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.

[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>:-(

[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.

[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.

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....

[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

[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.