Today we’d like to introduce you to Sue Collins.
Sue, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I am a journalist with 30+ years of experience working in magazines, newspapers, public relations and marketing. I moved to Atlanta in 2009 and was the founding editor of BuckHaven Lifestyle magazine in 2012. Since then, my publisher and I have launched three other monthly magazines, mailing directly to affluent homeowners, reaching about 100,000 readers per issue. I work from home in Kirkwood. We have always rented since moving to GA and have lived in Virginia Highland, Candler Park, Old Fourth Ward, Inman Park and Edgewood.
We love moving – it keeps us lean and gives us the opportunity to discover different neighborhoods and meet new people. Kirkwood is our favorite thus far. I also do freelance travel writing, contributing to regional and national magazines outside my Lifestyle Publications job. I continue to pitch new stories every month to other publications while spending the majority of my time curating our small but mighty monthly magazines. I work with my own bank of freelance writers and photographers, building our content to cover stories of good people doing good things around our Atlanta readerships.
Has it been a smooth road?
I love working from home. Now, with the pandemic, I have two college kids home along with my husband. It’s a full house and that has been a ton of fun but has cornered me a bit. I am fortunate to have a generous publisher who allows me to be autonomous. I use the planning tools provided by our parent company, Lifestyle Publications, in Kansas City, so I can curate my issues months in advance. The company has grown significantly. When we launched the first Atlanta book, we were the 11th title. Now there are more than 90 nationwide. I’ve bucked some changes (templated story recipes and design) and embraced others (webinars with other editors and social media opportunities). Being able to work from home, on my own schedule, I can take an afternoon off now and then to hike, fish, golf, or read a book in the hammock. Then, I work late on deadline days and put in a few hours during the weekends. I love the flexibility. But, I never get a real vacation. We publish 12 months and I’m ALWAYS planning, answering emails, texting with writers and photographers, tossing around ideas in my head. It’s been like this for 10 years. I’m not complaining.
We’d love to hear more about your work.
We cover stories “inspired by community.” That’s our tagline. We write about volunteers and business people who make philanthropy a priority, not just about the celebs who toss around their glam and cash to make a splash. Our monthly glossy magazines focus on communities within a few zip codes. I won’t include a Midtown story in the BuckHaven magazine. This is why our advertisers find the magazines a valuable tool for reaching homeowners who live within a 5-mile or so radius of their business. Lifestyle Publications is growing, but values input from me and others who have been a part of the “family” for years. It’s rewarding. When we publish a story on a cancer survivor, support a fundraiser that benefits a local need or profile real people, it’s very rewarding.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I have lived in more than 25 houses, three countries and vibrant urban areas, including Hong Kong, London, Boston and Detroit. I went to school in Michigan and am a graduate of the University of Oregon. I have lived in St. Thomas, USVI and traveled to other Caribbean islands, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Italy, Belgium, the Canadian Rockies, and more.
I moved to Atlanta kicking and screaming (hillbillies, southern belles, heat, conservatives??) Of course, it didn’t take long to realize that Atlanta is one of the most diverse places to hang your hat. I love that. I love the food scene, the old neighborhoods, the grassroots organizations that make things tick, the fiercely protected trees and the opportunities.
Yes, the traffic is disabling, but I work from home. Yes, the heat is alarming, but I am fortunate to spend the month of July working from a cabin in the northern Michigan woods by the lake.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://suegcollins.pressfolios.com/
- Email: scollins@lifestylepubs.com
- Instagram: SeeSueGo_
- Twitter: @suegay61
Image Credit:
David Halsey
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