_Realms of Fantasy_ shuts down

[Scott H. Andrews]

As announced on SF Scope (http://sfscope.com/2009/01/realms-of-fantasy-closing.html) this afternoon, Realms of Fantasy will close after the April issue.

I'm pretty sad about this. They had not in recent years published much of the secondary-world setting fantasy that I prefer, but I had several of my own stories get passed up to their head editor and I knew many of the young writers who had sold stories there. Even though the magazine's editorial tastes had shifted toward the more literary and the less fantastical, I think that as the leading fantasy short-fiction magazine, they will be sorely missed in the field.

[Grace Seybold]

Oh man, I didn't hear about this. That sucks. I didn't read Realms regularly but I very much enjoyed the issues I did get.

This brings up a question actually, which someone here may have an answer to. I have a story in the Realms slushpile at the moment (my usual bad timing). Obviously they aren't going to take it now. Is it okay for me to submit it somewhere else right away? Or do I have to wait until they officially reject it? (Which could be quite awhile; I wasn't expecting to hear back for three more months under the best of circumstances.) What is the appropriate etiquette here?

[Scott H. Andrews]

I have a story in the Realms slushpile at the moment (my usual bad timing). Obviously they aren't going to take it now. Is it okay for me to submit it somewhere else right away? Or do I have to wait until they officially reject it?
The standard rule of thumb is that all submissions are released from any obligation when a magazine folds. I doubt Doug Cohen, their slush reader, will continue reading subs when there is no future for the magazine.

You could email him to double-check if you wanted--he always used to update slush things on his blog. But I have never, ever heard of any problem with submissions at a folded mag being instantly reclaimed by the authors, and Ralan's market listings has a note that all submissions to Realms are released.

[Scott H. Andrews]

Lots of discussion in the blogosphere about this, as expected, but a couple of posts have also pondered where the stories that were going to Realms may be sent now, including one on the livejournal of Realms and future BCS author Richard Parks (http://ogre-san.livejournal.com/) and one by magazine editor/publisher John Kilma at Tor.com (http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=12547).

I of course expect and hope that many of those stories, the secondary-world ones, may get sent to us here at BCS. We do pay pro rate, and although we don't have interior artwork like Realms did, we do have Audio Fiction podcasts.

So I hope the word gets out among Realms's writers and readers that BCS would be happy to receive any character-driven secondary-world fantasy.

[Grace Seybold]

Okay, good to know. Thanks Scott!

[Greywolf]

Okay, good to know. Thanks Scott!

Not so good, really, but we'll just have to roll with the punches.... :(

[Grace Seybold]

Not so good, really, but we'll just have to roll with the punches....

Right, I don't mean good as in...you know...good, just good to have my question answered. This is what happens when I post at the end of the workday: I end up sounding like a goof. :o

[starweaver]

I had a story in their slushpile. I took the official announcement of the end of the magazine on their website as tantamount to a decision not to publish the story.

[steffenwolf]

I had a story in their slush as well, I received the rejection 2 days after the announcement, on January 29th. They must've mailed it just the day before they folded.

By the way, it's good to see you, Greywolf, Starweaver, a couple familiar names from the RoF forum. I didn't post there very often but I lurked from time to time.

[Greywolf]

Been pretty busy for some time, but maybe I'll be able to drop in for an occasional visit now. Hope y'all been doin' well!