If you had asked me a year ago whether or not I would write a post like this, I would have laughed at you. Then I heard from an industry friend that the sf and mystery digest magazines were for sale. It looked like, he said, they would be selling soon. They did, but it took a while to close the deal. Here’s the February announcement from Locus Online.
I had some stories already contracted and in the publishing queue. I also had a couple of acceptances at two of the magazines, and was told that contracts would arrive “soon.” Soon took forever. One contract arrived after the galleys of the story, which meant the story was about to go into print without a contract. Those of you who’ve read my business blog for years and who still read my business posts on Patreon, know that I would never allow a story to go into print without a contract.
So I brought this up to the editing staff. Sidebar here: The editing staff at all the magazines remains the same. The editors are wonderful people. I’ve worked with them for decades, in many cases literally, and I love entrusting my work to them. However, the new owners weren’t people I knew, and I had no idea what they planned for the magazines. This might have been a simple oversight. But what if wasn’t? Besides, I always treat contract negotiations as if the great people I love had been replaced by a demon. Would I be protected even if the people I knew left? That’s my guiding principle.
Well…long story short: I contacted the new owners, insisted on a negotiation before the story hit print, and wowza, did we hit snags. As in, the contract was awful. As in, the negotiation went poorly. As in, I had no choice but to walk away, taking all of my current stories with me.
So…after nearly 40 years of publication in the digest magazines, I will no longer be doing business with them. It breaks my heart. I would love to continue working with the editors. But the new owners have proven themselves untrustworthy to say the least. I linked to one of the blog posts on Patreon above. Here’s another, if you want some of the details behind my thinking. (And yes, they’re behind a paywall.) I will be publishing at least one more blog post on this. Those are all inside baseball. Most readers don’t really care. What readers care about—what I care about as a reader—is how to easily get stories from a particular author.
The problem is primarily with the mystery magazines, because there aren’t many good paying mystery (specific) markets. And, of course, the run of novellas I’ve had in Asimov’s for years now. I’ll let you know if some of the other sf magazines take my shorter work.
But that leaves the longer pieces and the mystery stories. I have A Plan that will take some time to implement. I have already heard from a few readers who were concerned that I wouldn’t have print editions of my work. I will. I promise. I’m a print fan myself.
I may end up with a survey here or another place for comments. I will let you know. But I thought it was important to let you know about this before you see all of the rumors.
I’m sad at this change, but ultimately, it might end up being a good thing for my writing and my short fiction. I will keep you posted here, on Patreon, and in my newsletters.
Thanks, all!
This truly saddens me. I have subscribed to Asimov’s since 1978. It is, or was, a great magazine. They cannot afford to lose you. I have cancelled my subscription.
“I always treat contract negotiations as if the great people I love had been replaced by a demon. Would I be protected even if the people I knew left?”
That deserves to be in a Contracts first semester 1L textbook. Chef’s kiss.
This is extremely upsetting, especially combined with their apparent inability to actually publish the magazines. I’ve heard reports that print editions of the July-August issues have finally, *this week*, shown up in stores. Digital issues have still not dropped on either B&N or Amazon. No current Asimov’s, Analog, Ellery Queen, Hitchcock. All are still the May-June issues.
Demanding total control of the content is bad. Doing so when you can’t even publish competently is just ridiculous.
I am also sorry to hear this as I have enjoyed your works in Asimov’s for years. Hopefully other writers will likewise withhold their work and they will have to rethink their position or starve for lack of content.
I believe I am encountering a related issue that others here may also encounter.
I have been getting my issues of Analog, Asimov’s and F&SF via Kindle Unlimited since Amazon discontinued my subscriptions. The July/August issues of Analog & Asimov;s are not yet available to me even though their respective websites display them. I have emailed Analog and Asimov’s customer service and received no response, I contacted Amazon customer service and was told they were working on it, I asked for and received a credit for my month’s subscription as the entire reason for it is for access to these magazines.
I would suggest that anyone else with a Kindle Unlimited subscription should do the same to give Amazon more weight to throw against the new owners.
It might be for nought, as if the content quality drops if they refuse to change their position I will be dropping Kindle Unlimited, but it is worth trying,
Follow-up: I just asked for a refund of my August subscription as they are STILL unavailable. What a mess.
I just checked today and I see the July/August issue available at B&N but not yet at Amazon. This is no help for me, but others may be able to take advantage of this.
Have shared the link with the FictionMags group and Publishers Weekly. [Me: assistant editor at F&SF 1966-74, among other publishing things.]
Is there a place in magazines for short fiction for a digital-only marketplace? One that pays writers for first-run rights only, and uses the combined interest to build a readership of subscribers?
Sorry to hear this, but I’m also not surprised. I’m hoping to decide to create your own short story collections and put them up on kickstarter and then do your own compendiums. Good luck!
I had a short crime drama piece accepted for Ellery Queen’s back in January. The new editor said she’d get a contract to me ‘in a couple of weeks’. After a month I sent a gentle nudge via email but got no reply, not even a holding response. After another month I emailed again. And again nothing. And so it went. After six months I decided to pull it and submit elsewhere on the time honoured basis of ‘life’s too short’! Still, it was first for EQ so I was genuinely gutted. But given what you say about the contracts, it sounds like I had a lucky escape. Anyway, sorry this has happened to you but if they treat established authors like this, I dread to think how they must regard us newbies!
This crushes me, because most of my sales have been to ANALOG. Here’s hoping SFWA, perhaps, can talk to these folks and work up a deal!
I don’t think it’s a question of coming to a deal. I think it’s a question of what the new ownership is trying to do with the business.
It’s a shame that the new owners are so evil. I’m sure that other writers will be following your lead.
I’ve really enjoyed your stories in Asimov’s–they always been the highlight of the issue.
Sorry to hear this Kris, unfortunately, not surprising. The tough business just keeps on getting tougher. Hang in there and stay sane!