Realms of Fantasy Folds

Realms of Fantasy is shutting down for financial reasons. Publisher Warren Lapine issued a farewell note on the magazine’s website, which reads in part:

“As things stand, I would need to invest another large amount of money simply to continue publishing the magazine at its current level — an investment that I do not believe would have any chance of ever repaying itself… Should there be any interest in purchasing the magazine I will gladly sell Realms to a responsible party for $1.00 and give them the finished files for the December issue.”

Lapine thanks fiction editor Shawna McCarthy, editor Douglas Cohen, and the rest of the staff “for being so professional and easy to work with. I’m very proud of what we accomplished in the last eighteen months.”

The December 2010 issue will be made available on the website for free download by subscribers, but will not be printed.

Lapine’s other magazine, Dreams of Decadence, is also shutting down.

Former publisher Sovereign Media, which first ran Realms of Fantasy, sold the magazine to  Lapine in 2009.