TOMMY HANCOCK
Store Manager, www.pulpbookstore.com, Radio Archives
ALL PULP: Tommy, thanks for joining us today to talk about yet another project that you’re involved in! Lots going on in Pulp with you these days, it seems.
TOMMY HANCOCK: Yeah, there is. But it’s okay, I like it that way.
AP: With everything you’ve got going, we’ll let our readers Google you or search through our page to get a handle on all the stuff you’re doing and jump right into the interview. One association you have is with Radio Archives. What does Radio Archives do and what do you do for them?
TH: Radio Archives is the leading company in, well, several things really. Probably most known for high quality restorations of old time radio programs, now with around 180 in their catalog, Radio Archives is also providing brand new audio entertainment to Pulp fans today. Through both enhanced audio books as done by Roger Rittner Productions as well a more traditional line of audiobooks, Will Murray’s Pulp Classics, audio versions of both new stories as well as Pulp classics are seeing life over at Radio Archives. It’s also the go to place for Pulp reprints, particularly if your interest is Doc Savage, the Shadow, and the Spider.
I am the newsletter editor for Radio Archives and I provide liner notes for products as well. The newsletter comes out every two weeks and thanks to All Pulp for posting it like you guys do. Recently, I’ve picked up another title. I am Store Manager for the Pulp Book Store.
AP: What is the Pulp Book Store?
TH: It’s something a lot of people in Pulp have talked about off and on for awhile. Whether they publish classic reprints or New Pulp, many publishers have discussed having a ‘one stop shop’ for Pulp somewhere online. A place that a consumer could go and browse for Pulp products from a whole variety of Publishers. Radio Archives has set that very thing up at
www.pulpbookstore.com.
The concept’s easy. The product sold at the Pulp Book Store will be at the same price it’s sold elsewhere, there’s no increase in cost at all. The convenience for the consumer is amazing. If someone is a fan of a particular company, they usually just go to that publisher’s site and nowhere else and that’s fine. But, speaking as a fan myself, most of us enjoy Pulp stuff from a variety of sources. With The Pulp Book Store, I can go and find several companies providing and promoting books I want. Each company that signs on will have its own ‘store within a store’ and it can be designed basically however they want it to make their wares more appealing.
AP: Why would Pulp publishers be interested in being a part of this? And if they are, how do they sign on?
TH: Well, as I mentioned already, this puts several Pulp companies together in one place. So there’s the possibility of cross shopping. A customer goes looking for the latest Shadow reprint and they see Moonstone, Pulpwork Press, Twit Publishing, and other companies listed on the same page. Curiosity takes over and suddenly their shopping horizons have expanded.
Delivery and such is easy as well. A publisher sends Radio Archives stock and Radio Archives handles all the processing and shipping. So as long as companies keep stock in the hands of Radio Archives, then that’s really all they have to do other than collect the benefits.
Another great benefit is the marketing and promotion that Radio Archives will be providing. The newsletter goes out to thousands of people every two weeks. Also, as store manager, I will be handling regular promotion by providing sites like All Pulp, Coming Attractions, and other Pulp and press outlets with at least weekly updates and news and such, including new Publishers coming on board or even new product being available.
The Pulp Book Store isn’t meant to replace anything a Publisher is already doing. It’s simply an additional resource that brings with it exposure to a whole host of fans that may not be seeing a Publisher’s product yet and also marketing and support provided by the Radio Archives team.
AP: When does the Pulp Book Store open?
TH: It’s already open! The grand opening was this past Friday and several Pulp publishers, including Pro Se Press, are already there. We’re still in the ‘construction’ process and working out details like store design and such, but we’re very pleased with the response so far and hope to have even more companies become a part of it.
AP: If a publisher wants to get involved or to simply ask questions, whom do they contact?
TH:
TommyHancock@RadioArchives.com and I’ll not only answer questions, but I plan to help Publishers with making their stores as awesome as they want to be by assisting with liner notes and things such as that if requested. Also, if a publisher is interested, but isn’t sure if their material qualifies as Pulp, either in the classic or new sense, I can help with that as well.
AP: Tommy, thanks again for joining us!
TH: Thank you!
