239:
orders for new books through the mail. These special editions contained a "limitation leaf" - a page bound or tipped in after the title page - stating that only so many copies of a given book were numbered and signed by the book's author, along with an inscription by or signature of the author as a reward for ordering. Many fans that ordered multiple books from the same author found themselves receiving warm inscriptions as the writer came to know them by name. The normal press run for a
Fantasy Press title was about 3,000 copies; in each edition anywhere from 250 to 500 copies would contain the limitation leaf. Today, these signed editions fetch two to four times (or more in the case of authors like Robert Heinlein) the value of an unsigned edition, and are highly sought after by collectors. And the practice of the limited/signed edition is a standard offering among specialty publishers today.
248:
publishers, seeing the initial successes of the specialty houses, jumped into the fray full-force, bringing with them considerable capitalization and extensive distribution networks with which the fan publishers could scarcely compete. This period also saw the rise of inexpensive paperback publishing, with titles often becoming available in paperback at one-tenth the price of a hardcover, before the specialty house had time to sell out its own edition. Readers became wise to the fact that if they just waited for six months or a year before buying, they could get the book in paperback on the cheap. The collector's market by itself was simply not large enough at that time to support the specialty presses without general reader sales added in. This era heralded the fall of the "big three" science fiction specialty houses - Fantasy Press,
296:, himself a publisher of mostly fantasy books, who bound quantities of each of them for sale. As the bindings used by both Grant and Greenberg were in most cases different from the originals, this practice created a bewildering number of "variants" that sometimes have collectors today shaking their heads. Grant was still finding unbound sheets in his warehouse twenty years later and binding them for sale, so it was not unusual to see "brand new" copies of Fantasy Press books for sale into the mid and even late 1980s, as much as thirty years after the company had ceased operations. Eshbach also sold Grant a fair quantity of flat dust jackets for Fantasy Press books, some of which are still available on the collector's market today.
227:
all of his publications featured interior illustrations. At first, most of the art was done by A.J. Donnell, one of the founders of the company, but after a few years, Eshbach began using popular science fiction magazine artists as well....Eshbach was an intelligent businessman and knew how to produce a book that would sell. His choices for publication were well thought out. In a brilliant stroke, he contracted for the entire
Lensman series by E. E. Smith. Smith completely revised an early non-related novel,
187:. He wrote to the Buffalo Book Company offering suggestions as to how they could better market their books. Thus started a correspondence between Eshbach and Tom Hadley, of Buffalo and later of the Hadley Publishing Company. Eshbach, who was working as an ad copywriter for the Glidden Company, did all of his work for Hadley as a gesture of good will with no payment. He withdrew when he saw that Hadley's ventures were going nowhere and customers were growing dissatisfied with the publisher.
214:
Donnell as illustrator, Lyman Houck (an accountant friend and fellow Mason) as bookkeeper, and Herb MacGregor shipping the books. Eshbach eventually bought out his partners and operated the press for several years on his own. Ultimately, Fantasy Press was under-capitalized and sales declined in the face of competition from the mainstream publishers. Eshbach wrote his authors and reverted the rights to their books while he took a job with a religious publishing house in
288:- both titles which Eshbach had held the rights to but had transferred to Gnome. As part of his agreement with Greenberg, Eshbach also produced a limited run (about one hundred copies of the Campbell book, and 300 of the Smith) of each title on better-quality book paper under the Fantasy Press logo, which have since become among the most sought-after titles in the Fantasy Press line.
