It’s an amazing time for independent publishing, and it’s so easy to publish a print magazine now. Whatever your interests, there’s a publication out there that caters to them. I don’t believe that print is dead (but I’m a bit biased). Here are some independent magazines that I feel deserve your attention and coins.
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Lone Wolf
Founded by Natalia Borecka, Lone Wolf is a quarterly fashion magazine that aims to empower, inspire and educate its readers. Lone Wolf proudly celebrates the unconventional and caters to artists, business women and creative dreamers. It features stunning narrative-driven fashion editorials and intellectual content in the form of interviews, long-form articles and travel pieces. Reading Lone Wolf kind of feels like you’re reading a book. A lot of fashion magazines bore me but I keep coming back to Lone Wolf, as it’s more relatable than most.
I’ve been aware of Huck for a while, but only became a loyal reader about a year ago. The magazine’s roots lie in the surf and skate subcultures and has been going for 10 years. I rate Huck’s commitment to telling stories ignored by mainstream media and strengthening underrepresented voices. Challenging the status quo is something they genuinely take seriously. I know this post is about print, but I’ll just point out that Huck’s Brexit coverage has been particularly awesome. It’s a must-read if you’re into independent/youth/ DIY cultures.
The discussion around internships in the creative industries has intensified in the last few years. Launched via Kickstarter three years ago, Intern celebrates the work of creative interns while encouraging debate about intern culture. The magazine also pays all the contributors for their submissions. The ‘Education’ issue has features on the value of volunteer journalism and a handy guide to invoicing. Anyone interested in the topic of internships should obviously check out Intern. For creatives who are starting out and want to explore career options, Intern is an insightful and stimulating read.
One Of My Kind (OOMK) is an art collective and biannual small-press publication focusing on art, activism and faith. Founded by three British Muslim women, OOMK aims to challenge mainstream media’s misrepresentation of women of colour. OOMK is one of the most visually unique publications I’ve come across. I’m here for minorities using print to tell their own stories and amplify their voices. OOMK also hosts DIY Cultures fair, an annual alternative one-day festival of zines, comics, workshops and talks.
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Typical Girls
Typical Girls magazine wants to create positive representations of women in media and celebrate the diversity of womanhood. Volume Two is all about the female body and has loads of dope contributors like photographer Ronan McKenzie and actress/director Thea Gajic. I love that Typical Girls showcases talented women who are doing amazing things in the creative industries. One of my favourite pieces in this issue is about female masturbation and I recommend you read it. Typical Girls is quickly becoming one of my faves.