Yesterday, September 23rd, was a national holiday here in Japan. I took part in the Flea Market & Zine Fair hosted by @market_horinouchi, so this time I’m going to share some updates and give you a recap of the event!

Table of Contents

• 📸 I’ve started trying out the GR III

• 🍿 Zine Showcase: From Our Readers

• 🍁 A Day That Feels Like the Start of Autumn

• 🧃 How to Get Strangers to Buy Your Zine

• 🍄 Designing Covers That Make People Want to Peek …

• 🥑 Explaining Your Zine in a Way That Engages Peop …

• 💐 Zine Events Are a Blast for Zine Lovers

• 🕺 See You Again Next Tuesday

📸 I’ve started trying out the GR III

Since last Friday, I’ve been using the GR III for certain reasons, which I’ll reveal soon, so stay tuned!

These are some photos I took in Shinjuku last Friday. It’s my first time using a GR, and I’m finding it a fun and easy-to-use camera🔥

🍿 Zine Showcase: From Our Readers

A while back, I mentioned that I’d love to feature zines from “Love the Indies” readers in this newsletter, and Chris @gettingwarmer was quick to reach out! So, I’m excited to introduce his work to everyone.

His latest zine, "Amateur Cartography: Huevos De Raptor," is a collection of photos he took during a recent trip to Costa Rica, exploring themes of adventure, isolation, and ecology.

Here’s what he had to say about Costa Rica:

“Costa Rica is an incredible place.

In a world of environmental exploitation and loss of biodiversity, Costa Rica has found a way to balance economic need with conservation of land, water, and animals.

As a former animal nerd kid, it’s a paradise. The country is teeming with majestic fauna and flora. You never know what animal or exotic plant you might come across in any given moment.

With Amateur Cartography: Huevos De Raptor, I wanted to capture this beauty in a quiet way while also touching on the loneliness that can come from being in a foreign place.”

He also shared his thoughts on the process of making zines:

“The process of creating a zine, the tangibility of it, makes it feel special.
Going from concept to photo selection to layout to printing slows me down and makes me think about my photographs in a more meaningful way.

The best part is getting it into the hands of friends and family. I sold my zines via Instagram and spent a week shipping them to folks around the world.

I feel like I have more control over how my photographs are presented by putting them into a zine rather than posting them on the internet.”

He mentioned that he showed his photos to participants in a photo zine-making class at the Photography Center Northwest in Seattle, as well as to friends, and received objective feedback. This process helped him finalize his photo selection and create a cohesive zine.

This is such an important process because, let’s be honest, it’s easy to want to include photos that don’t quite fit the theme just because we like them. But sticking to the “one zine, one theme” rule and getting objective feedback like “Hey, does this really fit?” can make a zine so much stronger.

Such a great approach, Chris. Thank you! And if you’re interested in his zine, reach out to him!

I’m planning to regularly feature zines from readers, so if you’ve made a new zine, feel free to reach out to me on Instagram!

🍁 A Day That Feels Like the Start of Autumn

Yesterday’s HORINOUCHI MARKET was a six-hour event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. It wasn’t just zine creators; people selling handmade clothes, plants, and more also took part, making it a diverse and lively event.

Tokyo’s summer this year was unbearably hot, but yesterday, I finally felt a hint of autumn. The cool breeze was refreshing, and the market, held near a temple and local shopping street, had a peaceful, laid-back vibe.

This time, I shared a table with fellow photographers YOUNG HAMA and Gaso. Coincidentally, our friend John’s table was right next to ours, so we ended up with a great lineup of photo zines.

🧃 How to Get Strangers to Buy Your Zine

I’ve participated in zine events many times before. Of course, most people there don’t know who I am. Some browse my zines and move on to the next booth, some ask questions, and some even buy every zine I’ve made because they love my work.

Through these experiences, I’ve started to think about how to sell zines to people who have no idea who I am.

🍄 Designing Covers That Make People Want to Peek Inside

In a zine event, people won’t buy your zine unless they pick it up and look inside first.

I’ve mentioned in previous editions that zines don’t have to follow the rules of traditional books. But at zine events, where you’re showing your work to a broad audience, it’s important to present it in a way that makes people curious about what’s inside—just like in a bookstore. In other words, the cover design is crucial.

People are naturally drawn to faces, so for my new issue, 404 not found Issue 02, I designed the cover with a large image of a woman’s face. I noticed many people passing by our table looking at it with a curious expression, wondering what kind of zine it is.

🥑 Explaining Your Zine in a Way That Engages People

Once someone picks up your zine, I always try to explain what it’s about.

In the beginning, I wasn’t very good at talking about my zines. I’d often find myself regretting not saying certain things after the event ended, thinking, “I should’ve explained it like this.”

Over time, I’ve learned to describe what makes my zine unique and why it’s worth checking out. Explaining it to family or friends is one thing, but it’s a completely different game when you’re talking to strangers.

It’s almost like a sales pitch, where you have to choose your words carefully to make people who had no intention of buying suddenly want to.

💐 Zine Events Are a Blast for Zine Lovers

There are still so many tips for succeeding at zine events. There are lots of things I’d love to try out myself, so I’ll keep sharing my thoughts on zine events regularly.

And if there’s a zine event happening in your town, definitely check it out! Zine creators love to collect zines too, myself included. I always end up buying a bunch of zines at events. So, if you’re looking to sell your zines, a zine event is a fantastic opportunity.

Try searching “zine fest (your town’s name)” or “zine fair (your town’s name)”—you’re bound to find some events to join!

🕺 See You Again Next Tuesday

That’s it for this week’s edition.

It’s already been over a month since I started this newsletter🔥 Keeping it up weekly is pretty tough, but the messages and comments from readers really keep me going.

If there’s something you’d like me to write about, feel free to drop me a message on Instagram or in the comments section here. See you next week!