Last year, I spent the last quarter of the year focused on writing and submitting short stories to various publications. I’ve had some success with this process, so I decided do another write-submit cycle recently only to find that some of my favorite publications have closed.
It takes a lot of energy and effort to keep a publication going and the options to monetize content are diminishing with each new platform that readers use to consume content. Can publishers keep up with all of the ways to attract readers? Or are readers simply not reading as much as they used to?
In 2021, the Pew Research Center conducted a survey of U.S. adults and found that 23% had not read a book in the past 12 months. That was during the pandemic, so I assumed that more people were reading books during quarentine. So what did those non-readers do instead? I’m going to take an educated guess that many of them watched more television with their free time.
Anecdotally, I’ve noticed that the list of publications permanently closing to submissions on Duotrope is getting longer depending on the week. There are still many new publications popping up, but how long will they stick around?
Tip: Writers, make sure you notice the fine prints on the author rights section of the publisher’s contracts before signing to ensure that you retain your rights no matter what happens to the publication.
Whatever the case my be heading into 2025, whether publications are closing due to rising costs, low readership, or video games dominating the attention spans of youth audiences, we’re seeing content preference segmentation like we’ve never seen before.
Here are some of the genre fiction publications that I recently found out have closed for good or closed to submissions. Many of them cited closing due to a decline in readership and financial challenges.
- Sirens Call Publications closed in October 2024. This makes me sad because it was my first writing credit.
- Fantasy Magzine closed in October 2023. This was a shock to me because it’s a well-known publication. I had been building up my publication credits (and my courage) to finally submit to them. Bummer.
- Uncanny Magazine is currently closed to submissions and have no scheduled open periods. While this is not evidence of a future closure, it does concern me that even the more established publications are going through uncertainty right now.
Some of the publications that I’ve seen closing will not be missed. Not because the publications are not good, but because they probably didn’t enjoy wide readership anyway.
What’s a Writer to Do When the Market is Shrinking?
- Evolve. There are many ways to get your content out there. Maybe you can start self-publishing on platforms with a built-in audience, or submit to fiction publications on platforms like Medium.com .
- Explore alternative ways to share your brilliant stories. Does your short story have the potential to be a short film instead? Could your romance novel be turned into a RomCom movie on a streaming platform? There are many ways to work in different industries as readers and viewers’ preferences shift.
- Start your own publication. I’m sure this is a heavy lift, but there are many pathways to digital publication. And if you’re a part of the writerly community, you’ve likely got friends who want to be a part of your vision.
Don’t despair, sometimes challenges lead to opportunities. While the publication industry is on shaky ground, you will always find a way when you’ve got writing skills.
Gina N. Anderson 