Science Fiction and Mystery Magazines Acquired by New Publishing Company
Science Fiction and Mystery Magazines Acquired by New Publisher: What Readers Need to Know
Must Reads Magazines has acquired The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine.
The change in ownership was first reported by Steve Davidson at Amazing Stories when he noticed the publisher attribution had changed on the Asimovs and Analog websites.
P.L. Stevens, publisher for Must Read Magazines, stated in a quote for Locus Magazine that “the acquisitions were necessary for the magazines to survive and hopefully thrive in the changing publishing economy….” Stevens intends to increase marketing, distribution, and the digital footprint of the magazine in an attempt to drive up readership.
Peter Kanter, publisher of Penny Publications, is quoted in Locus Magazine stating the change was driven by the desire of Penny Publications to focus on their puzzle magazines. Penny Press obtained Asimov’s Science Fiction, Analog Science Fiction, Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, and Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine during the 1996 merger of Dell Magazines and Penny Press. The distribution of literary magazines has seen a decrease in distribution and readership in recent years.
The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction has struggled with recent delays in publication and moved to a quarterly release schedule, as announced in the summer 2024 issue. Writer’s Beware reported on recent difficulties regarding contracts and payment at the magazine. Gordon Van Gelder, former owner and publisher of S&SF, joined Must Reads magazines in a consulting capacity, and is “delighted” with the change in ownership, as reported in Locus Magazine.
Jackie Sherbow has been appointed the new editor of Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine. All other editorial staff for the magazines will be retained. Sheila Williams and Trevor Quachri, editors of Asimovs and Analog, respectively, expect any changes to be on the backend of the magazines, in publishing and production, and intend the quality and aesthetic of the magazines to be maintained. Full quotes from the editors were reported in Locus magazine.
Must Read Magazines is a division of Must Read Books Publishing, a 1 Paragraph, Inc. Company headed up by Steven Salpeter. Salpeter is a former literary agent at Curtis Brown Literary Agency and the former President of Literary and IP development at Assemble Media. He is also a reported science fiction and fantasy fan. The financial backers of Must Read Magazines are well known in genre circles, with the lead backer, Michael Khandelwal, being a long-time attendee at genre conventions.
The general attitude among those involved with the acquisition is one of optimism and excitement.
- About the Author
- Latest Posts
Angela E. Zolner is a textile artist and a writer, with stories upcoming at Whisper House Press and Illustrated Worlds Magazine. Her deepest desire is to be cosy and frightened simultaneously, which she achieves by listening to to spooky podcasts while walking her dog through the deep, dark woods of the Canadian Rocky Mountains. Occasionally, she happens across an abandoned cabin. She always goes in.
