Why Start a Print Magazine?
Why Start a Print Magazine?
The Scrolling, flickering, drifting. Time has passed, not unpleasantly but without meaningful trace. The digital numbness of the online world as algorithms feed us – without a human curator to make meaning of the mass of information.
Turning a page, sensing the texture, seeing the colour gradients. The outside world drifting away as memories fade into the present, imagination swirling. The wistful mourning when you tear a page or dribble tea on your favourite magazine. A printed page is something that has been thought about, carefully curated, telling stories with a human warmth.
A magazine is just that, a snapshot of creativity paused in time which we can enjoy in solitude, in a quiet place or discuss together with friends. That’s what makes a magazine so special for me: I tried to translate that feeling when travelling to wild places of curiosity, adventure and exhilaration into a print magazine. I also wanted to collaborate with other creatives and support young writers and female adventurers in publishing their work for the first time; an underrepresented group in travel writing.
Scrolling, flickering, drifting. Time has passed, not unpleasantly but without meaningful trace. The digital numbness of the online world as algorithms feed us – without a human curator to make meaning of the mass of information.
Turning a page, sensing the texture, seeing the colour gradients. The outside world drifting away as memories fade into the present, imagination swirling. The wistful mourning when you tear a page or dribble tea on your favourite magazine. A printed page is something that has been thought about, carefully curated, telling stories with a human warmth.
A magazine is just that, a snapshot of creativity paused in time which we can enjoy in solitude, in a quiet place or discuss together with friends. That’s what makes a magazine so special for me: I tried to translate that feeling when travelling to wild places of curiosity, adventure and exhilaration into a print magazine. I also wanted to collaborate with other creatives and support young writers and female adventurers in publishing their work for the first time; an underrepresented group in travel writing.
In many ways the magazine has been a fantastic success with 6 issues published over the last 3 years, stocked in over 40 of the world’s best magazine stores like magCulture in London, do you read me?! in Berlin and even Mag Nation in New Zealand. We’ve supported 24 contributors to bring their writing, illustration and photography to print for the first time, covering 27 countries in our issues. All from the little known city of Sheffield in England. Several of our female contributors have gone on to become travel writers, writing articles for The Great Outdoors, The Independent and Lonely Planet among many. Others have released documentaries chosen to be shown at film festivals and taken part in art exhibitions. We’ll start updating our website with more information on our contributors.
It’s also been tough starting a new magazine without industry experience; the way most independent magazines start. To even cover costs is incredibly difficult and I’ve spoken to many other magazines that face the same issues so supporting them with things like buying from them direct can really help. Paying contributors when magazines aren’t making money is also a difficult dilemma. All these things I’m going to reflect on with brutal honesty in a coming article.
Starting a magazine is a real joy, working closely with the contributors plus all the fun of the design work that goes into each issue – before receiving with trepidation and excitement the first copies from the printers. Some of the best moments for me were meeting other independent magazine publishers at magazine festivals as well as some of our readers, which was super special. My favourite was IndieCon in Hamburg, one of Europe’s biggest, where I met some wonderful magazine people and their magazines among so many creatives: c/o Vienna, Lena from fourtytwo magazine and Lara from Salt & Wonder.
The physical world of print is a wonderful antidote to our hectic modern lives so I’m grateful for all our readers, supporters and contributors in making our magazine a reality.
Carsten // Editor
In many ways the magazine has been a fantastic success with 6 issues published over the last 3 years, stocked in over 40 of the world’s best magazine stores like magCulture in London, do you read me?! in Berlin and even Mag Nation in New Zealand. We’ve supported 24 contributors to bring their writing, illustration and photography to print for the first time, covering 27 countries in our issues. All from the little known city of Sheffield in England. Several of our female contributors have gone on to become travel writers, writing articles for The Great Outdoors, The Independent and Lonely Planet among many. Others have released documentaries chosen to be shown at film festivals and taken part in art exhibitions. We’ll start updating our website with more information on our contributors.
It’s also been tough starting a new magazine without industry experience; the way most independent magazines start. To even cover costs is incredibly difficult and I’ve spoken to many other magazines that face the same issues so supporting them with things like buying from them direct can really help. Paying contributors when magazines aren’t making money is also a difficult dilemma. All these things I’m going to reflect on with brutal honesty in a coming article.
Starting a magazine is a real joy, working closely with the contributors plus all the fun of the design work that goes into each issue – before receiving with trepidation and excitement the first copies from the printers. Some of the best moments for me were meeting other independent magazine publishers at magazine festivals as well as some of our readers, which was super special. My favourite was IndieCon in Hamburg, one of Europe’s biggest, where I met some wonderful magazine people and their magazines: c/o Vienna, Lena from fourtytwo magazine and Lara from Salt & Wonder.
The physical world of print is a wonderful antidote to our hectic modern lives so I’m grateful for all our readers, supporters and contributors in making our magazine a reality.
Carsten // Editor
Get our monthly newsletter for inspiration + adventure stories
Success!
Get our monthly newsletter for inspiration + adventure stories
Success!