256:, although Gnome and Shasta managed to hang on for a few years more by sheer force of will. Eshbach knew when to call it quits before the house totally burned to the ground, and reverted rights for all of his books to his authors - as he had no money to pay them with - and formally retreated from the stage of fan publishing. In 1955, Fantasy Press bombed with
247:
Fantasy Press folded after 1955, a victim of the glut of science fiction books and magazines on the market by that time. What had been a relatively empty playing field in 1946 or 1947, when many of the fan publishers began operations, had become by the mid-1950s a free-for-all, as the mainstream book
238:
Lloyd
Eshbach established many features for his Fantasy Press that are accepted today as commonplace by collectors of specialty press books. As a way of generating pre-publication capital for new titles, Eshbach hatched the idea of offering special signed editions to those who placed pre-publication
190:
While never an employee of Hadley, Eshbach helped him with his marketing efforts and as a result ended up with a copy of the mailing list of Hadley's customers. Eshbach jokingly suggested to several of his co-workers that they could probably do as well with a publishing company of their own, and to
226:
Good titles were not the only thing going for
Eshbach. He knew how to produce an attractive book and did so. All of the Fantasy Press books featured attractive bindings and dustjackets. The paper was of good quality and the typeface was clear and readable. Eshbach believed in illustrated books and
291:
Eshbach had remaining in storage as much as 20,000 unbound sheets for nearly every one of his company's 46 titles (excluding
Polaris Press). He sold small quantities of these to Martin Greenberg over at Gnome Press, which Greenberg cheaply bound and sold through his Pick-A-Book operation. But the
267:
Never one to give in completely, Eshbach continued to experiment whenever his funding allowed. In 1956 he took 500 sets of the remaining unbound sheets for three of his titles and had them bound in paper covers as part of the
Fantasy Press "Golden Science Fiction Library", which he then marketed
213:
was extremely successful and sold several thousand copies. Eshbach immediately went out and got contracts for other books he thought would do well. Fantasy Press swiftly became the most successful and important of the fledgling science fiction small presses. Eshbach acquiring the stories, A.J.
304:
Polaris Press was a subsidiary imprint of
Fantasy Press that was created in 1952. Eschbach created the imprint in order to publish books he felt did not quite fit under the Fantasy Press imprint. Ultimately, only two titles were ever issued under the Polaris Press imprint.
191:
his surprise, the men agreed. With two of his co-workers from
Glidden (A.J. Donnell as illustrator and Lyman H. Houck as bookkeeper) and one other friend of theirs (Herb MacGregor shipping the books), Eshbach used the mailing list to start Fantasy Press. He approached
182:
from its publisher, the
Buffalo Book Company, in 1945 or 1946. Like many of Buffalo's customers, Eshbach was frustrated by Buffalo's delays in publishing and lack of marketing, an area that Eschbach had some expertise in, from his job as a copywriter for
268:(mostly at conventions) for $ 1.00 apiece. And, as a favor to Martin Greenberg over at Gnome Press, Eshbach utilized his position as director of the Church Center Press in 1961 to assist in the production of two of the last Gnome Press titles,
235:, to tie the first novel in with the four adventures of Kimball Kinneson which had originally made up the rest of the series. The six Lensman books were among the best selling of all the Fantasy Press titles.
34:
1041:
983:
Owings and
Chalker, The Science Fantasy Publishers, 1998; Over My Shoulder: Reflections On A Science Fiction Era, 1983, Lloyd A, Eshbach, Oswald Train, Publisher
1046:
1036:
1061:
1056:
1051:
814:
974:
Lloyd Arthur Eshbach - Over My Shoulder: Reflections On A Science Fiction Era,1983, Oswald Train: Publisher, pp 218-220
965:
Lloyd Arthur Eshbach - Over My Shoulder: Reflections On A Science Fiction Era,1983, Oswald Train: Publisher, pp360, 364
19:
This article is about the American publisher of science fiction and fantasy. For the English publisher of poetry, see
827:
205:
became the first title published by the new press. Eshbach had seen the success of Hadley's poorly produced '
669:
445:
417:
333:
749:
553:
493:
956:
Over My Shoulder: Reflections On A Science Fiction Era, Lloyd A. Eshbach, 1983, Oswald Train, Publisher
741:
270:
589:
809:
649:
525:
369:
215:
677:
662:
641:
605:
20:
936:
819:
764:
705:
621:
538:
470:
465:
429:
161:
136:
88:
872:
781:
776:
657:
613:
381:
350:
275:
132:
60:
8:
710:
558:
389:
374:
321:
733:
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545:
510:
505:
437:
422:
402:
280:
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880:
823:
629:
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357:
253:
725:
634:
533:
498:
458:
397:
345:
261:
184:
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231:, into the introductory novel of the series. He then wrote an entirely new novel,
209:
and knew that a well done volume of E.E. Smith would probably be a strong seller.
