Inbox Meets Ink: Why These Indie Newsletters Branched Out Into Print

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In a world where inboxes are constantly overflowing and social media feels more algorithmic than authentic, a growing number of newsletter creators are going analog with print editions of their work. 

Unlike larger media outlets that occasionally dabble in print as a marketing tool or a glossy extension of their brand, these creators are using print as both a deeply personal and experimental medium. There’s no major ad budget here or PR team behind these projects — just a creative vision, a lot of heart, and a few hundred copies to sell.

For writers and curators like Darian Symoné Harvin (Studio Symoné), Joe Erbentraut (Queering the Burbs), and Ali LaBelle (À La Carte), publishing physical editions of their newsletters is more than a nod to nostalgia. Whether rooted in a love of ‘zine culture, a desire for tactile connection, or a strategy to build community offline, their print projects offer a different kind of reader experience — one that lingers on a coffee table long after a newsletter would have been archived (or worse, deleted).

These creators are treating print like an artistic sandbox: a safe space to play with new formats, push the boundaries of their editorial voice, and connect with their readers in a more tactile, human way.

“There’s always debate about whether print is dying. I don’t really care, I’m doing it,” said Harvin, whose Studio Symoné newspaper debuted earlier this year as part of her residency with Sip & Sonder, a Black women-owned coffee brand with locations throughout Los Angeles.

While digital platforms offer real-time metrics that print cannot, these creators have found another benefit to adding analog to their repertoire: freedom. With no open rates or click-through data to obsess over, these creators can focus on what feels good over what performs well.

Print offers a few advantages

An author, multimedia beauty reporter, and social media editor, Harvin had long envisioned print as part of her broader goal to build a media company and community rooted in beauty, politics and pop culture. The inaugural issue of the newspaper was printed at Magenta Color Print in Los Angeles and included a directory of local nail artists; original reporting on the beauty industry’s response to wildfires; and a custom cover designed by Harvin’s longtime friend Nick Mansell. 

“The newspaper is this ongoing experiment and a place to play, a place to have fun. It’s a place for me to do all the things I want to do,” Harvin said. “I want to be a creative director. I want to assign pieces. I want to edit. That was a big part of Studio Symoné in general. I don’t want to be the only person covering this work. There are so many women, specifically Black women, who want to do this.”

While Harvin’s original goal was to sell 100 copies of her newspaper, she ended up selling 150 issues at $20 and giving away even more at local events. Although about half of her sales came from her newsletter audience, Harvin said. Instagram also helped sell some copies.

That same emphasis on design and providing a tactile experience for readers resonates with LaBelle, whose À La Carte newsletter celebrates creativity, personal style, and everyday beauty. A creative director by trade and the owner of her own branding studio, print is a big part of the work LaBelle does for clients. After writing her newsletter for about a year and a half, she was antsy to bring a more tactile experience to readers that include events and product partnerships.

“I really wanted to bring À La Carte offline, and a print issue of the newsletter felt like such a natural next step for me knowing that design is such a big part of my life,” she said.

To help keep costs low, LaBelle used a digital printing tool, Mixam, to print her first issue, a holiday guide that launched last November. She sold out of all 500 copies within four days. 

“If I’d gone to my regular printer, I’d be selling this little print issue for $40, and I wanted to keep it at an accessible price point for people, especially if people are already paying for my newsletters,” she said. “Asking people to pay more money than what they’re already paying is tough and so I wanted it to be something that they would be like okay, that’s worth it.”

So far, LaBelle’s sold about half of the 1,500 copies she printed of the summer issue, which was published in June and sold for $18 each. “It’s been doing really well and it’s been a fun way to get À La Carte into people’s beach bags and their carry-ons and take some of what I write online and allow people to interact with it in real life,” she said. “Doing a holiday issue and a summer issue gave me a lot of insight as to what was creatively fueling for me. I haven’t decided if I’ll keep doing it or if this was a one-and-done project.”

In addition to selling copies on her website, LaBelle also hosted an À La Carte newsstand at Platform, a curated outdoor mall in L.A., to celebrate the release of her summer issue. During this one-day event, she also gave away printed guides to Los Angeles and À La Carte-branded hats. The newsstand also featured specialty sundries and aperitivo from L.A.’s Bucatini grocery store.

“It felt like an extension of the À La Carte universe, and that was really fun,” she said of the pop-up. “What’s fun about the print issue is that there are only so many things you can add into your [newsletter], but print allows you to really aesthetically dive into a world that digital newsletters just can’t.”

