June 2, 2025 and 102 years ago on this day in 1923, the Frank L. Munsey Company, publisher of pulp magazines including All-Story Magazine, returned all publishing rights for “Pellucidar” to Edgar Rice Burroughs. Ed was quite aggressive in his search to regain the rights to his novels and was eventually successful. On this day in 1928, he reacquired the rights to four more of his novels from Munsey.
After reacquiring the rights to “Pellucidar,” Ed arranged to have the novel published by A.C. McClurg, who did so on September 4, 1923.
Publishing details for all ERB novels and short stories is available at: www.erbzine.com
Specific details about Pellucidar may be perused at: https://www.erbzine.com/mag7/0742.html
The drabble for today is “My Book, My Rights, in inspired by Edgar Rice Burroughs’s foresight and determination in maintaining the rights to his work. The drabble is fictional, but its message shouldn’t be.
“Emma,” said Edgar Rice Burroughs. “I reacquired the rights to my novel, Pellucidar, today.”
“You mean you couldn’t publish your books whenever you wanted?”
“I wish. I was so excited getting my books published in All-Story that I let them have more than first publication rights. I didn’t know any better.”
‘Why is All-Story returning the rights to you.”
“I paid them a dollar and promised them a crack at my new work.”
“The creator should keep the rights to his work.”
“True, but there’s always someone who’ll try to take advantage. It’s called the Thomas Alva Edison business plan.”
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