Mistress Morigianna
02-17-2009, 05:52 PM
I am so bummed. I have been reading this mag for YEARS. I loved the artwork and the history of folk & fairy tales columns.
http://sfscope.com/2009/01/realms-of-fantasy-closing.html
Realms of Fantasy closing
By Ian Randal Strock January 27, 2009
Breaking news: Realms of Fantasy is closing down following publication of its April 2009 issue. Managing Editor Laura Cleveland told SFScope the news came very suddenly, indeed, even Editor Shawna McCarthy (currently on vacation in Italy) hadn't been informed yet. The only reason we got the story is that rumors broke through the blogosphere today.
Cleveland said the April issue is currently at the printer, and will be published. The reasons she was given for the closure were plummeting newsstand sales. "Subscriptions are good, and advertising, until very recently, was fine." She blamed the economic downturn and newsstand distribution for the closure.
Publisher Sovereign Media first got into sf magazine publishing with Science Fiction Age, which Scott Edelman edited through its eight-year life. SFAge was closed while still profitable to make room for an even more profitable wrestling magazine. Realms of Fantasy has been with us for fifteen years and "was coming up on its 100th issue," Cleveland said. "We were excited about the special Halloween issue we'd been planning, which would have been our first."
The staff is obviously harried by the news, and that it's become public so quickly. Cleveland had been hoping to tell the authors and artists the news before it broke publicly. The magazine wasn't carrying a large inventory, she said, although she did note that they'd recently purchased a number of stories which now won't be published.
More news as we learn it.
Edited 28 January 2009: Sovereign Media has posted this web page, offering Realms subscribers the choice of converting their subscriptions to Sci Fi Magazine or Otaku USA Magazine, or requesting a refund.
Edited 30 January 2009: More news in this article.
http://sfscope.com/2009/01/realms-of-fantasy-closing.html
Realms of Fantasy closing
By Ian Randal Strock January 27, 2009
Breaking news: Realms of Fantasy is closing down following publication of its April 2009 issue. Managing Editor Laura Cleveland told SFScope the news came very suddenly, indeed, even Editor Shawna McCarthy (currently on vacation in Italy) hadn't been informed yet. The only reason we got the story is that rumors broke through the blogosphere today.
Cleveland said the April issue is currently at the printer, and will be published. The reasons she was given for the closure were plummeting newsstand sales. "Subscriptions are good, and advertising, until very recently, was fine." She blamed the economic downturn and newsstand distribution for the closure.
Publisher Sovereign Media first got into sf magazine publishing with Science Fiction Age, which Scott Edelman edited through its eight-year life. SFAge was closed while still profitable to make room for an even more profitable wrestling magazine. Realms of Fantasy has been with us for fifteen years and "was coming up on its 100th issue," Cleveland said. "We were excited about the special Halloween issue we'd been planning, which would have been our first."
The staff is obviously harried by the news, and that it's become public so quickly. Cleveland had been hoping to tell the authors and artists the news before it broke publicly. The magazine wasn't carrying a large inventory, she said, although she did note that they'd recently purchased a number of stories which now won't be published.
More news as we learn it.
Edited 28 January 2009: Sovereign Media has posted this web page, offering Realms subscribers the choice of converting their subscriptions to Sci Fi Magazine or Otaku USA Magazine, or requesting a refund.
Edited 30 January 2009: More news in this article.