Friday, March 30, 2012

Pro Se Opens 'The Pro Se Open!'

A leader in New Pulp Fiction, Pro Se Productions announced today openings in several upcoming anthologies and a new way that the company would be soliciting writers to participate in  upcoming collections.
  
"One of the thrills," stated Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se,  "of being a New Pulp writer and publisher is the need to write and offer opportunities for others to write all the cool ideas that could possibly fit between the covers of a book. This fact is something that Publishers, small and large alike, recognize.  As Pro Se's presence increases at Conventions/Conferences, one question more than any other comes up constantly. And it's the question a Publisher wants to hear, one that, fortunately for Pro Se, has been unsolicited. That is, writers and artists seeking out Pro Se and asking this most favorite of questions- "You got anything open for submissions?" or the very similar "What anthologies can I submit to?"

"After giving this some thought and looking at how not only the New Pulp crew does it, but also at how larger presses and even the largest of the Publishers handle such things, Pro Se has decided to change up its Anthology process a bit. This will not affect how PULP OBSCURA or future 'invite only' Anthologies are done at all. There will still be special projects, of course. But there will also be the PRO SE OPEN."

"Essentially," explained Hancock, "The Pro Se Open will be a list of Anthologies that Pro Se plans to do in the future. This is an open call on all the books listed in the Open, that is anyone can submit a story for any of the books in the list. There is no deadline essentially, that is until all the slots open in any given book are filled."

The Process will be as follows-
1. An upcoming Anthology is listed in the Pro Se Open.
2. Submissions are accepted (a 2-3 paragraph proposal for the story and at least a two page writing sample if you are a new writer submitting to Pro Se)
3. When the slots for the collection are all filled, a deadline will be set of approximately ninety days from the closing of the anthology. This will give writers time to complete their tales, artists time to do covers, etc.
4. The book will be published within approximately 30 days following the passing of the deadline.

 Even though the deadline will be 2-3 months out once a book is closed, Editors assigned to these projects will follow up, monitor, and make sure work is being done. Steps will be taken to move the anthology along as planned if work is not being done in a timely manner.  This means, however, that until all the slots are filled on an anthology in The Pro Se Open, it will remain open, but it is Pro Se's commitment that once all the works are in for a particular collection, that that collection move into high gear toward publication, regardless of current publishing schedule.

The Pro Se Open will be updated periodically as to adding new collections and removing ones that have been filled.

Anthologies currently listed in the Pro Se Open are as follows- 

PULPOLOGY- It has been said often that Pulp has its origins in ancient tales, legends, the mythologies of many lands. Taking this to heart, this anthology will feature stories starring characters from mythologies around the world! Actual mythological characters in new adventures set in their own era, the ancient world of heroes and monsters, or updated takes on classic myths (Jason and The Argonauts in the Old West, for example). Either way, these stories will spotlight the characters and strengths of mythologies world wide and put a two fisted, high octane Pulp spin on the legends themselves! 6 Stories, 10,000 words each.

THE ADVENTURES OF MOOSE AND SKWIRL, TROUBLETAKERS- Trouble happens everywhere in the universe. Any time. Any place. And to make sure whatever cockeyed balance there is is kept, the universe takes care of itself, assigning special individuals to the unpredictable, unrewarding, and usually life threatening task of just being in the completely wrong places at the totally right times to hopefully keep everyone...or most everyone from dying. But the universe doesn't trust just one person to do this, no it works in groups of two. Moose-Stocky, barrel chested, two fisted, sarcastic, and ready to deliver a soliloquy over the bodies of whoever stands in his way... And Skwirl-Seductive, sexy, and with a sense of humor that could kill....literally. These two 'Trouble Takers' travel space and time very much at random, figuring out whatever issue they are thrown into and then fixing it. In their own unique, usually very destructive, bloody way. Five slots, 12,500 word stories ( If interested, request short bible for this one).

SIX GUNS AND SPACESHIPS- This is a wide open, do it as you want Space Western Anthology. The requirements- It's got to be a mash up between classic westerns and space opera (Firefly, Outland, Bravestarr, just a few examples). It doesn't take place on Earth at all, has to be off planet, but time period and location beyond that are up to the writer! 5 open slots, 12,500 word stories.

