I'm going to be at Readercon 20 this Thursday-Sunday.  Realms of Fantasy will be making its official (re)premiere at the convention, with the August 2009 issue.  It feels like ages since the last time an issue has come out, but despite all the chaos resulting from this change in publishers, only one issue never came out, June 2009.  Anyway, to celebrate Realms of Fantasy's return, Warren and I will be giving out free copies of the magazine.  Supplies are limited, so hunt us down sooner rather than later if you want a copy for yourself.

I've also finally been deemed worthy of Readercon's paneling this year.  I'll be doing one panel, the Year in Short Fiction.  Other panelists are Ellen Datlow, Kathryn Cramer, Neil Clarke, and Theodora Goss will be moderating.  We'll be in Salon A on Sunday from 2:00-2:30.

I'll provide a con report when I return, although it might be a day or two before I get around to it.  Monday promises to be almost as busy as Readercon.

Looking forward to seeing everyone there!  

So this isn't the first interior illustration to be turned in, but it's the first one that I know of to be posted online by the artist after acceptance.  So this is Frank Wu's illustration to "Melanie" by Aliette de Bodard.  Click on the image to enlarge.  No word yet on when we'll be publishing this one, but I hope you like it!  Personally, I think Frank nailed it, and Aliette seems well pleased.

Tomorrow will be the first deadline I put in place for artwork.  I'm happy to say all four authors met their deadlines.  IMO, they also handed in top-notch work.  I now need to assign two more pieces of new artwork.  Once I do, I shall declare the magazine's art production schedule in full swing. 

You'll notice there is an asterik next to "Buying Time!"  That's because while Shawna has indeed selected some new stories for the magazine, this in no way signals that we are open to new submissions.  Repeat: we are not open to new submissions.  I passed these stories along to Shawna before Sovereign Media pulled the plug, but she didn't read them until after Warren bought the magazine.  We'd like to thank these authors for being extraordinarily patient with us during these transition months.  Also, while we don't know just when we're reopening to submissions yet, the fact that we've gotten to the point where we can send out contracts for anything is another positive sign.

As to the lucky winners this time around:

--"In Time of Great Despair and Darkness" by Ken Scholes

--"The Hag Queen's Curse" by M.K. Hobson

--"Hanuman's Bridge" by Euan Harvey

--"Halloween: Comprising a Cautionary Acrostic of Nine Bedtime Stories for Reading to the Tiresome or Disobedient Child" by Euan Harvey

--"Sultana Lena's Gift" by Shweta Narayan

Ken, M.K., and Euan have all contributed numerous stories to the magazine in the past, and Ken & Euan are both former slush survivors of yours truly.  It probably comes as no surprise that Euan's Halloween story was sent for the Halloween issue.  Well, the Halloween issue may be defunct, but we're using the story!  Shweta is new to the magazine and is another slush survivor.  This marks my first slush survivor accepted during the new regime.  Congrats to all!

ETA: If you've been waiting to hear back and haven't received a response yet, please be advised that there are additional stories stuck in limbo from later batches that Shawna still needs to get through.

Art Direction is fun but it can also be challenging.  I tend to be fairly visual with my imagination, clearly not as much as the illustrators I'm working with, but enough that I appreciate strong visual writing and often insert a lot of imagery in my own writing.  Early on, this trait has helped me a lot.  When I'm looking to pair up a story to an artist, what I'm often doing is looking for someone whose illustrations seem to match up with the images put in my head by that particular story, or the feel of that story if it isn't particularly visual.

Once you get past the organizational aspects, I'd say this is the part of the job that seems to be coming to me the most naturally.  I've mentioned before that I don't come from an art background, so it's good that I can fall back on my imagination in this regard.

But there are other aspects of the job that require deeper thought on my part.  As art director, I'm in my rights to not only choose and hire the artist, but also tell them what I'd like them to illustrate.  On the surface, my first reaction is to say awesome (and I confess, it is).  But just because I can do this and have a visual imagination (again, for a reader), does that mean I should tell the artists what I want them to depict every time?

