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

[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.