Talk:If (magazine)

message: I find that opening paragraph confusing. Can't someone give this a chronological description? Pepso 14:05, 8 January 2007 (UTC)
thread_title: Comment

message: I'd like to remove the "lower case" tag.  I know the magazine was often referred to by fans using lower case, but it is invariably indexed in the secondary sources with upper case "I".  The masthead on the issues I checked uses all caps.  The cover uses a lower case "if" more often than upper case, but it's not invariant.  I think we should follow secondary source usage here. Any comments?  If nobody objects I'll change it in a few days. Mike Christie (talk) 02:43, 6 February 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Lower case title

message: From 
Robinson describes IF as the "most major of the minors" (Minors being the minor sf mags). (p. 126) Robinson always spells it IF.
"IF' had always been a neat package with attractive covers and perfect binding (glue, no staples). It had also managed to stay afloat during a period when the number of magazines dropped from a high of forty-six titles in 1953 to less than a dozen by 1960." (p. 128)
"He [Pohl] also regarded the magazine as more or less a 'fun' project. But Galaxy was really his baby and was considered the prestige magazine of the two." (p. 128)
"Pohl was the only on who was surprised when he won three Hugos in a row for editing IF. It had been fun, and the fun had showed." (p. 129)
Much of the other information is duplicated. Hope this helps. Ealdgyth | Talk 15:42, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks, and thanks also to OrangeMike who added some of this material; I moved a couple of bits around, and deleted a couple of bits I felt weren't really necessary.  Let me know if you disagree. Mike Christie (talk) 21:29, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Looks good; but I do think the "stayed afloat" is relevant, given the mortality rate in that era. (Lord, if only there were still that "less than a dozen" pro mags around!) --Orange Mike  |  Talk 21:34, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Oh, lords yes. Wouldn't it be nice to have that many choices? I agree, looks good both Mikes. Ealdgyth | Talk 21:37, 4 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: OK -- I added the numbers to the section on the ANC liquidation.  Robinson isn't giving an opinion, so I didn't mention him, just used his numbers.  How does that look? Mike Christie (talk) 13:36, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

text: "QUINN PUBLISHING COMPANY, INC., Kingston, N.Y. is the firm of James L. Quinn, who publishes the bi-monthly digest-sizd If Worlds of Science Fiction, or simply If, soon to be a monthly. Mr. Quinn is not to be confused with Robert Guinn, owner of Galaxy Publishing Corporation, or with the veteran fantasy author Seabury Quinn. This magazine pays from one and a half cents a word up to on acceptance; two cents and up to established writers. It runs all science fiction, all original material, no articles, and no serials, and buys all magazine and anthology rights but returns specific subsidiary rights on request. The length limit is about 21,000 words. Until recently Mr. Guinn [sic] edited the magazine himself, but he has now retained LARRY T. SHAW, a small owlish-looking young man with a variety of previous editorial experience, as editor.
I couldn't figure out how to integrate this material -- so I'm just copying it here. -- llywrch (talk) 02:35, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

text: The pay rates are worth including, I think.  Most of the rest (except the rather nice description of Shaw!) seems already in the article, except for the note on length limit.  Is that worth putting in?  Mike Christie (talk) 13:36, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Length limits and pay rates, in addition to having always been changeable at publisher's whim, are getting pretty fancrufty. (The description of Shaw might be incorporated into his article, though.) --Orange Mike  |  Talk 15:09, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Well, the pay rates might be worth mentioning in the bit where the article talks about Pohl raising the rates on Galaxy, and leaving If at one cent a word.  As you say, though, there's no telling what the rates had been in the interim.  I'll leave it out and see if anyone else thinks it's worth adding. Mike Christie (talk) 15:41, 6 March 2008 (UTC)

text:  Well the points I found most interesting was that at one time it was "all science-fiction" -- which I take to mean no non-fiction articles, book reviews, etc. -- & that the name was somewhat unclear even at the beginning. As for the description of Shaw, he already has an article so that info might fit better there. -- llywrch (talk) 19:08, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
replies: text: Actually there was some non-fiction material; the article has a note on the first issue: "In addition to the fiction and the editorial by Fairman, there was a letter column, a profile of Wilson Tucker, a selection of science news, a guest editorial by Ken Slater, a well-known British fan, and an approving review of the TV show Tales of Tomorrow."  I suspect de Camp means that the magazine wasn't accepting fantasy.  Several magazines that took fantasy were starting or had started around that time -- F&SF, Fantasy Fiction, and I think some others.  If we agree that's a clear interpretation, I think you're right that that could be added to the article.  Mike Christie (talk) 19:33, 6 March 2008 (UTC)
thread_title: Bits and Pieces

message: According to the Penn library's list of Serial first renewals, IF magazine didn't renew any of their magazine copyrights. Does anyone know if this is correct? Thanks, Pete Tillman (talk) 19:31, 27 April 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I'm don't know whether that source is definitive -- what I've always done to check copyright is to follow the instructions here. Mike Christie (talk) 23:27, 27 April 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  Copyright Status? 