In a word, no.  I'm new to this.  The artists have been working at their crafts for years.  There's no reason for me to act like I know everything.  It's very reasonable to assume the artist may have a better idea how to encapsulate the story.  So the smart approach is to learn from these folks when I can.  I should also mention that in the past Realms has had a reputation for allowing their illustrators a lot of artistic freedom, so I don't see much reason to change that.  So to this point I've been rather hands-off.  A couple of times I had a specific scene in mind in terms of art direction and I related the idea to the artist.  But usually I give them the freedom to illustrate as they see fit.

Sometimes my feedback/opinions are sought after early in the process, and in these cases I'm happy to discuss the piece with the artist.  Once I made a suggestion to one of the artists and he felt it was the wrong direction to take things and explained why.  I listened to him and we did things his way.  And when he handed in the finished piece I was really glad I did.

And that was the important thing: I listened.  And I tucked away that knowledge gained for future reference.  So today a different artist assigned to a piece sent me a sketch to look at.  I applied some of that knowledge gained, made a suggestion, and was rewarded with "Oh, that's a brilliant idea, Douglas!"

I iz learning! :)  There is still a lot left to learn, of course, but these sorts of results leave me glad that I was smart enough to listen to the artists instead of acting like a know-it-all.    

Warren has reported on his blog that a bunch of contracts went out today for Realms stories.  We're not open to fiction submissions just yet, but this is a major step toward getting there.

It's here!  UPS has delivered a copy of the latest issue of Realms of Fantasy.  I've flipped through it and everything.  It's real.  It's in my hands.  We're back.

The magazine should also be shipping out today from the printers to eventually find its way to newsstands, subscribers, and those participating in our blog giveaway.  I hope you guys like it, I believe most of you will, and I'm confident future issues will only get better.

Since I now have a copy in hand, I have no problems sharing the official TOC for our first issue back:

--"Our Lady of Scarlet" by Tanith Lee
--"Healing Benjamin" by Dennis Danvers (all you sensitive types should keep your tissues close at hand for this one!)
--"Digging for Paradise" by Ian Creasey
--"Well and Truly Broken" by Bruce Holland Rogers

You'll also find an editorial in this issue from Shawna, and a publisher's note from Warren.  I should point out that while I'm listed as the Art Director for this issue, beyond having a hand in the cover I had very little to do with this issue's art.  We had a number of items in inventory from the Sovereign transfer.  We still have some Sovereign inventory left, but we should burn through what's left in the next few issues.  Then it's all on me.

Our official premiere is going to be at this year's Readercon from July 9th-12th.  Warren and I will be giving out free copies of the August issue while supplies last.  If you're going to be there, hunt us down to get a copy!

I must say, I'm feeling a bit tingly with pride right now.  I also want to take a minute to thank a few folks who have been so extremely helpful to me along the road to getting this first issue out:

--John Joseph Adams who seemingly has contact information for everyone!  Without your ultimate roledex, I would've been scaling Mount Everest instead of the Catskills.

--My predecessor at Sovereign Media, Laura Cleveland, for being kind enough to answer every question I had as I got settled into my new positions.  I will do my best to carry on the torch!

--Irene Gallo at Tor for going above and beyond the call of duty in providing suggestions and links and general good advice as I got settled into being the art director.  The spec art world is lucky to have her!

--My nonfiction columnists--Jeff Vandermeer, Paul Witcover, Matt Staggs, Michael Jones, Karen Haber, Mia Nutick, Resa Nelson, Ari Berk, and Kristen McDermott--all made life easier for me with their passion, enthusiasm, and professionalism.  My thanks, my thanks, my thanks.

--Thanks to all of the artists who are working on something now.  Their illustrations may not be appearing in this issue, but the fact that I've been able to recruit such amazing talent while I get our production schedule going again puts my mind at ease for future issues.