TO LOVE AND DIE- Pulp Romance is back! And its deadlier than ever! These stories will be set in any time period up until modern day and must feature two things-Romance...and Treachery. These stories may be mysteries, horror tales, adventure yarns, whatever, but there must be a strong core of romance mixed with danger throughout. Six Open Slots, 10,000 word stories

NEWSHOUNDS! - Dogged reporters, crusty editors, copyboys and cub photographers with dreams of grandeur, Pressmen who know the city lives and breathes by what they print! One of the most fertile grounds for action packed pulp has always been the newspaper office. And all those wonderful character types and more all work for The Partisan, a 1950s paper partial to the common man, to righting the wrongs done against the innocent and the weak! And this gaggle of hard bitten, hard fighitng men and women are known near and far to those who love them and those who wish to see them dead! Do No Wrong in Their City unless you want it covered by the Newshounds! 5 open slots, 12,500 word stories (If interested, request short bible for this one)

THE NINTH CIRCLE-VOLUME ONE, This collection centers around a crime ridden precinct and borough in a city that shuffles its misbegotten and forgotten to THE NINTH CIRCLE. Six Slots-10,000 word stories (If interested, request short bible for this one)

DEAD MAN WALKEN- This western adventure has enough intrigue and mystery to choke a horse! A town is savagely attacked by a ruthless band of outlaws and most of the citizens killed, including the promising sheriff elect, Fitch Walken. A month after the massacre and all the bodies are buried, Fitch Walken stumbles into town, the last three months of his life gone from his memory! The mystery deepens when Walken's grave is exhumed...and he's IN THE COFFIN! What follows is the classic struggle of a man to find out who he is, what happened to him, and just which side of good and evil he will stand on! Five Slots Open-12,500 word stories (If interested, request short bible for this one)

THE BLACK FEDORA-A BOOK OF VILLAINS- This is just what it says it is, an anthology dedicated to stories about the bad guys we love to hate. These stories will focus on original villains and of course the heroes they face, these tales similar in style to the FU MANCHU stories of the past. But this isn't only for yellow perils!! Any type of villain that populates pulp is welcome to try on THE BLACK FEDORA! Two slots open, 15,000 word stories

HIGH ADVENTURE HISTORY-Ever wanted a chance to write a masked man enforcing justice in ancient Egypt? Or a larger than life genius and his team of heroes righting wrongs in renaissance Italy? Or mad scientists terrorizing the Arizona desert towns of the Old West? Then here's your chance! HIGH ADVENTURE HISTORY will include stories of traditional pulp concepts and tropes plopped into our very own past, pre 1900! Take your favorite pulp stereotype and wrap it up in ancient or not so ancient places and people and join us in HIGH ADVENTURE HISTORY! Five Slots open, 12,500 words stories.

THE SHAMUS DIRECTIVE is a project actually founded in historical context. Just prior to and all during World War Two, The United States government via the FBI as well as members of the Armed Forces, developed dossiers on all licensed Private Investigators in the country. A list was then comprised of the ones deemed appropriate and 'good' and they were then considered to be 'cleared' to be used in espionage missions, mostly on the homefront, or missions that regular forces just could not deal with for various reasons. THE SHAMUS DIRECTIVE poses the theory that not only was this list compiled, but the people on it were truly the world's greatest detectives and they were formed into sort of a team to handle major issues in conjunction, even maybe saving major parcels of land and people in the process. Three Slots Open, 10,000 word stories (If interested, request short bible for this one)

If you're a writer or artist and are interested in these anthologies or have questions, email Hancock at proseproductions@earthlink.net! And check out Pro Se at www.prosepulp.com and www.pulpmachine.blogspot.com.

'SAVIOR'- NEW NOVEL FROM PRO SE!

Pro Se Productions, a leading Publisher of New Pulp, announces its latest volume today, a debut novel from a long time contributor to Pro Se's award winning magazine line.

"Science Fiction," Tommy Hancock, Partner in and Editor in Chief of Pro Se Productions stated, "is definitely a cornerstone of Pulp Fiction, both Classic and New.  It's an area, though, that Pro Se really hasn't gotten into until recently with some entries in our magazines.  'Savior' by Don Thomas is our first novel jumping nose first into that genre and we're really proud of that.  And it's a vein of Science Fiction that's somewhat popular lately, apocalyptic virus takes on the world and a small portion of the population rises to combat it.  But it's also different, too, in that Don exposes what happens when that small section of humanity becomes heroes of almost cosmic proportions in the eyes of the world and at what costs this takes place."

From the back cover copy for SAVIOR by Don Thomas-  

In the Near Future, a Red Death will cover the world. As civilization struggles to survive, one government emerges with a sliver of hope- The Strategic Agency against Viral Infections by Organized Resistance. SAVIOR.

SAVIOR delivered on the promise of a miracle cure, elevating themselves into legends...but behind every legend lies truths and secrets...truths and secrets former SAVIOR agent Steve Ryker has sworn to bring into the light...even if it kills him.