message: Does anyone know anything about iF magazine, which has the web site http://www.ifmagazine.com ?  Is it just a web site, or a print magazine?  How notable is it?  Does it need a WP article of its own?  At least, does this article need some sort of hat note to tell people looking for that iF that they've come to the wrong place?  For that matter, does someone still hold the trademark for our IF, and if so does the new magazine violate that trademark? -- Zsero (talk) 05:06, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: I hadn't heard of it.  I'd suggest that if this new magazine acquires a WP articles we add a hatnote at that point. Mike Christie (talk) 11:38, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Given that at present it's a blank page with an "under construction" note and a logo, I'm not gonna sweat it. --Orange Mike  |  Talk 19:25, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: Huh?  It's definitely a functioning web site with all sorts of articles, a staff page that lists 17 people, and an archive that has items from 2006. The more I look at it the more it seems like this is a serious entity, though I'd never heard of it until yesterday. It's cited as a source in WP articles, which is how I found out about it in the first place; I saw something from 2009 sourced to "If magazine" and thought "whoa, has my favourite SF magazine started up again?!" -- Zsero (talk) 20:40, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text: That's odd; all there is at http://www.ifmagazine.com is the logo and under-construction notice. --Orange Mike  |  Talk 21:56, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  What's odd is that this is all you see.  At that very same URL I find a fully-functioning site. -- Zsero (talk) 22:10, 5 November 2009 (UTC)

text: Having looked at the site, I'll add that this is an entertainment and pop-culture website, with very little of the SFnal about it (unless you consider the Saw franchise SF). --Orange Mike  |  Talk 21:58, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
replies: text:  Indeed, it is not the IF of my youth :-(  -- Zsero (talk) 22:10, 5 November 2009 (UTC)
thread_title:  iF magazine?   

message: Hi.
The graph that shows the amount of magazines in circulation as a function of the year indicates that the amounts are in thousands ("Circulation in '000s"). However, the axis has values in the thousands as well (40,000; 60,000; etc.). As per the text, which states that circulation rose to 60,000 copies (...), the graph label is wrong for the y-axis. If 60,000 is in '000s, then the value shown isn't 60,000 but actually 60,000,000. All the values have been amplified by a factor 1,000. Either the label has to drop the "in '000s" part or the values shown have to be divided by 1,000 (so 40, 60, etc.).
Seigneur101 (talk) 13:00, 18 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: You're right; I will try to fix this, but may not get to it today. Mike Christie (talk) 13:30, 18 September 2010 (UTC)
replies: text: I was going to say the same thing. I've fixed the axis label and reloaded the image. --DavidCane (talk) 19:27, 18 September 2010 (UTC)
thread_title:  Graph label for y-axis is wrong 

message: Hello, just a minor heads up: Why are some citations including the first name of the author, whilst some do not? Compare "Michael Ashley, Transformations, p. 273." with "Ashley, Transformations, p. 127." for example. --Eisfbnore talk 18:58, 11 April 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: No good reason; I've made it consistent. Mike Christie (talk - contribs -  library) 22:35, 11 April 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  First name in cites 

message: Re:  "Eight selections of stories from If have been published."
There's also the anthology 6 Fingers of Time.  Here's a description:
CONTENTS:
The 6 Fingers Of Time And 5 Other Science Fiction Novelets ed. Anon. (by Samuel H. Post) (MacFadden Books 50-244, 1965, 50¢, 128pp, pb) 
Cover says “...novellas from Galaxy magazine”, although all stories are from If!</p>
*  7 · The Six Fingers Of Time · R. A. Lafferty · nv If September 1960
* 28 · A Pride Of Islands · C. C. MacApp · nv If May 1960
* 44 · Sitting Duck · Daniel F. Galouye · ss If July 1959
* 58 · I.O.U. · Edward Wellen · nv If March 1961
* 97 · To Each His Own · Jack Sharkey · ss If January 1960
*109 · The Junkmakers · Albert Teichner · nv If July 1961
</p> See http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/pl.cgi?214281  Hope this helps!Darci (talk) 17:20, 3 April 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Thanks; this SFE entry mentions this and another similar anthology.  I'll add these to the article some time this week. Mike Christie (talk - contribs -  library) 13:27, 4 April 2016 (UTC)
replies: text: Done.  I moved the list of anthologies to the bibliographic section, which I think is a more natural place. Mike Christie (talk - contribs -  library) 10:48, 8 April 2016 (UTC)
thread_title:  Decline and Merger section 

message: The "External links" section points to the gallery at http://www.philsp.com/mags/if.html. It looks comprehensive enough for front covers, but it doesn't seem to have any wraparound ones. https://web.archive.org/web/20151026040215/http://thegoldenagesite.blogspot.com/2012/05/if-assortment-of-covers-1952-68-cover.html has some wraparound covers. TompaDompa (talk) 15:43, 29 August 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: We do have one wraparound cover already in the article. Mike Christie (talk - contribs -  library) 01:09, 30 August 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Indeed. I just wanted to share something I found that might be useful. TompaDompa (talk) 01:14, 30 August 2023 (UTC)
replies: text: Yes, not a criticism.  Attractive too; nice to get another chance to admire them (I sold mine a few years ago). Mike Christie (talk - contribs -  library) 02:28, 30 August 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Alternative selection of covers including some wraparound ones