Pulp Librarian Profile picture
May 19, 2021 21 tweets 11 min read Read on X
Today in pulp: what makes a good pulp book title?

Hmm... Image
As we all know a good title is essential if you're trying to make a potential reader pick up your book. But in the world of pulp the title has to do a little more than this. Image
First it has to confirm the genre. Pulp is very much a genre-based business and readers need to know what kind of story they're getting into. ImageImage
Secondly it has to tell the reader whether this is a character led novel or a plot led one. ImageImage
Finally it needs to signal the author's tone of voice and attitude. Is the book serious or lighthearted for instance? ImageImage
Having read several thousand pulp novels over the years (don't thank me, it's what I do) I've also noted several key words that frequently appear in the titles. Each is a sure sign that you are holding a pulp novel, rather than something long and unreadable by Jonathan Franzen. Image
Firstly does the title involve a sword? If it does then it's probably pulp. ImageImage
Is any form of storm occurring? Again, this is a sure sign you are looking at a pulp novel rather than a weather forecast. ImageImage
Is anyone or anything borne at all? Borne is a peculiar word that only appears in pulp literature or the occasional Seamus Heaney poem. Yes, those two things are different. ImageImage
Common motifs from pulp plots also appear in their titles. For example the midnight hour... ImageImage
...things being in webs... ImageImage
...and brides of various descriptions. ImageImage
Pulp titles also lean heavily on atmosphere and description. The world of pulp often involves shadows for instance. ImageImage
And any mention of Satan is a sure giveaway that you have wandered into a pulp world. ImageImageImageImage
Pulp colours are very basic. Things are either black... ImageImage
...or they're golden. ImageImage
Place names are populat in pulp titles: the more exotic the better. ImageImageImageImage
Or if it's domestic pulp you can always just set it in the gutter. ImageImage
There are of course no prizes for guessing what the most popular word is for a pulp book title... ImageImageImageImage
...but bonus pulp points if you get sex and witchcraft onto the same cover. ImageImage
The most important point is this: don't be boring! People read pulp for thrills, excitement and weird kicks, so make sure your title lets them know that's your bag.

More writing tips another time... Image

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It was a phenomenon, spawning a franchise that has lasted over fifty years. It's also a story with many surprising influences.

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Today in pulp I look back at the Witchploitation explosion of the late 1960s: black magic, bare bottoms and terrible, terrible curtains!

Come this way... Image
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But it was the writings of Aleister Crowley in English and Maria de Naglowska in French and Russian that first popularised the idea of 'sex magick' in the 20th century - the use of sexual energy and ritual to achieve mystical outcomes. Image
Image
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Mar 8
Between 1960 and 1970 Penguin Books underwent several revolutions in cover layout, at a time when public tastes were rapidly changing.

Today in pulp I look back at 10 years that shook the Penguin! Image
Allen Lane founded Penguin Books in 1935, aiming to bring high-quality paperbacks to the masses for the same price as a packet of cigarettes. Lane began by snapping up publishing rights for inexpensive mid-market novels and packaging them expertly for book lovers. Image
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Today in pulp: a tale of an unintentionally radical publisher. It only produced 42 books between 1968-9, but it caught the hedonistic, solipsistic, free love mood of the West Coast freakout scene like no other.

This is the story of Essex House... Image
Essex House was an offshoot of Parliament Press, a California publishing company set up by pulp artist Milton Luros after the market for pulp magazines began to decline. It specialised in stag magazines sold through liquor stores, to skirt around US obscenity publishing laws. Image
Image
By the 1960s Parliament Press was already selling pornographic novels through its Brandon House imprint, though these were mostly reprints or translations of existing work. Luros was interested in publishing new erotic authors, and set up Essex House to do just that. Image
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