--Thanks to Shawna for letting me draw on her wealth of experience and for putting in the good word with Warren early on!  Also, thanks for keeping our working relationship as pleasant as ever even though the dynamic has changed somewhat thanks to my promotions.

--Warren gets the most thanks of all.  Thanks for saving the magazine.  Thanks for keeping me around as assistant editor.  Thanks for the promotions.  Thanks for letting me draw on your experience.  Thanks for the encouragement, the belief in my work, for following up on everything, and for making yourself so available despite your crazy levels of busyness.  Thanks for caring enough to want to do Realms of Fantasy right.  I can't wait to see what else you have up your sleeve going forward!

--I'd also like to thank all the authors and artists for being so patient with us during this process.  I know some further patience is still required on some fronts, but we're getting closer all the time to being all systems go, and your patience makes it easier for us to reach this point.

--And of course, thanks to our readers.  Your response from the day RoF was cancelled by Sovereign up until now has been truly made of awesome.

If I missed anyone who deserves thanks, accept my apologies.  I had a list, but it has vanished into the ether!  

Again, I hope you all enjoy the first issue back. 

I received some prints to August 2009 cover in the mail today, courtesy of the magazine's printer man, Davidpilcher.  Thanks, David!  And Warren you're right, it looks great. :)

We're almost there!

Does anyone still have their copy of the February 2009 issue of Locus?  If so, could you ping me through my LJ mail?  There are some tidbits of information I'm hoping you might pass along.  Thanks.

ETA: Someone already got back to me.  No need to dig up your issue if you have it.  Thanks.

Warren has reported on his blog that the August issue of RoF just awaits binding and shipping.  We're getting there! 

Add another artist to the growing legions working on illustrations for RoF.  This time the lucky contestant is another newcomer to the magazine, Rob Alexander. 

I now have ten artists working on pieces for the magazine and two pieces delivered in final form.  The first art deadline I've put out is just around the corner (as is the first issue!), and I'm going to try to send out another round of assignments before I head off to Readercon in a couple of weeks.

*Holds up thumb and index finger*  We're this close to having the art production schedule in full swing.

ETA: Rob's work has appeared in our Artist Gallery, though. 

Warren has reported on his Facebook account that the August issue is now at the printers.  Woo hoo!  I also had a chance to look at final PDF version last night.  It was a real kicked seeing me listed as Art Director and Nonfiction Editor in the masthead.  The trade-off is that I'm no longer listed as Assistant Editor, but Warren and I agreed that listing me in the masthead in all three capacities would be a little much.  I love my work as Assistant Editor, but if one of these titles has to go from the masthead, it's clearly this one.

Warren sent me an almost completed PDF version of the August 2009 issue to look at (i.e. our first issue back).  I "paged" through it several times and just sent him an email to bounce some ideas off of him.  It's coming along nicely.  And he's really close to done, which means it should be going to press soon, like this week.  I also know the TOC for certain now for the first issue back, but I'm going to refrain from announcing it until I have the go ahead from Warren.    

So I'm going to announce it each time a columnist hands an article in, but I did want to mention that the other day I received the first article for our second issue back.  I currently have nonfiction deadlines out for the second and third issues back, so I'd say once the first issue back comes out (getting close!), the nonfiction department will be in full swing.

I've now been asked twice by artists assigned to illustrations for RoF whether I've read the story.  The first time I was asked this I was so surprised I was struck speechless for a good five seconds.  Today, after being asked this for the second time, I had to stop and think about this a bit.  In speaking to both of these men it was obvious they weren't idiots, which means it's reasonable to assume they've worked with art directors before who haven't read the work they're assigning.  I can understand the art director at, say, Tor Books not reading everything she assigns.  Tor publishes hundreds of books each year and there are deadlines to be maintained.  To get a sense of the book, someone in that position will have to work with summaries, talk to editors, etc.

