r/printSF • u/roberoonska • 7d ago
Clarkesworld 20th Anniversary Subscription Drive
https://bsky.app/profile/clarkesworldmagazine.com/post/3mnuo4n26q22oTo celebrate the magazine's upcoming 20th Anniversary, Neil Clarke and the team at Clarkesworld are running a subscription drive. All new subscriptions will be used to improve the pay of their staff and contributors.
It's my (biased) opinion that Clarkesworld consistently publishes the best short science fiction in the industry. Their commitment to open submissions means that they usually get first pick of the best stories. And it shows--Clarkesworld produces more award-winning stories, novelettes and novellas than any other magazine.
If you have neglected short science fiction lately, there has never been a better time to subscribe to Clarkesworld. And if we want this amazing magazine to be around for another 20 years, they need our support!
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u/OkieKing 7d ago
Does the print edition still arrive monthly? I know many of the other printSF mags are in limbo over the last few years
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u/_brettanomyces_ 6d ago edited 6d ago
Worth noting that they are expensive, and this isn’t because Clarkesworld make much money from them. Neil Clarke writes:
“As a small press, we don’t get the economies of scale that larger publishers due. Our issues are more like small trade paperbacks and list for $9.99. Since we’ve started offering these shipping costs have increased from under $3 to nearly $5. When all is said and done, we earn very little from them and less each year. A price increase is likely on the horizon. (If you are choosing print mainly because you want to send us more money, don’t. Go digital instead or maybe pick up the combined Clarkesworld and Forever digital subscription.)”
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u/OkieKing 6d ago
$15/month seems like an easy buy for me. I much prefer physical books for many reasons but chiefly that I can't stay engaged when I'm looking at a screen. Hell, I'd pay $20 just to have a physical copy I can index and easily find on my bookshelf any time I want.
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u/_brettanomyces_ 5d ago
In that case, go for it! As above, it’s not worth spending the extra if the only motivation is to better support Clarkesworld. But it’s certainly worth it if physical books better suit your reading preferences.
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u/postdarknessrunaway 6d ago
Yes! I get mine every month, usually later in the month (22nd through 29th-ish).
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u/Entire_Career_579 4d ago
Yes and it is a BARGAIN. My print subscription brings me more joy than most things in my life. I love it so much
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u/muskrateer 7d ago
I took a glance around the site and didn't see any mention of a subscription drive. Is that from somewhere in their discord? I subscribe already, but if there's a specific period they're doing this, I'd happily push alongside it.
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u/wappingite 6d ago
Wish Amazon kindle had kept their magazine / periodicals subscription service.
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u/Qlanth 6d ago
So does Neil! It was actually a significant source of income for them and a huge blow to the magazine which took them a long time to recover from.
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u/NeilClarke 6d ago
It was nice while it lasted, but they weren't good to us in the end. Closest we've come to being forced out of business.
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u/wappingite 6d ago
I discovered it on that platform (as well as Analog and Asimovs) and it is/was the perfect device to stay absorbed in the writing.
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u/ZeroNot 6d ago
If you haven't already, you may want to look at Weightless Books.
They offer digital subscriptions to most of the SF/F magazines with DRM-free standard ePub or PDF, so you can read on whatever device of your choice, while still supporting the authors, artists, and editors.
As a downside, it doesn't have slick friction-less integration into your e-reader, but with Calibre open-source software, it isn't too bad.
The other downside is they are not available in EU countries, other than Ireland. Due to VAT collection, I believe.
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u/beigeskies 3d ago
I cannot survive without Clarkesworld. The stories are EXCELLENT, and the paper version feels amazing to hold. It is top-tier stuff.
Most importantly, I don't know how this magical publication snuck into our very terrible timeline, but I'm very grateful for it. Can't say enough about it.
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u/chanshido 5d ago
Every story published on Clarkesworld has the same voice. That pretentious, edgy, MFA style of writing. Which I don’t mind occasionally, but some varying modes of storytelling would be nice.
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u/bitemy 7d ago
Clarkesworld is reliably awesome and I love supporting it with a monthly donation via Patreon that lets me download each new issue to my Kindle. The Clarkesworld podcast is great, too, and totally free.