Elder Signs Press, Inc (aka ESP) is a Michigan-based book publisher distributed through the Independent Publishers Group. It specializes in horror, science fiction, and fantasy titles.

Elder Signs Press
Founded2003
Country of originUnited States
Headquarters locationLake Orion, Michigan
DistributionIndependent Publishers Group
Publication typesBooks
Fiction genresHorror, science fiction, and fantasy
ImprintsDimension Books
Official websitewww.eldersignspress.com

History

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ESP was founded in 2003 by William Jones, a gamer and Lovecraftian horror enthusiast. Its initial publications were issues of the Call of Cthulhu fanzine Book of Dark Wisdom. The magazine's format was changed with the third issue to focus on horror fiction and poetry. Eleven issues were published before the magazine was converted to an annual book anthology in 2009.[1]

As a book publisher, ESP is primarily a self-publishing venture for Jones, who has written several novels and edited numerous anthologies released under the imprint. However, the company does publish books and anthologies from other authors and editors. Its first book was Stanley C. Sargent’s Ancient Exhumations +2, a collection of Lovecraftian short fiction published in 2004. The company is best known as a publisher of Cthulhu Mythos material, but it has also published work in genres such as cyberpunk and apocalyptic survival horror. Editors involved with the company included Deborah Robbins and Charles P. Zaglanis.[2]

The publishing company went on indefinite hiatus in 2018.

Books

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Books published by Elder Signs Press were trade paperbacks available via Ingram Books, Baker & Taylor, Alliance Game Distributors, Diamond Comics. They were distributed by the Independent Publishers Group (IPG) and, at the height of the company's activity, had titles carried by major booksellers such as Borders Books and Barnes & Noble.

Between 2004 and 2018, ESP published the following books.[3]

Magazines

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ESP published the following issues of The Book of Dark Wisdom, a magazine that started as a Call of Cthulhu fanzine, but later evolved into a more mature publication with original articles, poetry, fiction, and features by notable and upcoming authors in the horror and RPG genre.

  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #1, 2003[4]
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #2, 2003
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #3, 2004
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #4, 2004
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #5, 2005
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #6, 2005
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #7, 2005
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #8, 2006
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #9, 2006
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #10, 2007
  • The Book of Dark Wisdom #11, 2007

Authors

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Authors that were published by Elder Signs Press include:

References

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  1. ^ "Book of Dark Wisdom Magazine". Noble Knight Games. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  2. ^ "eldersignspress.com from Internet Archive". Archived from the original on 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  3. ^ "ESP Titles". Elder Signs Press. Archived from the original on 2022-01-11. Retrieved 2023-11-22.
  4. ^ "Noble Knight Games".
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