Realms of Fantasy closing after April issue

[ellen_datlow]

Today it's been all over the blogosphere that Realms of Fantasy is being closed down by Sovereign Media after its April issue.

It's sad to lose any magazine in our field and I feel badly for Shawna McCarthy and her staff, who put a lot of themselves into the creation of the magazine.

The managing editor Laura Cleveland provided information on the closing to SFScope after rumors started earlier today. Those rumors began when Cleveland herself told an unnamed writer--before management alerted the staff (including Shawna, who is in Italy), the columnists, the authors whose work is in inventory, (some of which was purchased a mere week or two ago) or anyone else. Of course, the "writer" blabbed all over the net--and Cleveland is surprised.

Comments

[melissajm.livejournal.com]

ROF was my dream market. I think I'm going to cry. Really. This stinks beyond measure.

[deborahb.livejournal.com]

Oh dear. :(

[nihilistic-kid.livejournal.com]

Of course, the "writer" blabbed all over the net--and Cleveland is surprised.

Tsk.

Similar thing here at my day job. Colleagues were surprised to find that people were talking about forthcoming books before they'd been announced—even though we distributed several hundred copies of the catalog and stuff was being listed on amazon.com.

People seem to be easily surprised sometimes.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Only those ignorant of how quickly news travels these days --at least on the net.

[tlmorganfield.livejournal.com]

I feel the worst for Shawna and Doug, finding out like this. That's really crummy. Though as an author under contract, I don't like finding out like this either>:-(

[jimhines.livejournal.com]

Same here. I missed that part of the news the first time around. Imagine being in the middle of your vacation when the news bursts onto the web that your magazine is being axed. Not cool.

[rosefox]

I found out about this because one of their now ex-reviewers queried me as to availability of a YA reviewing spot. I was very sorry to have to say that our children's/YA reviews editor got laid off yesterday and so I was unable to help the reviewer out in that regard.

It's pretty grim.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Jeez. Any news who is taking over that position, Rose?

[rosefox]

I don't know anything about how that's being handled yet. It could be handed off to another editor, or taken over by the children's/YA news editor, or canceled altogether... no clue.

[oneminutemonkey.livejournal.com]

Well drat, I'll cross you off my list also, Rose. (Obviously, it wasn't me asking, and I was the RoF YA reviewing guy!) :(

(edited to fix... life---> list. Sheesh, what a typo!)

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I thought that sounded awfully mean ;-)

[oneminutemonkey.livejournal.com]

Haha. I'm not quite THAT final. I'd run out of people in no time flat! (Be a heck of a story idea though...)

[rosefox]

I'm happy to consider you for SF&F; I just don't have any idea what's going on with children's/YA here at the moment.

[oneminutemonkey.livejournal.com]

Thanks to the helpful passing-along of information from a friend, I just sent off my pitch.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Wow.

[splinister.livejournal.com]

This is dreadful. Editors should always be informed first. For Shawna & Doug to learn about the loss of their jobs in this fashion is just horrendous.

I'm terribly sad to see RoF depart, especially in this fashion.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I feel it shows a lack of respect for their employees and for the magazine. (but that's me)

[rosefox]

Not just you.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

The times I've been laid off/fired it was always to my face and with obvious regret by those who did it (well except for once ahem in book publishing..the regret part anyway).

[oneminutemonkey.livejournal.com]

I got my email from Laura... she sent it around 2:15 pm, I didn't check email until 4:15, so the news had already spread. I'm glad I checked email before LJ, it softened the blow a teeny tiny bit. A very tiny bit.

I'm beginning to wonder...

[themadblonde]

if this is how the "Great Depression" began. First a few small businesses closing, then hiring freezes @ the big businesses, then a lot more small businesses, then a WHOLE lot of layoffs, then bankruptcies....

It's a bit chilly out there....

Re: I'm beginning to wonder...

[lingster1.livejournal.com]

And here in Southern California, we have perhaps our first documented murder/suicide of a family of seven as a result of the recession (he faxed his story to the local ABC station.)

I'm really sad to hear about RoF.

Re: I'm beginning to wonder...

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I saw the initial story and sorry, have no sympathy for him. He should have just killed himself and left his family alive.

Re: I'm beginning to wonder...

[(Anonymous)]

Not the first:

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1848422,00.html

-MarcL

Re: I'm beginning to wonder...

[jeffcrook.blogspot.com (from livejournal.com)]

Amen.

[kijjohnson.livejournal.com]

Oh, that sucks. How horrible for them.

[shvetufae.livejournal.com]

*sigh* So much for my trying to send my story there. . .and like people who commented above, I know someone who had a story in an upcoming issue. Poor editors/editrices, poor authors, poor readers--poor everyone!

[(Anonymous)]

Any idea whether people like me who renewed, ah, last week in response to their solicitation can expect a refund?

Susan de Guardiola
http://www.rixosous.com

[livia-llewellyn.livejournal.com]

It's very doubtful you'll get a refund, although I suppose you could contact someone at the magazine and try. I renewed my subscription just a few weeks ago - but I consider it money spent on paying off salaries and debt. I'm not going to get it back.

[(Anonymous)]

I'd rather get my money back and send a check to Shawna.

Susan de Guardiola
http://www.rixosous.com

[livia-llewellyn.livejournal.com]

Um, I'm not sure what you mean - I figure my subscription money IS going to Shawna, to pay for her salary and the other staff members through April, as well as the regular production costs of the magazine.

[(Anonymous)]

Their website is now offering either a refund or a transfer of subscription to another magazine.

Susan de Guardiola
http://www.rixosous.com

[livia-llewellyn.livejournal.com]

Ah - ok. I didn't know that. Thanks for telling me.

[astein142.livejournal.com]

Bad news travels incredibly fast. I'm so weary of hearing bad news....

[pm-again.livejournal.com]

Oh vey!

If and at all possible, folk have to continue buying...

[tbonejenkins.livejournal.com]

I just got my laptop back and the first bit of news I hear is this. Now I'm really getting bummed. ROF was a wonderful magazine.