American News Company

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

American News Company was a magazine distribution company which dominated the distribution market in the forties and fifties. In 1957, a speculator became aware that a book-keeping peculiarity in their accounts could allow a large profit from liquidating the company. He acquired control, and proceeded to sell off the assets, ultimately winding the company up.[1]

The effect on the US magazine market was catastrophic. Many magazines had to switch to one of the independent distributors, who were able to set their own conditions for taking on new business. This often forced the magazines to change from a digest size to a larger format, and to become monthly rather than bimonthly or quarterly. Many magazines could not afford to make these changes, both of which required either high circulation or a strong advertising base, and many magazines folded as a result.[1]

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ a b Michael Ashley, Transformations, pp. 191.

[edit] References

  • Ashley, Mike (2005). Transformations: The Story of the Science Fiction Magazines from 1950 to 1970. Liverpool: Liverpool University Press. ISBN 0-85323-779-4.