920s–50s.

If you have to shoot for an ideal word count, however, try to average 10,000 words.

What is Black Mask’s preferred story setting?

We’d prefer to publisher “period” stories. Alternately, we would consider stories which don’t rely on or reference a certain era. As long as the reader isn’t jarred by encountering a story which doesn’t flow with the rest of the vintage material also appearing in Black Mask.

Does Black Mask’s accept series characters?

Yes! Black Mask has a long history of publishing series characters. However, each installment should stand on its own and not depend on the reader to track down earlier installments in order to enjoy a complete reading experience. Otherwise, your story would be considered a serial, which wouldn’t work, given Black Mask’s protracted publishing schedule.

I’d like to write a new story featuring a classic Black Mask or Dime Detective character. Can I do this?
Perhaps. Get in touch with us and pitch your idea.

I’d like to write nonfiction. Do you accept such material?

Yes, we’re always looking for nonfiction pieces which would fit in with Black Mask. Some general ideas:

• Hard-boiled fiction book reviews (both old and new)
• Articles on vintage pulp fiction authors
• Scholarship on detective pulps in general
• Interviews with pulp authors

These are just some ideas to consider. We strive to publish at least one of this type of piece in each issue of Black Mask.

See full submission guidelines here: https://blackmaskmagazine.com/submissions-guidelines/

Argosy, Black Mask, and Famous Fantastic Mysteries Return to Magazine Format

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: www.altuspress.com
pr@altuspress.com

Featuring NEW stories by Frederick Nebel, Paul Bishop, and Kimberly B. Richardson

October 6, 2016 — Three of the most historic pulp fiction magazines of the Twentieth Century are set to return to magazine format.

This November, Altus Press will relaunch full-length magazines of Argosy, Black Mask, and Famous Fantastic Mysteries in periodical format. These three pulp magazine titles were renowned for the high level of quality fiction which they published for decades.

Argosy, Black Mask, and Famous Fantastic Mysteries will be composed of classic fiction from the backlog of The Frank A. Munsey Company, Pro-Distributors Publishing Company, Inc., and Popular Publications, Inc., along with all-new stories and articles.

Argosy features an ALL-NEW story by Frederick Nebel, along with stories by H. Bedford-Jones, Berton E. Cook, Ralph R. Perry, W. Wirt, Murray R. Montgomery, and Norbert Davis. Argosy’s focus will remain primarily on adventure fiction.

Black Mask is highlighted by a brand new story by award-winner Paul Bishop, as well as classic hard-boiled detective stories by Carroll John Daly, Frederick Nebel, Raoul Whitfield, T.T. Flynn, Merle Constiner, Richard Sale, and Norbert Davis.Famous Fantastic Mysteries is highlighted by a new short story by Kimberly B. Richardson. It’s rounded out by stories from G.T. Fleming-Roberts, Arthur Leo Zagat, Frederick C. Davis, High B. Cave, Paul Ernst, Wyatt Blassingame, and Wayne Rogers, among others. Famous Fantastic Mysteries will focus on the weird fiction genre.


Each of these magazines enjoyed decades-long publications by a variety of publishers, comprising several thousand total issues. Now owned by Steeger Properties, LLC, these titles will be published on a regular schedule and in print and e-magazine formats. These new magazines will be printed in black & white and each is heavily illustrated. Argosy, Black Mask, and Famous Fantastic Mysteries will available via the popular book and e-book vendors as well as at www.altuspress.com.

Altus Press is accepting article proposals and advertising for placement in future issues. Please contact submissions@altuspress.com to be considered for future issues.

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