Lit-mags lose when colleges and universities consolidate, cut back or close
Sometimes campus mergers in higher education can result in orphaned or abandoned literary magazines. More lit-mags may become unresponsive or inactive as colleges and universities continue to consolidate, cut back, or close.
Example: University of Wisconsin System mergers
- A decade ago, many of Wisconsin’s 26 state universities and colleges had literary magazines.
Wisconsin had 13 four-year state universities and 13 state-run two-year colleges (separate from technical and private colleges). - Today, several of those literary magazines (most often from two-year colleges) are no longer publishing after a shuffling and reshuffling of campuses.
Two rounds of mergers brought Wisconsin’s two-year colleges under the umbrellas of nearby four-year state universities. The UW System now describes itself as, “13 universities across 26 campuses…”
Case study #1: Luce
Luce was the literary magazine at the University of Wisconsin-Sheboygan (a two-year college). When the UW System reorganized and then reorganized yet again, UW-Sheboygan became UW-Green Bay’s Sheboygan Campus. In other words, UW-Sheboygan became part of a four-year university. However, UW-Green Bay already had its own literary magazine, Sheepshead Review, and Luce faded away (at least for now).
Elsewhere in the UW System, other college lit-mags may not have survived campus mergers or related changes, including:
- The Windy Hill Review at UW-Waukesha (now UW-Milwaukee at Waukesha County)
- Fox Cry Review at UW-Fox Valley (now UW-Oshkosh, Fox Cities Campus)
- Mush Literary Magazine at UW-Marathon County (now UW-Stevens Point at Wausau)
- Rock River Review, at UW-Rock County (now UW-Whitewater at Rock County)
- Others?
No longer anyone’s job
Mergers are often made in the name of cost-cutting. In higher-ed mergers, almost all university employees see their jobs change. The faculty members or university staff who advised or managed literary magazines usually see new (or modified) work assignments, as well as increased workloads. These job changes may not include their previous lit-mag work.
Supposed redundancies
Administrators hunt down opportunities for cost savings in any campus merger. It’s not hard to guess their reactions upon realizing that after a merger they have not only one lit-mag to support, but maybe two or three more as well. Chop! Mergers and “redundancies” don’t mix.
What’s a writer to do?
On their websites and Submittable listings orphaned or abandoned university lit-mags may appear to be operating with business as usual. Information about behind-the-scenes staffing and funding changes may not be announced.
As always, writers should look for proof of life, so to speak, such as updated website content and recent publications. Also, check out Duotrope and other sources of literary marketplace information.
Even after doing their research, writers may discover that they’ve submitted work to a university lit-mag that has gone silent. No responses. No publications. Nothing.
What about submissions and fees?
Note that some orphaned lit-mags may continue accepting submissions and submission fees. My sense is that this is an oversight (not intentional), at least for university publications. And I hope refunds would be arranged.
For what it’s worth, major scheduling and staffing changes in higher ed often occur during the lull between academic years, namely in the summer. A magazine’s faculty adviser or manager may end an academic year with the publication of a magazine they hope won’t be their last. By the time fall rolls around, the class or the program or the paid jobs that supported that literary magazine may be gone. Who’s left to mind the lit-mag when the paid staff’s gone and the student workers have likely graduated or moved on with their degree programs?
Case study #2: Green Mountains Review
The home campus of Green Mountains Review used to be Northern Vermont University. Currently, the NVU website leads with, “We’re Now Vermont State University!” This points to yet another campus merger.
As a writer, I’ve had a manuscript “in progress” at Green Mountains Review since February 2022. I discovered the university’s name change/merger info when checking to see what was going on at the lit-mag. In other words, I was wondering about the lag, especially upon seeing their website’s last news item was from November 2022.
I’m not alone in wondering about Green Mountains Review, according to a recent Lit Mag News article “Who holds lit mags accountable?” by Becky Tuch. She asks useful questions about who is accountable for unresponsive or inactive lit-mags, especially when submission fees are involved, such as the $3 that Green Mountains Review had collected for each submission until recently.
In a follow-up Lit Mag News article, Tuch noted that Green Mountains Review has ceased publication. She links to the article, “‘Green Mountains Review’ Shuts Down Amid Vermont State University Budget Cuts.” And about those fees…
In today’s environment of increased university cuts, the tally of orphaned or abandoned lit-mags may continue to grow, reducing opportunities for writers, editors, designers, readers, and more.
Related Post: Why literary magazines? They could be an important part of your book’s journey
Melissa Olson-Petrie 