Recently, on my LJ and Facebook, I posted a question on what is and is not appropriate to do in preparing to publish a new magazine; the scenario I presented was universally viewed as improper at best. This scenario was sparked by a discussion of a solicitation for an "unpaid" editor position for Amazing Stories.
However, Mr. Davidson has -- with patience and politeness -- contacted me directly, and addressed my real concern: specifically, he has stated unambiguously and firmly that *all* participants -- bloggers and editors and all -- *WILL* be compensated for their *prior* efforts when the project goes live and begins to bring in money.
This is a very different scenario, and one I find perfectly acceptable; in this one, the people aren't posting "for free" but are instead making a bet; that the project will succeed, and then their efforts will be compensated, rather than their efforts simply leading to the success of the project but not their own.
I therefore apologize most sincerely to Mr. Davidson and any and all connected with the revival of Amazing Stories, and I wish him great success in his attempt to bring ASM back to life. What he has told me of his business plan makes sense, and shows some considerable recognition of the realities of the current market which has been sadly lacking in prior attempts to make new SF magazines.
Thank you for your clarifications, Mr. Davidson, and once again, my apologies.
Ryk E. Spoor
Bravo, Ryk!
One of the reasons I enjoy reading your blog is that you manage to combine strong opinions with the ability to publicly and graciously change them in the face of new facts.
I’ll join you in wishing him well in his revival attempt. One of the nicer things about being a real adult with a reasonable income is that I have the possibility of supporting efforts like his.