Sunday 18 December 2011

Arrow Publishing Company Part I

Arrow Publishing Company was one of a number of short lived Canadian mass market paperback publishers in the late 1940s and early 1950s. There is no publisher street address, only Toronto and New York. I don't know anything about the publisher. There are 20 books in the series: 100 - 103, 105 - 120. No one has ever seen a number 104.

There is a hint in number 102 below, Charm is Every Woman's Business, that the publisher is connected to Export Publishing Enterprises Ltd. The book is as poorly produced as Export's average book and the author's name is "Claire" on the front cover and spine and "Clare" on the back cover and title page. This is an Export "mark of distinction".

Each book's copyright page announces "This book has been selected for reprint because of its popular appeal and its successful record of sale when originally printed. The story is exactly as represented in the synopsis on the following page…". Even the eight paperback originals have this announcement. I haven't checked any of the books with the original editions but this sounds like a sneaky way of suggesting that the Arrow edition just might be abridged.

Here are the first three books in the series. The books are dated November 1949 and 128 pages long. All cover art is by D. Rickard.

Man and Woman first published New York: The Beechhurst Press, 1946
Easter Island first published New York: The Beechhurst Press, 1947
Charm is Every Woman's Business is a paperback original

Arrow 100 - November 1949

Arrow 100 back

Arrow 101 - November 1949

Arrow 101 back

Arrow 102 - November 1949

Arrow 102 back

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