SAVIOR is the debut novel of author Don Thomas, a mainstay writer of Pro Se Presents, a two year award winning New Pulp magazine. Complete with fully realized characters, lightning fast pacing, and more meteoric action, SAVIOR proves to be a solid, taut science fiction thriller!


SAVIOR-Edited by Nancy Hansen, Cover Art by Marc Guerrero and Design by Sean E. Ali! Ebook Formatting by Russ Anderson!  Available now on Amazon and at www.prosepulp.com and in ebook form at Smashwords, Amazon, and Barnes and Noble!  

SAVIOR!  From Pro Se Productions- Puttin' The Monthly Back In Pulp!

Monday, March 26, 2012

New Pulp Best Seller List (Based on Amazon Sales Ranks 3/26/12)

Reposted from http://barryreese.net


It’s that time again! Before I unveil the Top Ten, let’s go over a few of the ground rules, shall we? Those of you who have been keeping up with the list for awhile will notice a few changes in how I’m doing the list!
1) This list only tracks sales through AMAZON. It does not keep track of sales through Barnes and Noble, face-to-face or anything else!
2) This list only tracks PRINT sales. We do not currently track e-books. Exactly how Amazon calculates those things is mostly a trade secret and they vary wildly from day to day. If I checked this tomorrow, the list could be very different. This list reflects sales ranks as of Monday morning March 26, 2012.
3) In order to keep the focus on new releases, eligible works must have been published within three months of the current date. So, since this list is being done in March 2012, I’m only looking at books published since December 2011. Please keep that in mind before complaining that Title X is not listed.
4) I am no longer tracking pre-release orders. Some publishers never actually release their books and when they do, it’s months after they were supposed to be released. Everything listed in the Top Ten is currently for sale.
5) I am human. I make mistakes. If you are aware of a title that should be listed below (keeping in mind all the rules above), please let me know and I will make sure to remedy the situation.
6) I get most of my information from All Pulp, New Pulp, the Pulp Factory mailing list and a few other sites. If you think I might miss your release, let me know in advance — drop me a line and tell me when it’s being released.
Without further ado, here’s the completely and totally unofficial New Pulp bestseller list as of right now (title, then publisher, then release date, then sales rank):
1) Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook by Various (Moonstone Books, March 2012) – 42,418
2) 
Under the Moons of Mars by Various (Simon & Schuster, February 2012) – 52,730
3) 
Sherlock Holmes: The Baron’s Revenge by Gary Lovisi (Airship 27, February 2012) – 68,347
4) 
Doc Savage: Horror in Gold by Will Murray (Altus Press, December 2011) – 124,566
5) New Adventures of Thunder Jim Wade (Pro Se Press, March 2012) – 287,285
6) The Moon Man Volume One by Various (Airship 27, March 2012) – 591,926
7) Heroes of Mars by Various (Pulp Empire, February 2012) – 1,001,437
8 ) Pro Se Presents # 8 by Various (Pro Se Press, March 2012) – 1,178,142
9) Ruby Files Volume One by Various (Airship 27, March 2012) – 1,281,470
10) The Adventures of Dodge Dalton on the High Road to Oblivion by Sean Ellis (Seven Realms, January 2011) – 1,325,354
Just missing the list were: Tales of the Vagabond Bards by Nancy Hansen (Pro Se Press, January 2012) – 1,666,523, Pro Se Presents # 7 by Various (Pro Se Press, February 2012) – 1,779,474 and Split Decision: Fight Card by Eric Beetner (Fight Card Productions, December 2011) – 1,828,757.
Quite an interesting week for the list! The popularity of Holmes is very clear, as Moonstone snags the # 1 spot while Airship reaches a very strong # 3. The John Carter movie’s troubles don’t seem to be affecting Under the Moons of Mars, which continues to sell very well, even though it slips from the top spot this week — and check out # 7, where another Mars-related book is doing well. The Doc Savage novel, Horror in Gold, drops to # 4, the first time it’s been out of the top three in its run. Pro Se debuts the newest Pulp Obscura book at # 5 while the Ruby Files cracks the top ten at # 9.
Airship 27 leads the way with three books in the Top Ten (#s 3, 6 and 9), followed by Pro Se Press with two (#s 5 and 8).
Take it all with a grain of salt, folks.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

PULP OBSCURA BRINGS THE THUNDER...THUNDER JIM WADE!

From A Mysterious Island Hidden in the Pacific Comes a Man Known to Friend and Foe alike.  Genius.  Scientific Wizard. Adventurer. Troubleshooter. Hero.  A Force For Justice That Strikes Like Thunder!

