From the press release:
F+W MEDIA ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF PROLOGUE BOOKS
Hundreds of Out-of-Print Pulp Novels of 1940’s-1970’s Now Available as E-Books
New York, NY –March 1, 2012– F+W Media announced today the acquisition of more than 250 out-of-print novels, spanning 1940-1970, to be reissued as e-books under the imprint, Prologue Books. These hard-boiled crime novels, written by legends like Peter Rabe and William Campbell Gault, served as inspiration for contemporary crime fiction. Before, these old paperbacks could only be found at book fairs and used book stores, but now, they will be available to anyone with an e-reader.
“I envision Prologue Books not simply an e-book publisher for out-of-print titles, but as a living record of the crime, science fiction, and fantasy genres,” said Ben LeRoy, publisher of Tyrus Books who is spearheading the project. “There’s a great opportunity to shine the spotlight on authors who may have been significantly influential on the current state of publishing, but who have never really received their due for one reason or another. With the help of luminaries in the genres—authors, readers, reviewers—we are excited to find and share those stories.”
“I love and collect vintage paperbacks, so you’d think the concept of e-books would have no appeal for someone like me,” said pulp novelist, Christa Faust. “But the way I see it, having reading copies of these classic titles available in digital format is not only a great way to attract new readers, it also helps to preserve existing paper editions that are too fragile to be thumbed through. It’s old-school pulp for a new generation. A brilliant idea that’s long overdue.”
Tyrus Books, named Best Publisher of 2011 by Spinetingler Magazine, has revitalized the careers of veteran authors like Reed Farrel Coleman and Victoria Houston and served as the launching pad for new authors like Scott O’Connor and Angela S. Choi. Their books have been nominated for and/or won most of the major awards in crime fiction including the Edgar, the Shamus, the Anthony, and the Barry. Other accolades include Lambda Award nominations, a Florida Book Award, and a Southern California Independent Booksellers Association nomination.
LeRoy has long been dedicated to bringing quality stories to the widest audience possible, and the launch of Prologue Books is another step in achieving that goal. By the end of the year, LeRoy plans to make over 100 more acquisitions, expanding across all genres.
Related Links: www.PrologueBooks.com • www.TyrusBooks.com • www.fwmedia.com
Tyrus Books publishes crime and dark literary fiction, offering books from exciting new voices and established, well-loved authors. Centering on deeply provocative and universal human experiences, Tyrus Books is a leader in its genre and the centerpiece of the F+W Crime community. Parent Company F+W Media, Inc. is a community-focused, content creator and marketer of products and services for enthusiasts. The Company offers a diversified portfolio of books, eBooks, magazines, events, competitions, ecommerce, education, video, and more: www.fwmedia.com.
I love the old pulp fiction- best is from the 1930’s and 1940’s. And, from the old pulp magazines themselves. Remember that is where Erle Stanley Gardner, Ring Lardner, Dashiell Hammett, etc. often first got published.
I’d like to suggest that TeleRead begin the practice of qualifying the term “eBook” possibly with a label that concisely provides the reader with the following information:
o DRM Status (e.g. No DRM, DRM [Fairplay], DRM [Adept]. etc.)
o Format(s) Available (e.g. ePub 2.1, ePub 3, Mobi, K-8, iBooks, etc.)
o Format Status: Open or Proprietary
Thoughts?
Frank: I’d love to do it, but since I have no staff it would take away from the ability to publish articles on a timely basis. It’s one or the other and I think the news is the most important thing.