Black Mask, 587 Madison Ave., New York City. Editor, Joseph T. Shaw. Uses shorts of 4000 to 8000 words, and novelettes 10,000 to 15,000 words. One of the very finest markets for the gangster story there is, and Mr. Shaw will give you a square deal and a very prompt decision always. He pays around 1¢ a word, on acceptance. But don’t try to wish any mediocre stuff on this editor — you’ve got to be good! Simple, clipped style preferred to fine writing, so don’t use any fancy language. Your detectives and gangsters, above all, must sound authentic; their dialogue must ring the gong. Study the magazine — hard — before you aim at it!
Blue Book, 230 Park Ave., New York City. Editor, Edwin Balmer. Uses short stories of all lengths, novelettes and novels. Many big names in this one, so if you’ve got real confidence in yourself, go to it, but your chances of landing here are not so “hot” unless you’re better than the big shots in the periodical. Anyway, if you land, rates are 2¢ up, acceptance. But decisions are darned slow if you’re unknown, and very rarely will you get any friendly comments with the rejection slip!
Clues, 80 Lafayette St., New York City. Editor, Carl Happel. Shorts, 3000 to 6000; novelettes, 20,000 to 30,000; serials, 40,000 to 60,000. Gangster stories must move fast as lightning for this one, be packed full of mob atmosphere and characterization, contain oodles of suspense and thrills, and if your dick in each yarn is the sort of smart guy who solves a mysterious mob stunt cleverly, all the better. If you make a hit with the editor of this magazine, you’re in soft. Rates, 2¢ up, acceptance.
Complete Detective Novel Magazine, 381 4th Ave., New York City. H. A. Keller, Editor. Try this fellow with shorts of around 5000 words, or true tales of detective work, 1000 to 2500. 1¢ per word on acceptance. A careful study of the magazine recommended beforehand.
Detective Fiction Weekly, 280 Broadway, New York City. Howard V. Bloomfield, Editor. The gifted Mr. Gardner appears in this magazine regularly, so unless you can put over your stuff with a bang, as he does, better expect thumbs down! However, you’ve got plenty of chances of landing here if your plots are “naturals,” so don’t be afraid to try. 1½¢ up, acceptance. Shorts, novelettes, serials, standard lengths.
Detective Story Magazine, 79 7th Ave., New York City. F. E. Blackwell, Editor. Same as above. Shorts up to 5000, novelettes up to 25,000, serials up to 80,000-12,000-word installments. 2¢ up, acceptance. Decisions fairly fast — around three weeks to a month.
And here are Mr. Hersey’s magazines, grouped together for your benefit. Address ’em all to Mr. Hersey, Good Story Publishing Co., 25 W. 43rd St., New York City. He’s rather peculiar when he sends you back a yarn — he doesn’t use rejection slips of any kind! But don’t imagine your story hasn’t been read thoroughly nevertheless, even if you do get it back in your return envelope with nothing but the script. Mr. and Mrs. Hersey both read every yarn carefully, and you’ll get fast decisions. A wonderful market for the clever unknown writer — Mr. Hersey doesn’t give a darn about big names — it’s the story that counts with him, first, last and always. The wise scribe will study the following periodicals first, then go after ’em like a tiger! Here they are:
Gangland Stories. Gang and racketeer fiction, indefinite lengths.
Gangster Stories. Crime short stories, detective novelettes and serials, indefinite lengths.
Mobs. Gangland and racketeer fiction, indefinite lengths.
Racketeer Stories. Gangland and racket fiction, all lengths.
All paying 1¢ a word on acceptance. Mr. Hersey used to pay on publication until recently, and I can’t recommend this group for your offerings highly enough!
Real Detective Tales, 1050 N. LaSalle St., Chicago, III. Edwin Baird, Editor. Mr. Baird doesn’t care for the common or garden variety of gangster stuff: he wants stories with the very cleverest plots, in which the gangsters and racketeers have relations with the higher-ups. public officials; stories that move cleverly in unexpected twists, chock-full of suspense and with dramatic fireworks in the climax. At present, he is overstocked, and he is continually slamming back stereotyped gangster yarns, so he’s a doubtful prospect at best. However, if you think you have a gangster story that is decidedly novel, unusual and extraordinary, make a stab at Mr. Baird anyway — and if you’re lucky, you’ll get from 1¢ to 2¢ per word, on acceptance!
Detective-Dragnet, 67 W. 44th St., New York City. A. A. Wyn, Editor. Shorts, indefinite length; novelettes up to 20,000. Very slow on decisions, and pays 1¢ to 2¢ on publication. The slow decisions may be due to the fact that Mr. Wyn has just replaced a former editor. His magazine is on the stands; study it!
A final word: The slick paper magazines and book publishers are flirting coyly with the gangster story. If you have a book-length gangster novel of genuine merit and artistry, try ’em with it. If, though, it’s only a short or a novelette, the pulps are your best bets always. You all know the requirements of magazines like The Saturday Evening Post, Collier’s, Liberty, American. If you believe you write distinctively enough for these fellows, submit your short gangster yarns and novelettes to ’em.
Two out-and-out action magazines that are also worth trying with your gangster stories are Short Stories, Garden City, L.I., and Adventure, 233 Spring St., New York City. Adventure, A. A. Proctor, editor, demands a very high literary standard and pays 2¢ a word on acceptance; and Short Stories, Roy de S. Horn, editor, is also keen for good writing and pays the same rate on acceptance.
In addition, H. S. Goldsmith, formerly with Detective-Dragnet, and Harry Steeger, ex-editor of the Dell Publishing Co., have formed a corporation entitled Popular Publications, Inc., 220 E. 42nd St., New York City, and one of their projected magazines, Gang World, will be a gangster periodical.
The Singing Kid
By Dan Young
Gangland Stories, November 1930
A pair of hot bennies, a packet of ice, and a three way double-cross from Frisco to L.A. that ended just where it started!
The Singing Kid had a hunch!
For once there was no song on his lips as he looked ahead from the ferry to the Oakland shore line, showing faintly through the enveloping fog. His eyes narrowed in thoughtful anxiety, and his hand tightly gripped the package in his overcoat. The Kid was sure enough worried!
He felt a prickly feeling between his shoulder-blades, and almost unconsciously, his right shoulder tensed itself against the anticipated touch which would again place him within the arms of the law.
With an assured air of nonchalance, he strolled casually to the rail, his eyes roving from side to side in as wide an arc as was possible, without moving his head and betraying his solicitude to an onlooker. Leaning carelessly against the rail, he closely scanned the faces of his fellow passengers, resting his glance for but a brief second on each face, yet missing no detail of facial or bodily appearance.
His look dwelt no longer on the face of Detective Sergeant Morey than upon any other, yet his heart missed a beat as he recognized his nemesis, while doubt of mind was changed to certainty.