Pro Se Productions, in conjunction with Altus Press, proudly presents THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE! The latest in the PULP OBSCURA line, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE features brand new tales of this classic Hero by six of the finest writers of New Pulp today!  

Often considered a clone of other Pulp Heroes, this collection clearly shows that Thunder Jim and his partners Red and Dirk stand on their own as over the top action adventurers!  Able to go anywhere in the world, thanks to Wade’s fantastic invention, The Thunderbug, these three take on evil in all its forms anywhere it dares show itself!

Two fisted action flies from Yesterday into Today thanks to Andrew Salmon, Ashley Mangin, Barry Reese, Frank Schildiner, Mark Squirek, and Nick Alhelm with fantastic art from Mike Fyles!  With wonderful design and formatting by Sean E. Ali, Matt Moring, and Russ Anderson on Ebooks, THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE gives the world exactly what it needs today!  A Hero Ready for Whatever Evil Throws at Him!  Pulp Obscura Presents THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE from Pro Se Productions!

THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE are now available in print at at Amazon!  Also Available in days for the Kindle at Amazon, the Nook at Barnes and Noble, and at Smashwords.com in various formats! 

For those interested in the original adventures of Thunder Jim Wade, check out Altus Press’ THE COMPLETE ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE at www.altuspress.com

PULP ARK 2012 - APRIL 20-22, 2012!!!!

CHECK OUT THIS SUPER COOL FYLER!!! THEN GET A ROOM AND PLAN TO COME TO PULP ARK APRIL 20-22, 2012!!!!!!

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

COMING SOON - THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE

          THE NEW ADVENTURES OF THUNDER JIM WADE from Pulp Obscura is now literally days from debuting. Just to tease the awesome stories from Barry Reese, Andrew Salmon, Frank Schildiner, Ashley Strole Mangin, Nick Ahlhelm, and Mark Squirek that will appear in these pages, here's the cover by fantastic artist Mike Fyles with trade dress and design by Sean E. Ali! With formatting for the print version done by Altus' own Matt Moring and for the ebook version by Russ Anderson, this is going to be a fantastic read! Awesome stuff and on its way in a matter of days!

Monday, March 19, 2012

New Pulp Best Seller List (Based on Amazon Sales Ranks 3/19/12)

Reposted from http://barryreese.net


It’s that time again! Before I unveil the Top Ten, let’s go over a few of the ground rules, shall we? Those of you who have been keeping up with the list for awhile will notice a few changes in how I’m doing the list!
1) This list only tracks sales through AMAZON. It does not keep track of sales through Barnes and Noble, face-to-face or anything else!
2) This list only tracks PRINT sales. We do not currently track e-books. Exactly how Amazon calculates those things is mostly a trade secret and they vary wildly from day to day. If I checked this tomorrow, the list could be very different. This list reflects sales ranks as of Sunday night March 18, 2012.
3) In order to keep the focus on new releases, eligible works must have been published within three months of the current date. So, since this list is being done in March 2012, I’m only looking at books published since December 2011. Please keep that in mind before complaining that Title X is not listed.
4) I am no longer tracking pre-release orders. Some publishers never actually release their books and when they do, it’s months after they were supposed to be released. Everything listed in the Top Ten is currently for sale.
5) I am human. I make mistakes. If you are aware of a title that should be listed below (keeping in mind all the rules above), please let me know and I will make sure to remedy the situation.
6) I get most of my information from All Pulp, New Pulp, the Pulp Factory mailing list and a few other sites. If you think I might miss your release, let me know in advance — drop me a line and tell me when it’s being released.
Without further ado, here’s the completely and totally unofficial New Pulp bestseller list as of right now (title, then publisher, then release date, then sales rank):
1) Under the Moons of Mars by Various (Simon & Schuster, February 2012) – 10,885
2) Doc Savage: Horror in Gold by Will Murray (Altus Press, December 2011) – 24,755
3) Sherlock Holmes: The Crossovers Casebook by Various (Moonstone Books, March 2012) – 27,163
4) Pro Se Presents # 8 by Various (Pro Se Press, March 2012) – 309,218
5) Sherlock Holmes: The Baron’s Revenge by Gary Lovisi (Airship 27, February 2012) – 418,938 
6) Heroes of Mars by Various (Pulp Empire, February 2012) – 490,794
7) Tales of the Vagabond Bards by Nancy Hansen (Pro Se Press, January 2012) – 842,353
8 ) The Adventures of Dodge Dalton on the High Road to Oblivion by Sean Ellis (Seven Realms, January 2011) – 909,933
9) The Moon Man Volume One by Various (Airship 27, March 2012) – 927,876
10) Pro Se Presents # 7 by Various (Pro Se Press, February 2012) – 1,327,372
Just missing the list were: Split Decision: Fight Card by Eric Beetner (Fight Card Productions, December 2011) – 1,428,413, Battling Boxing Stories: Thrilling Tales of Pugilistic Puissance by Various (Borgo Press, January 2012) – 1,531,100 and Deathwalker by R.A. Jones (Airship 27, February 2012) – 1,574,505.
As expected, the new Sherlock Holmes book from Moonstone opens very strongly, nearly climbing all the way into the # 2 spot — but not quite. Pro Se Presents # 8 debuts very impressively, carrying a preview of Van Plexico’s upcoming novel, Hawk, and more of Chuck Miller’s Black Centipede, among other tales. Elsewhere, the Moon Man, Dodge Dalton and Heroes of Mars continue to perform well — and we see Nancy Hansen’s latest creep back onto the list after being absent for a time. Those of you looking for Airship 27′s newest release, The Ruby Files Volume One, will be disappointed — opening week sales were a bit sluggish on that one (sales rank 11,203,732 as of Sunday night) but given Airship 27′s track record and the talent involved in the project, that one will probably improve over the next week or two so keep an eye out.
In terms of publishers, Pro Se leads the week with 3 books in the top 10, followed by Airship with two.
Take it all with a grain of salt, folks.