But me?  I'm working with short fiction, for just one magazine.  In my eyes, it would be inexcusable for me to not read everything first.  I actually read just about every story twice.  I'll read it once in my capacity as assistant editor.  Then when it's time to assign the work an illustrator (almost always many months later), I'll read it again.  Even if I know exactly which illustrator I want I'll read the story again, just to make sure.  I want the story's feel and imagery fresh in my mind when choosing an artist.  

Now I'm not throwing any blame in the direction of these artists for asking this question.  They don't know my schedule, nor do they have any way of knowing that RoF is the only magazine I'm working for as an art director.  But even so, as I get used to this position and everything that comes with it, I must admit this question wasn't something I was expecting.

Then again, in all fairness, I've spoken to a number of authors who are surprised to learn that I read every automatic pass before handing it off to Shawna.  Again, I just don't feel like I'm doing my job otherwise.  And sometimes my dedication pays off.  Over the years there have been a few stories I raved about enough that it convinced Shawna to take them.  So when at all possible, there is something to be said for going the extra mile.

I'm still hunting down an artist for one story, but here are the latest artists working on illustrations for RoF:

Leo & Diane Dillon

Carol Heyer

Gallegos


Carol has done illustrations for the magazine before, Gallegos and Leo & Diane are both contributing for the first time.  So right now there are nine pieces out on assignment, one story still needs an artist (not for long, I hope), and two artists have turned in finished pieces to me (both came out quite nicely, imo).  The first art deadline I gave out is now less than a month away, not to mention our first issue back, which will mostly feature art that was part of the inventory from Sovereign Media.  The art production schedule in now very close to being in full swing.

The deadline has come and gone for our promotional giveaway.  We're now closed to new entries.  Thanks to everyone who is participating.  We hope you enjoy the issue.

***WE ARE NOW CLOSED TO NEW ENTRIES***

Hi Folks,

Just wanted to remind you all that our promotional giveaway ends tomorrow.  We still have a number of copies remaining, so if you've been meaning to sign up, you're running out of time.  And if there is someone out there who might be interested, feel free to pass along the word before it's too late ...

Part sixty-six in my ongoing retrospective as I read the fiction to the back issues of Realms of Fantasy, right up to the present.  This time around I'll be slicing and dicing the August 2005 issue.

I joined RoF while the June 2005 issue was out, but my predecessor, Carina Gonzalez, was listed in the masthead, and she was still with the magazine when the issue first came out.  So while I've been with the magazine since May of '05, the August '05 issue is the first one to be released in which I was a part of the team (even if Carina is still listed in the masthead instead of yours truly).

The cover to this one is by Luis Royo, which marks his 13th appearance in the magazine.  It depicts a beautiful woman accompanied by what appears to be some sort of spirit dragon.  A rundown of this issue's nonfiction is as follows: In the movie/tv column, Resa Nelson covers War of the Worlds, starring Tom Cruise, and a summer fantasy film preview is provided by Christopher D'Amore, a former managing editor.  Folkroots is handled by Heinz Insu Fenkl, who writes about fire in mythology.  Gahan Wilson & Paul Witcover handle adult book reviews this issue, with Gahan covering The Overnight by Ramsey Campbell, Black Blossom by Boban Knezevic, The Book of Dreams by Catherynne M. Valente, and the hoax magazine, Weird Trails.  Paul provides additional reviews of The Dark Mirror, Book One of the Bridei Chronicles by Juliet Marillier, The White Mare, Book One of the Dalraida Trilogy by Jules Watson, and Three Hands for Scorpio by Andre Norton.  This issue's Artist Gallery features an article by Irene Gallo, Art Director of Tor Books, wherein she discusses how select pieces of art from Spectrum, an annual book collecting the best fantastical art, are on display in at the Society of Illustrators.  And in the gaming column, Eric T. Baker  reviews Jade Empire for the Xbox, Untold Legends: Brotherhood of the Blade for the Sony PSP,a pair of Japanese strategy RPGs in Atelier Iris: Eternal Mana and Stella Deus: The Gate of Eternity, the Whitewold RPG, Werewolf of the Forsaken, and the D&D supplement, Races of Destiny.

