Friends,
Seven weeks ago, I ran this poll where I sought feedback on a creative project I was dreaming up. Eighteen of you said youād consider buying it, which was far more positive signal than I needed to continueš„¹. Buoyed by your belief and energy, I made it to the finish line!
Untethered: āHow Wanderers Travelā is finally here. You know, the one Iāve been teasing hereāisnāt it unwise and there, saltwater salvation. The forty-four pages of prose, poetry and pictures that I promised you. The exploration of travel in both the physical and the personal dimensions. The creative collage that weaves the stories from five talented guest writers who all travelled or wandered in ways that were often similar, and yet quite different too.
Yep, that one. āUntetheredā leaves the nest this very day and gets to stand on its own two feet. Itās no longer an idea that needs the warm shelter and cuddle, itās out and about eager to find its audience.
Iām launching the digital version of Untethered: How Wanderers Travel today.
I hope youāll consider buying it. You can find it here!
As added motivation for you, my loyal subscribers, I figured it would be fun to show you some behind-the-scenes content. Earlier this week, I printed a few physical copies of the magazine and bribed asked my friends to shoot some marketing videos for the project. Here are some outtakes, bloopers, and early cuts from our time in the sun.
rare footage of writer using āTKā in real life
is it a zine, a zeen, or a magazine?
unabashedly honest, totally incorruptible reviews from seasoned literary critics
This week has been a hell of a lot of fun. Iāve worked as a designer, editor, marketer, and sales guy. I tried (and failed) to haggle with a local print shopāturns out itās expensive to print forty-four pages of colorāhow would I have knownš„². But then I found it is possible to sell physical copies that print on demand (using a service like Blurb) at a profitable margin. I stayed up till 4am on Monday night fiddling with their design software until I got the design suitable for sample copies. So yeah, if the reception for the digital version is strong, Iāll consider producing physical copies. Anyway, thatās for another day.
Today, we celebrate the digital launch. Someone asked me how many copies I thought Iād sell and I couldnāt guesstimate. I donāt know anyone doing anything like this. Itās very much an experimentāto see if thereās a market for singular, contained collections of writing that arenāt books. And if there is one, maybe I can do this on an ongoing basis. But Iām fairly certain I wonāt sell zeroāone of the guest writers has kindly enlisted her mum to buy one copy so the cash register wonāt be silent.
Thank you for being a part of the journey that birthed this project. Hereās how you can help if interested:
Check out my Gumroad page and consider buying the magazine.
Share your feedback or testimonial (in public or private)āIād love to know how the project made you feel
Like or Retweet my launch tweet thread or follow #UntetheredMag on Twitter
Have you run a digital/print magazine before? Tell me your experience in the comments or reply to this email
Keep your eyes peeledāthereāll be a free giveaway in the next week on Twitter (yes, I refuse to call it X)
Until next timeš¤š½ā¤ļø.
Iām in only a few pages and love it so far! Itās looks so slick too... great production, Iām impressed. Happy launch, Tobi!