Saturday, March 17, 2012

Pro Se Presents #8: March 2012 - Hard Copies Available!!!

Authored by Van Allen Plexico, Kevin Rodgers, Chuck Miller 

Puttin' The Monthly Back into Pulp with Sci-Fi, Mystery, and Good ol' Masked Vigilante Action, PRO SE PRESENT #8 hits the streets, adventure blasting from both barrels! Van Allen Plexico's exclusive epic novella 'Hand Of The Machine', featuring HAWK, his latest creation, concludes ! Kevin Rodgers takes us into the terrifying state of mind...or reality....known as 'Paranoia' and New Pulp's Best New Writer of the Year Chuck Miller shares another tale of his wild and wacky hero, The Black Centipede, starring in 'Funeral for a Fiend!' With mind blowing art work provided by Sean Ali and Rowell Roque, PRO SE PRESENTS #8 is almost too much Pulp to handle!

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Pro Se Gets into Spring Fever!!!!


Pro Se Gets into Spring Fever Early by Jumping into March Production with PRO SE PRESENTS #8! While we wait for the printer to do what it does best....stay tuned to this blog for some teasers of what's to come.... such as this image bySean E. Ali taken from another wild ride in the world of The Black Centipede from Chuck Miller! It's coming...

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

New Pulp Best Seller List (Based on Amazon Sales Ranks 3/5/12)

Reposted from http://barryreese.net


It’s that time again! Before I unveil the Top Ten, let’s go over a few of the ground rules, shall we? Those of you who have been keeping up with the list for awhile will notice a few changes in how I’m doing the list!
1) This list only tracks sales through AMAZON. It does not keep track of sales through Barnes and Noble, face-to-face or anything else!
2) This list only tracks PRINT sales. We do not currently track e-books. Exactly how Amazon calculates those things is mostly a trade secret and they vary wildly from day to day. If I checked this tomorrow, the list could be very different. This list reflects sales ranks as of Monday March 5, 2012.
3) In order to keep the focus on new releases, eligible works must have been published within three months of the current date. So, since this list is being done in March 2012, I’m only looking at books published since December 2011. Please keep that in mind before complaining that Title X is not listed.
4) I am no longer tracking pre-release orders. Some publishers never actually release their books and when they do, it’s months after they were supposed to be released. Everything listed in the Top Ten is currently for sale.
5) I am human. I make mistakes. If you are aware of a title that should be listed below (keeping in mind all the rules above), please let me know and I will make sure to remedy the situation.
6) I get most of my information from All Pulp, New Pulp, the Pulp Factory mailing list and a few other sites. If you think I might miss your release, let me know in advance — drop me a line and tell me when it’s being released.
Without further ado, here’s the completely and totally unofficial New Pulp bestseller list as of right now (title, then publisher, then release date, then sales rank):

Pro Se Presents #6: January 2012 - Available at Smashwords!!!


          Inside the mighty cover of this issue, one will find, 'The Hand of Yogul' From James Palmer, a supernatural mystery from Ken Janssens, PJ Lozito's Silver Manticore story, "A Night at the Plaza", and the introduction of a brand new character by brand new writer Ashley Mangin! Also, A Comic written by Don Thomas-The Origin of the Rapier! All of this and more this month in Pro Se Presents #6! Puttin' the Monthly Back into Pulp!!!!