The Hacker Quarterly
NOW ON STANDS!
Current issue: AUTUMN 2024
NOW ON STANDS!
Our Spring issue has just been released. Unfortunately, it's not currently hitting the stands.
We'll get to that in a moment. For those who just want to get their hands on our new issue, here are the details:
You can subscribe and have issues mailed to you or just buy the current (Spring) issue.
There are also a bunch of digital options. Once again, we are offering this issue as a downloadable PDF. You can also find us on the Kindle (U.S. and U.K.) as well as the Nook.
We also have something brand new: a complete collection of all of the 2019 issues in downloadable PDF format!
You can see a full listing of all of our digital options here.
And this is where we would normally tell you to check our list of stores where you can find copies of our magazine.
Unfortunately, you won't be able to find this issue in stores. With most of the country and a good part of the world in quarantine, bookstores haven't been all that popular. In fact, we were told after printing the issues that our distributors ordered to not ship to them after all. We're now stuck with the entire cost of printing while distributors and stores pay nothing.
It gets worse. Our previous issue (the one still on stands) can't be sold to Barnes and Noble "curbside pickup" customers even though most everything else in their stores can be. Why? It's their "policy" that magazines can't be sold this way and that policy can't be changed despite the current circumstances. It makes no sense at all to us. Our issues are right there in the store yet they can't be sold to customers.
Rather than working out options where we might have a chance at survival, we're being told that we have to figure out what to do with all these issues or pay a penalty for not shipping them. We find ourselves in the middle of a Kafka novel where everything is stacked against the publisher because that's just how it is.
We've seen injustices before where distributors have gone out of business without paying us, sometimes simply changing their name and continuing to make millions while we don't get a dime. But this time it's different. This time what's happening affects all of us, and what we were hoping we'd see was a sense of community where we all supported one another and helped everyone get through this terrible crisis. That most certainly hasn't been the case in the publishing world.
We honestly don't know if we'll be able to publish another issue. We intend to try once we know if there's a plan or any sort of relief we can take advantage of. We haven't seen much encouragement from landlords, banks, and insurance companies who can't help and all insist on getting paid in full and on time. Meanwhile, those entities owing us checks say they can't pay us at all. Something has to give.
Of course, it will help if a huge number of people buy our digital issue or subscribe through the mail. But it would really take a phenomenal amount to make up for the losses we're expected to shoulder and we honestly don't want people to spend anything on us while there are so many worthy and essential causes to support out there. The reality is that this might be an insurmountable battle for us if we continue to face such monumental and unfair challenges. All we can do is promise you that we will do everything in our power to make it to the other side of this. And we want all of you to also make that promise - to us and those around you. This has proven to be one hell of a test for everyone and it's something a number of us will be coming to terms with for a while to come.
In the meantime, please enjoy the issue. And stay safe.
