The SF Patent
April 16, 2002
7:39 a.m.
I see news that Warren Lapine is raising his rates for Absolute Magnitude from 5-7 cents a word to 7-10 cents a word, thereby making it the highest paying print zine in the field. At first blush, this sounds like a positive step for the field. Amidst all the declining sales and distribution figures in the major mags, it's always good to hear that a magazine is going in a positive direction. I'm going to assume for a moment that this is as good of news as it seems, and that AbMag is in the black , and healthy, The first question that forms in my mind is: Why? Why Absolute Magnitude? Why not Asimov's or Analog or F&SF? These are, after all, the areas of power in the field, right? These are the family jewels of short fiction inside the science fiction arena. DISCLAIMER: What follows is my opinion. It is not backed up in fact. Feel free to ignore me if you don’t agree. I think there are two things going on here. First, Warren Lapine now controls enough titles to create leverage in the distribution channel. My guess is that this is working pretty well. But I would also say that part of this apparent success my well be due to the fiction that Warren is buying, and likewise, due to the fiction that the big three are buying. Now I'm toeing a pretty dangerous line here, and I know that. But quite honestly, I occasionally find Asimov's and F&SF hard to read. The work there is often dense and complex, which is not to say it's bad. This same work is often breathtakingly beautiful. But while breathtakingly beautiful wins awards, it does not lead to being highly accessible. Analog, on the other hand, is far more accessible, but tends to get shot down by people in the field as being inferior. Heck, Locus, arguably the most influential market zine in the field, has overtly rejected material at Analog as not being worth most reader's time, despite the fact that its distribution (while still plummeting), has always been higher than its sibling majors. Why, I ask? I don't understand. Actually, I suppose I do. The field of short fiction is getting pulled strongly toward the stylists. Gardner Dozois is a stylist who can tell a fantastic story. He buys a lot of work from stylists who tell great stories. Kris Rusch was a stylist who tells great stories. Gordon Van Gelder has a quirky, eclectic taste (and it's really too early to tell if his influence will substantially change F&SF's numbers any. These two magazines still win most of the awards in the field, and so carry the clout of prestige. I'll fully admit that Analog is not a magazine where stylists usually publish. But the world is changing again. And I fear the major magazines are not changing with it. SF is moving into the mainstream, and with it, so are SF readers. The mainstream is full of stylists, you know? So, in a nutshell (and since I'm running out of time this morning), I think magazines like Absolute Magnitude may well be rising up because Warren is concentrating on finding solid stories, told in clear fashions. Where Asimov's and F&SF are getting more cerebral, and Analog sticks with ideas and humor, he's focusing on adventure and a sense of wonder. And that is the key, I think. Science Fiction owns the patent on sense of wonder. It's what separates us from the rest of the pack, even when we're on the mainstream shelf. So, yes, Warren Lapine is workign the business angle. But from comments I've heard at various conventions, I think he is also using this patent to fuller effect than the big three, and in the end, that may be why he is moving in the right direction.   Have a great day.  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
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