tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005132770907882258.post3952990214283139112..comments2023-09-18T15:13:07.133-04:00Comments on Cyclopeatron: Realms of Fantasy Dies. Again. Why?Bob Reedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12073807225519106277noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005132770907882258.post-57777977949830602292010-10-21T13:33:43.420-04:002010-10-21T13:33:43.420-04:00This is an astute judgment, one of the more astute...This is an astute judgment, one of the more astute judgment I've read. I got more from the columns and reviews in RoF than I did from the stories. I don't know where this leaves the market. I would like to be a published fiction author someday, but the market is not promising. Ah, well...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00801468265072232351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005132770907882258.post-65684867559727244362010-10-21T11:24:59.205-04:002010-10-21T11:24:59.205-04:00Realms of Fantasy was one of the worst fantasy fic...<i>Realms of Fantasy was one of the worst fantasy fiction magazines on the market.</i><br /><br />Yeah, that's a much more concise way to state my post! A prime example of why I'm not a writer!<br /><br /><br /><i>Well, people are reading less period--across all age groups, so I think that plays a part, too.</i><br /><br />This is sadly true. A lot of my friends who used to read (and game) now mostly watch TV and play console games. It's heartening, however, that some novels still seem to sell.Bob Reedhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12073807225519106277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005132770907882258.post-5458606430052544452010-10-20T22:35:45.762-04:002010-10-20T22:35:45.762-04:00Well, people are reading less period--across all a...Well, people are reading less period--across all age groups, so I think that plays a part, too.<br /><br />But I echo Sean's sentiment, I don't think Realms of Fantasy was that good. Flashing Swords (which was only ever an ezine) wasn't always great, but it was better, to my tastes. And I'm not just saying that because they published a story of mine. ;)Treyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04647628467658839351noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005132770907882258.post-16861938789766610162010-10-20T19:54:02.532-04:002010-10-20T19:54:02.532-04:00I hate to a see a print publication die but, in my...I hate to a see a print publication die but, in my opinion, Realms of Fantasy was one of the worst fantasy fiction magazines on the market. Now, it is possible that the issues I read were the rare stinkers, but I found all of their stories pretentious and overly artsy and not at all entertaining. Their advertisements, mainly for supernatural erotica, seemed aimed exclusively at women, which suggests that they may have been catering to a limited market that could not sustain them.<br /><br />For whatever reason, fiction magazines have always done poorly, but I'm not sure that the availability of free fiction is necessarily to blame for the current difficulties in short fiction publishing. Apex magazine is free to read, but I still pay a voluntary fee of $25 per year because I like to put my money where my eyes are and support publications I enjoy (same reason I paid for Labyrinth Lord and Swords and Wizardry, even though they are freely available). I'm also very fond of Chizine, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, and Heroic Fantasy Quarterly and would happily subscribe to them as well. RoF just never published anything that I considered worth paying for, or even reading.Sean Robsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16429301144221551751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2005132770907882258.post-41290314376357350032010-10-20T15:48:26.510-04:002010-10-20T15:48:26.510-04:00It is a crying shame. I kind of gave up on RoF be...It is a crying shame. I kind of gave up on RoF before Lapine took over because I submitted a story to them and got a letter back from their old editor telling me flat-out I was a shitty writer. Leaving aside that I know this not to be true (I'm no Shakespeare, but I definitely don't suck), I found such a response caustic and unprofessional--especially in light of the overall quality of work represented therein, as you have already pointed out. If other rejected writers got the same "honesty," it's little wonder their subscription rates were down.The Grey Elfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14696474020129732936noreply@blogger.com