1015:
993:
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843:
769:
682:
485:
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293:
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128:
112:
362:
165:
1030:
565:
517:
477:
409:
884:
904:
Robert Weinberg "Specialty Science Fiction Publishers"ĂŻn Hall W. Hall, ed,
573:
1022:. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. pp. 232â242, 524.
717:
249:
192:
160:(1947), which was the first book about modern SF and contained essays by
144:
70:
805:
689:
338:
33:
1020:
The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998
998:
The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998
923:
The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998
906:
Science Fiction Collections: Fantasy, Supernatural and Weird Tales
848:
The Science-Fantasy Publishers: A Bibliographic History, 1923-1998
139:, it was most notable for publishing the works of authors such as
148:
124:
108:
1000:. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 524.
925:. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 342.
850:. Westminster, MD and Baltimore: Mirage Press, Ltd. p. 235.
103:
900:
898:
896:
894:
891:
157:
Of Worlds Beyond: The Science of Science Fiction Writing
877:
Over My Shoulder: Reflections on a Science Fiction Era
804:
757:
308:
1014:
992:
917:
842:
123:was an American publishing house specialising in
1028:
879:. Philadelphia: Oswald Train. pp. 109â138.
1042:Book publishing companies based in Pennsylvania
147:. One of its more notable offerings was the
32:
986:
911:
867:
865:
863:
861:
859:
857:
836:
418:Divide and Rule & The Stolen Dormouse
242:
1047:Publishing companies established in 1946
929:
221:
1037:American speculative fiction publishers
871:
800:
798:
176:Lloyd Arthur Eshbach ordered a copy of
1029:
854:
795:
1062:1946 establishments in Pennsylvania
815:The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
13:
753:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1961)
737:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1960)
673:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1954)
617:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1953)
577:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1951)
529:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1950)
481:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1950)
441:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1949)
413:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1948)
385:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1948)
317:, by Edward E. Smith, Ph.D. (1947)
292:bulk of these sheets were sold to
14:
1073:
745:, by John W. Campbell, Jr. (1961)
729:, by John W. Campbell, Jr. (1957)
625:, by John W. Campbell, Jr. (1953)
1057:Small press publishing companies
758:Works published by Polaris Press
701:, by Lloyd Arthur Eshbach (1955)
309:Works published by Fantasy Press
977:
593:, by Stanley G. Weinbaum (1952)
449:, by Stanley G. Weinbaum (1949)
131:titles. Established in 1946 by
968:
959:
950:
653:, by Eric Frank Russell (1954)
645:, by Robert A. Heinlein (1953)
609:, by P. Schuyler Miller (1952)
549:, by Eric Frank Russell (1951)
393:, by Robert A. Heinlein (1948)
201:. Smith was enthusiastic and
1:
1008:
937:"Lloyd Arthur Eshbach Papers"
908:, Haworth Press, 1978, p. 122
721:, by E. Everett Evans (1955)
509:, by L. Sprague de Camp and
446:A Martian Odyssey and Others
7:
750:The History of Civilization
601:, by Jack Williamson (1952)
521:, by Jack Williamson (1950)
433:, by Jack Williamson (1948)
299:
10:
1078:
1052:Science fiction publishers
742:Invaders from the Infinite
489:, by A. E. van Vogt (1950)
271:Invaders from the Infinite
171:
18:
16:Defunct American publisher
102:
94:
84:
76:
66:
56:
48:
40:
31:
788:
195:to obtain the rights to
216:Myerstown, Pennsylvania
1018:; Mark Owings (1998).
996:; Mark Owings (1998).
921:; Mark Owings (1998).
846:; Mark Owings (1998).
693:, by John Taine (1954)
678:Operation: Outer Space
663:Thomas Calvert McClary
642:Assignment in Eternity
585:, by John Taine (1952)
569:, by John Taine (1951)
243:Later years and demise
164:, Robert A. Heinlein,
21:Fantasy Press (poetry)
873:Eshbach, Lloyd Arthur
765:The Heads of Cerberus
706:Under the Triple Suns
622:The Black Star Passes
539:John W. Campbell, Jr.
471:John W. Campbell, Jr.
466:The Incredible Planet
430:Darker Than You Think
258:Under the Triple Suns
222:Publication standards
162:John W. Campbell, Jr.