Onto the fiction ...

The lead story is "The Penultimate Riddle" by Richard Parks, which marks his 17th appearance in the magazine.  Art is provided by Randy Gallegos.  This one draws on Greek mythology as we are introduced to a poet who is seeking more out of life than merely to live.  To achieve this goal he decides to court the deadly sphinx.

Next up we have "A Statement in the Case" by Theodora Goss, which marks her third appearance in the magazine.  Art is provided by Andrea Wicklund, which marks her second illustration in the magaizne.  This story was reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 19, edited by Ellen Datlow and Kelly Link & Gavin Grant.  The story itself is set in modern times and draws heavily on Hungarian mythology, as a man tells his story to a detective about a friend of his from the old country and the strange creatures from his homeland that his friend's wife was selling.

Then we have "The Queen's Wood" by Josh Rountree, which marks his second appearance in the magazine.  Art is provided by Mike Kerr, which marks his eighth appearance in the magazine.  This is a piece of high fantasy, and like Josh's first story in RoF ("The King's Wood"), it is a tale in the world of the creature known as the Turion.  In this world, every so often the Turion must be slain to preserve the life of the king, which will allow the land to prosper.  It is the Offered who must undertake this task, and afterward spill his own blood ...only this time the Offered is a woman, which has never happened before.  As in "The King's Wood," we never actually see the battle with the Turion. Instead, we read about the Offered and the Witness (who always accompanies the Offered) passing through the Queen's Wood on their way to find the Turion.  Inside, they must resist the lies and temptations offered by the wood's great enchantress before moving along to their final objective, and matters of faith and tradition are called into great question in the process.

Following this we have "A Bedtime Tale for the Disenchanted" by Amy Beth Forbes.  This piece is extremely short and does not have an accompanying illustration.  As to the piece itself, it deals with a young woman who tries to manipulate and love to her advantage, only to learn it cannot be controlled.

After this we have "The Secret to Broken Tickers" by Joe Murphy, which marks his second appearance in the magazine.  Artwork is provided by Eric Dinyer, which marks his sixth illustration in the magazine.  This is another one of Joe's Sprokly tales, which is a young wooden girl given life by her maker.  There are certainly some Pinocchio overtones here, but Joe makes this character and world his own, as evidenced by the fact that it was reprinted in Year's Best Fantasy 2006, edited by Rich Horton.  Anywyay, in this piece Sprokly's real-life (i.e flesh and blood) brother brings a girl home who seems to love him and claims she can get help for Ma's ailing heart, but she is only interested in learning the family secrets, of which there are many (including Sprokly).

Then we have "Countless Screaming Argonauts" by Chris Lawson.  Art is provided by Allen Douglas, which marks his sixth appearance in the magazine.  This is another piece drawing heavily on Greek mythology as well as history, as it takes the Colussus of Rhodes, constructed by the legendary architect Chares, the hero Jason of Golden Fleece fame, and the Cyclops, Polyphemus, blind for some years now thanks to Odysseus, and weaves all three of these seemingly disparate elements into a seamless tale of adventure and mythological heroism.

Finally we have "When the Dragon Falls" by Patrick Samphire, which marks his third appearance in the magazine.  Art to this one is provided by Josh Bradigan.  This one is a short YA piece about an adolescent whose parents are engaging in affairs, causing him to give up his childhood beliefs, and possibly much more in the bargain.

So that wraps up this issue.  And my favorite story?  I declare our second-ever tie, this time between "The Queen's Wood" by Josh Rountree and "Countless Screaming Argonauts" by Chris Lawson.  And my favorite artwork?  I'm going with the Luis Royo cover.  Next time around I'll discuss the October 2005 issue.  Until then ...


 

Hi Folks,

Cat Valente is an enormously talented writer in our field.  Having spoken with her on more than one occasion, I'll also vouch for what a nice person she is.  Right now she's having a tough time.  Times are tough all around, but if you can ...