"We're Looking for a Symphony of Voices." A Chat with Derek Askey, Associate Editor of The Sun

Derek Askey takes members of Lit Mag Reading Club behind the scenes

Another editor interview is in the books!

Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Derek Askey, Associate Editor of The Sun.

The Sun is an independent, ad-free magazine that for more than forty years has used words and photographs to evoke the splendor and heartache of being human. Each monthly issue celebrates life, but not in a way that ignores its complexity. The personal essays, short stories, interviews, poetry, and photographs that appear in The Sun’s pages explore the challenges we face and the moments when we rise to meet them.

The Sun is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, which is exceptional indeed. The magazine currently has a readership of about 65,000 subscribers.

In today’s conversation, Derek told us the history of the magazine, which was founded by Sy Safransky. In discussing the history, Derek mentioned LSD and intentional communities. This was a natural segue to a discussion of Ram Dass, who was interviewed for the May issue.

Dass is known as a spiritual guru who was part of the 1970s counter-culture. He was also, it turns out, a friend of Safransky’s and a huge supporter of The Sun, helping to generate readership and subscriptions during the magazine’s more financially challenged times. He has also appeared frequently in the magazine.

In addition to the Dass interview here, there were two essays, one short story, and the magazine’s perhaps most beloved feature, Readers Write. Derek talked about the editorial process for each of these sections, what goes into selecting work for the magazine, the process of collaborating with writers to edit work and how the editors try to have pieces communicate with one another for each issue.

What most strikes me about this magazine is that it has built such a tremendous subscriber base, and that it brings in contributions from people of all backgrounds and experiences. The May issue’s Readers Write section was dedicated to the theme “Tattoos.” The contributors are not all professional writers. They are people from everywhere, who simply had powerful and in some cases unforgettable stories to share.

Derek described this magazine as one which aims to build a sense of connection among readers and which seeks to alleviate suffering. As Editor, what he wants to see in a submission is work that he feels “is looking me in the eye.” He appreciates honesty on the page.

What else do these editors like to see in submissions? What should writers know when submitting to the Readers Write section? What should writers know if they get a rejection from this magazine?

For all that and so much more, you will have to watch the video!

The Sun is open for submissions year-round. They publish monthly, and receive about 2,500 submissions per month.

To everyone who came out today to join the discussion, thank you for tuning in!

And, of course, thank you to Derek for taking the time to peel back the curtain of another lovely little magazine.

This interview is for members of Lit Mag Reading Club only. You can join the club any time by becoming a paid subscriber to Lit Mag News.