137:Reading, Pennsylvania
89:Reading, Pennsylvania
85:Headquarters location
820:St. Martin's Griffin
782:Perley Poore Sheehan
777:The Abyss of Wonders
670:Children of the Lens
658:Three Thousand Years
614:Second Stage Lensmen
351:Lloyd Arthur Eshbach
334:The Forbidden Garden
276:John W. Campbell, Jr
154:Among its books was
133:Lloyd Arthur Eshbach
61:Lloyd Arthur Eshbach
711:Stanton A. Coblentz
559:Robert Spencer Carr
494:The Bridge of Light
390:Beyond This Horizon
375:Stanley G. Weinbaum
322:The Legion of Space
28:
734:The Vortex Blaster
698:The Tyrant of Time
598:The Legion of Time
546:Dreadful Sanctuary
511:P. Schuyler Miller
438:Skylark of Valeron
423:L. Sprague de Camp
403:Eric Frank Russell
315:Spacehounds of IPC
281:The Vortex Blaster
211:Spacehounds of IPC
203:Spacehounds of IPC
198:Spacehounds of IPC
141:Robert A. Heinlein
26:
630:Man of Many Minds
582:The Crystal Horde
454:Seven Out of Time
358:The Book of Ptath
260:, a new novel by
254:Shasta Publishers
118:
117:
95:Publication types
77:Country of origin
1069:
1023:
1016:Chalker, Jack L.
1002:
1001:
994:Chalker, Jack L.
990:
984:
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975:
972:
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963:
957:
954:
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919:Chalker, Jack L.
915:
909:
902:
889:
888:
869:
852:
851:
844:Chalker, Jack L.
840:
834:
833:
802:
726:Islands of Space
635:E. Everett Evans
534:The Moon is Hell
499:A. Hyatt Verrill
459:Arthur Leo Zagat
398:Sinister Barrier
346:Of Worlds Beyond
262:Stanton Coblentz
207:Skylark of Space
179:Skylark of Space
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29:
25:
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822:. p. 411.
803:
796:
791:
770:Francis Stevens
760:
683:Murray Leinster
554:Beyond Infinity
526:Galactic Patrol
486:Masters of Time
370:The Black Flame
327:Jack Williamson
311:
302:
294:Donald M. Grant
286:Edward E. Smith
245:
224:
174:
129:science fiction
113:science fiction
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363:A. E. van Vogt
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166:A. E. van Vogt
149:Lensman series
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104:Fiction genres
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566:Seeds of Life
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518:The Cometeers
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478:First Lensman
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410:Skylark Three
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121:Fantasy Press
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80:United States
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27:Fantasy Press
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979:
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940:. Retrieved
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922:
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818:. New York:
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590:The Red Peri
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574:Gray Lensman
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382:Triplanetary
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349:, edited by
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246:
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229:Triplanetary
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202:
196:
189:
177:
175:
168:and others.
155:
153:
120:
119:
806:Clute, John
718:Alien Minds
250:Gnome Press
193:E. E. Smith
145:E. E. Smith
71:Gnome Press
1031:Categories
1009:References
690:G.O.G. 666
650:Deep Space
506:Genus Homo
339:John Taine
942:March 29,
606:The Titan
67:Successor
885:10489084
875:(1983).
812:(1995).
300:Imprints
278:., and
185:Glidden
172:History
125:fantasy
109:fantasy
57:Founder
49:Founded
44:Defunct
883:
826:
784:(1953)
772:(1952)
713:(1955)
685:(1954)
665:(1954)
637:(1953)
561:(1951)
541:(1950)
513:(1950)
501:(1950)
473:(1949)
461:(1949)
425:(1948)
405:(1948)
377:(1948)
365:(1947)
353:(1947)
341:(1947)
329:(1947)
252:, and
41:Status
789:Notes
780:, by
768:, by
709:, by
681:, by
661:, by
633:, by
557:, by
537:, by
497:, by
469:, by
457:, by
421:, by
401:, by
373:, by
361:, by
337:, by
325:, by
284:, by
274:, by
98:Books
944:2016
881:OCLC
824:ISBN
143:and
127:and
111:and
52:1946
135:in
1033::
893:^
856:^
808:;
797:^
264:.
218:.
151:.
946:.
887:.
832:.
23:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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