WHY ARE WE FREE?

DARK WORLDS QUARTERLY is a completely free magazine. Anyone can download our .pdf file. There is no obligation. We do not ask for your email address in order to put you on a sales list. There are literally no strings attached. We keep track of how many times the file is downloaded but we do not keep track of who is downloading the file, whether they read all of it, some of it or none of it at all.

There is absolutely no requirements, conditions or expectations from our readers.

The obvious question is, why do we do this. Why do we put so much effort and care and attention and time into something for which we get no obvious reward. (Some days I wonder the same thing, to be honest).

But the absolute truth of the matter is this: We do this because we love to do this.

Let me go back in time. Back to when we were kids in school. I was one of those kids whose love for all things science fiction, fantasy and horror verged on mania. Surrounded by my peers whose only interests seemed to be cars, hockey and country music, sharing my passion was something that I did not do very often. I’m sure that a lot of you reading this can relate.

So, finding a fellow traveler, another kid whose interests coincided with mine, was like a small miracle. Having someone to share these obsessions, someone who was able to introduce you to other authors, titles and genres you would never have found on your own, was like a lifeline. So what do two kids obsessed with science fiction and fantasy do with their spare time? Start a magazine, of course.

Because when those who share your interests are few and far between, fellow travelers are worth their weight in gold and reaching out to them becomes most important. Plus, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

This is what we have done since we were kids. When our first magazine, HYPERSPCE (yes, that was a typo on our first issue, and is now a running joke) came out we sold it to kids in the neighbourhood for 75 cents each. We produced it using a combination of photocopies and a hand-cranked gestetner machine (thanks to the son of an Anglican minister, another fellow traveller). The money we made barely covered our costs and was, sadly, insufficient to fund a second issue.

But we learned as we did. And we connected with others. We created a network of fellow travelers.

Fast forward to today, and the internet has turned the world into a giant neighbourhood. And we are still looking for fellow travelers. We are still trying to connect with others who share our interests. And so we do what we love to do, what we have always loved to do. We put out a magazine.

Now, don`t get me wrong. We`re not completely altruistic. We do run a business. RAGE MACHINE BOOKS publishes science fiction, fantasy and horror both in e-book as well as print editions. It is a for-profit venture. So how does giving away a free magazine square with that?

Think of it like this: gwthomas.org is the website of G. W. Thomas, author and co publisher of the magazine. Imagine that website is a building. Now imagine that building has a pub on it’s ground floor. That’s like our bookstore: ragemachinebooks.gwthomas.org. We want potential customers to come in and look around and buy something if you are interested.

Now imagine that pub books a band or a singer every weekend. It’s entertainment, ostensibly free (providing there is no cover charge) that encourages people to come into the pub and buy a few drinks or appies while they listen.

DARK WORLDS QUARTERLY is kind of like the band. It’s free entertainment. We don’t have a cover charge. You don’t even have to come into the store to enjoy the music. Just come close and listen.

But, hey, while you’re here, why not come in? If you enjoy the magazine, why not come in to the bookstore? Why not peruse the shelves and see if there if anything that interests you? Maybe buy something? We’d be pleased beyond words if you did.

We don’t have a problem if you just want to come and listen to the music. If you’re just here for Dark Worlds Quarterly, that’s awesome! Download and enjoy! If you enjoy, tell others about it. But if you have time, please do feel free to visit the bookstore. You are under absolutely no obligation, we won’t even know you’re there unless you tug at our sleeve and ask a question. And we are always happy to talk to a fellow traveler. So please, leave a comment. Let us know who you are. Let us know that you are a fellow traveler and understand where we are coming from. Tell us about yourself. Join in the fun.

We hope you enjoy Dark Worlds Quarterly. It is truly a labour of love.

But we also hope you will explore the other products we have to offer. And, as always, we would love to hear from you!