We were lucky to catch up with Camille Tai recently and have shared our conversation below.

Camille, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Alright – so having the idea is one thing, but going from idea to execution is where countless people drop the ball. Can you talk to us about your journey from idea to execution?

As a creative, I’ve always enjoyed writing poetry and short stories— that was my escape from stress. It was in April of 2024 that I first had the idea of creating a platform for others like myself. As one of the editors-in-chief of my school’s yearbook and a former staffer for the literary magazine, I had an idea of how to carry out such a project. The first part was establishing a presence on social media, particularly on Instagram, which to this day is still our main platform for announcements and communication. Having used Canva before, it was easy to design a post to launch the establishment of the magazine. Along with an introduction of the Minerva Press—named after the Roman goddess of wisdom, the post invited writers, photographers, and artists to submit their work to the first issue. Although that issue was unthemed, the goal of the Minerva Press was and always will be to amplify diverse voices. I was very grateful to receive a warm welcome from the literary magazine as well as over 40 submissions for the first issue. The website, which was designed entirely by me, launched soon after, and so did the first issue! Since then, I have been able to expand our reach and work with so many lovely individuals.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Camille Tai, and I’ll be a freshman at the University of Michigan in the fall. I’ve been running the Minerva Press as the founder and editor-in-chief since the spring of my junior year in high school. The Minerva Press is an online youth literary magazine that aims to help creatives of diverse backgrounds share their work with their world. We have released three issues so far, and I have had the pleasure of being able to look over 200+ submissions from 20+ countries! In addition to these, we also collaborate with other magazines for joint issues or contests, and we occasionally work with authors for events like writing workshops or contests. Anyone interested in working with us can easily reach out via social media or email. Ultimately, I hope that when people see their own work in the Minerva Press or read a piece that resonates with them, they feel proud and seen. That is my goal in managing this platform.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

It all began with posting a six-slide post on Instagram with zero followers and zero idea of what came next. The post introduced the Minerva Press and encouraged people to submit prose, poetry, art, and photography to our first issue. There was radio silence for the first few hours, and I wondered whether anyone would even see it. But then a few magazines began following back, and likes and comments slowly appeared. The literary magazine community was so welcoming, and I knew then that I had made the right decision in starting the Minerva Press. As I posted more on Instagram and even on TikTok, I gained not only followers, but friends too. I found that the key to growing my platform on social media was posting regularly, interacting with others, and creating interesting content. So follow similar accounts! DM people! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, because you have a lot more to gain than to lose.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

“We don’t read and write poetry because it’s cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for.” If you recognize that quote, you have extraordinary taste in movies. Peter Weir’s 1989 film “Dead Poets Society” changed my life because it gracefully captures the beauty of poetry and how its presence is vital to learning and living.

Whether you write for only yourself or for others to see as well, your words are never wasted. Personally, I write for myself because it is my chosen method of expressing my feelings and emotions. But the latter is just as meaningful. When people submit their work to the Minerva Press, I am grateful for the opportunity to read something beloved to them— something they spent time and effort writing. My answer to this question is a little complicated because I play the role of both writer and publisher: it is most satisfying to finish a poem and be proud of what I’ve written, but it is just as rewarding to have people trust me with their work. So to everyone that has ever contributed to the Minerva Press, thank you.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://theminervapress.carrd.co/
• Instagram: @theminervapress

Image Credits

Trinity Nguyen (author), Molly Murakami (illustrator), and Abby Granata (designer)
Micah Dawanyi (in picture)