it's launch day! Untethered is here

Friends,

Seven weeks ago, I ran this poll where I sought feedback on a creative project I was dreaming up. Eighteen of you said you’d consider buying it, which was far more positive signal than I needed to continue🥹. Buoyed by your belief and energy, I made it to the finish line!

the poll from June24 that brought us here

Untethered: “How Wanderers Travel” is finally here. You know, the one I’ve been teasing here—isn’t 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. “Untethered” leaves the nest this very day and gets to stand on its own two feet. It’s no longer an idea that needs the warm shelter and cuddle, it’s out and about eager to find its audience.

I’m launching the digital version of Untethered: How Wanderers Travel today.

I hope you’ll 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 “TK” 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. I’ve worked as a designer, editor, marketer, and sales guy. I tried (and failed) to haggle with a local print shop—turns out it’s expensive to print forty-four pages of color—how would I have known🥲. 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, I’ll consider producing physical copies. Anyway, that’s for another day.

Today, we celebrate the digital launch. Someone asked me how many copies I thought I’d sell and I couldn’t guesstimate. I don’t know anyone doing anything like this. It’s very much an experiment—to see if there’s a market for singular, contained collections of writing that aren’t books. And if there is one, maybe I can do this on an ongoing basis. But I’m fairly certain I won’t sell zero—one of the guest writers has kindly enlisted her mum to buy one copy so the cash register won’t be silent.

Thank you for being a part of the journey that birthed this project. Here’s how you can help if interested:

1. Check out my Gumroad page and consider buying the magazine.

2. Share your feedback or testimonial (in public or private)—I’d love to know how the project made you feel

3. Like or Retweet my launch tweet thread or follow #UntetheredMag on Twitter

4. Have you run a digital/print magazine before? Tell me your experience in the comments or reply to this email

5. Keep your eyes peeled—there’ll be a free giveaway in the next week on Twitter (yes, I refuse to call it X)

Until next time🤞🏽❤️.