The Reality of Editors: A Conversation with Collision Editor-in-Chief Sarah Pine
On February 15th, 2024, the day after Valentine’s Day, I sat down (still in full business attire) with editor-in-chief of Collision Literary Magazine, Sarah Pine.
Collision Literary Magazine is a student-run University of Pittsburgh undergraduate lit mag founded in 2001. I first heard about the publication prior to my transferring to Pitt while searching online for Pittsburgh-local literary projects I could submit my own writing to. What stood out to me the most — besides the lit mag’s over-20-year run and affinity for mangoes — was that Collision takes submissions not just from Pittsburgh or the USA, but from all around the world. Despite not having enough time to fully join the editorial staff of Collision, I knew restarting Literary Phoenix would give me the opportunity to learn more about Collision — an undergraduate publication like no other — from one of its most passionate members.
I met Sarah at the fountain outside Cathy, shivering beneath my red umbrella that was doing next to nothing against the freezing, wet winds typical of Pittsburgh weather. Upon spotting one another, we immediately fled inside Cathy where we decided, after peaking into full classroom after full classroom, to conduct the interview in a warm corner of the Commons Room.
Sarah began the interview by introducing herself as a sophomore at Pitt studying English Writing and Media & Professional Communications, attributing her reason for joining Collision to her love for reading and desire to connect to fellow English majors at Pitt during her freshman year.
However, it wasn’t until Sarah began speaking about the difficulties that come with running an undergraduate lit mag, that her passion for Collision truly shined through: “Last year we really had no money. I mean, we didn't print so it wasn't as much of a problem, but I paid for the snacks for our launch party myself...'cause we didn't have money for that [so] I'd say budgeting has been tough.”
Indeed, literary projects are often in the red when it comes to finances. M.R. Branwen, editor-in-chief of indie lit mag Slush Pile Magazine, wrote in a 2017 op-ed that “submissions cost — not make — lit mags money” and many lit mags are “entirely staffed by volunteers” who work “hours and hours” to accept/reject submissions, format, proof, and promote lit mag issues (Branwen). According to the 2022 Literary Arts Emergency Fund (LAEF), “nonprofit literary arts organizations and publishers, to a large extent, exist with meager budgets, few staff, and little or no cash reserves” and that this grim state of affairs is “especially true” for “those organizations that are led by BIPOC staff and serve historically underrepresented groups” (“The Literary Arts Emergency Fund”). Because of this reality, editing — especially within indie literary projects — is often seen as a labor of love, rather than one fairly compensated.
Despite Collision having roots within the University of Pittsburgh’s English Department, this sentiment is echoed by Sarah: “as editors we don't get anything...we're just doing it because we love doing it. We’re not in it for any money because we don't really have money.”
While Sarah acknowledges the difficulties of securing funding from the University of Pittsburgh’s Student Organization Resource Center (SORC) for Collision’s upcoming issue’s printing costs, she also remains thankful that Collision has the means to allow “people to submit for free.” After all, many literary magazines, according to M.R. Branwen, charge submission fees just to “[make] up for a portion of lost revenue,” rather than generate any kind of profit that can be redistributed back to editors (Branwen).
In spite of the hurdles that student editors such as herself have to face to make their literary projects function, Sarah takes it all in stride, confidently stating, “we're in it to read new work and to have a community of readers and writers [so] compensation isn't something we've ever thought about.” It’s this mindset that demonstrates editors’ sheer amount of passion for the projects that they bring to life; with that said, it also highlights why we, as consumers and creatives, must work towards enticing institutions with the means to help support student-run publications such as Collision which, as Sarah underscored in our interview, is unique as it forms a “community” with people “from schools all around the world.”
For further reading:
Branwen, M.R. "Why Literary Journals Don't Pay." themillions.com/2017/05/why-literary-journals-dont-pay.html.
"The Literary Arts Emergency Fund." www.nationalbook.org/programs/literary-arts-emergency-fund/#tab-1.