Erbentraut, another newsletter writer, also approached print as an experiment, but one with purpose. After moving from Chicago to the suburb of Batavia, Illinois, they launched their newsletter in 2020 as a way to connect with the local queer community. Given the instability of his day job in the media, Erbentraut was looking for ways to amp up his newsletter.

“I had some friends who’d published ‘zines, and I was like, ‘Why can’t I do that?’” he said. “We don’t have to wait for someone else to give you permission to put your story out in full form.”

Queering the Burbs #01 launched in fall 2024 at a goth-themed queer prom, and the bright pink cover featured a “brilliant murder goose illustration” by artist Jaime Torraco. The second print edition, Queering the Burbs #02, which was released earlier this summer, has a bright yellow cover and features yet another illustration by Torraco, this time of a duck donning Western Wear and wielding a lasso. 

“Everyone’s sick of social media, everyone’s sick of their inbox,” said Erbentraut. “So when you put out a physical ‘zine that people can hold in their hand or sit on their coffee table and then a friend picks it up, it reaches people in a different way than just trying to get people to sign up for a newsletter or a social media post.”

Five lessons for newsletter creators interested in print

For creators who are considering adding a print component to their newsletter, the lessons from Studio Symone, Queering the Burbs, and A La Carte are both practical and inspiring. Here are five takeaways to keep in mind if you’re looking to bring your work from inbox to in-print:

1. Start small and scrappy — but whatever you do, just start

You don’t need a professional designer, a publishing deal, or a warehouse full of inventory to get started. Erbentraut laid out his first zine in Google Docs, printed copies at Staples, and stapled them by hand at home. Instead of getting overwhelmed by the logistics, consider a limited run (25-50 copies) to test interest. A smaller batch also allows you to iterate and learn as you go.

“The first edition of the Studio Symoné newspaper is just a [one-page] spread,” Harvin said. “There are no additional pages or inserts. So if you’re intimidated by the process, start small and build out from there.”

When it comes to costs, Erbentraut recommends selling print products for three times the cost to print them, especially if you’re going to make them available at wholesale price to retailers.

“If you’re only selling direct, it’s up to you — you have more flexibility then to charge closer to what it costs you,” they said. “Due to my zine’s length, it costs me roughly $5 to print one. There’s a bit of variation depending on which printing option has the best deal or coupons when I’m re-upping my supply.”

2. Create something people want to keep (and display)

A newsletter might be skimmed and archived in under five minutes, but a beautifully-designed print edition has staying power. LaBelle approached her A La Carte print issues like a collectible lifestyle object. “Look at the magazines you love or anything you’ve collected and think about what it feels like to read them that’s different from reading something in your inbox,” she said. “Because that’s what people are paying for, ultimately, is the physical experience.” Consider how your printed project can evoke a feeling — whether it’s inspiration, nostalgia, or joy — and design around that.

3. Let your timeline be your own

Not every print project has to be seasonal or on a strict cadence. Harvin decided early on that The Studio Symone Newspaper would follow her own rhythm, not the publishing industry’s. 

“I realized I wanted to do more of what is in flow versus forcing myself to meet these deadlines,” she said. “There’s just something about being in devotion to what you’re doing and that being what pushes you forward and is holding you accountable versus this big, dark deadline.”

Instead of committing to a rigid quarterly or annual release, give yourself permission to publish when it feels right and when you have something meaningful to say. As far as the time it takes to put it all together, that depends on the creator and their creative process.

“Both of my zine editions so far have taken me about two months to put together,” Erbentraut said. “For me, that process includes identifying the existing essays I want to include, writing the new essays exclusive to the print edition, editing my work, laying them out in print, ordering test prints, making tweaks, and allowing enough time for the issues to get printed.”

4. Use print to deepen, not duplicate, your brand

Print isn’t just a rehash of your newsletter in another format. It’s a chance to expand the universe you’ve built online. For example, Erbentraut’s zine includes a mix of repurposed content and exclusive essays and original artwork from local collaborators. LaBelle’s pop-up newsstand event featured imported sundries and curated city guides to match the À La Carte vibe. Harving’s newspaper served as a companion to her residency, tying together physical space, digital storytelling, and community engagement. When done right, print becomes an ecosystem—an invitation to readers to step inside your world.

5. Use print as a conversation starter and a community builder

Each of these creators emphasized that print helped them connect with new audiences. Erbentraut got their zine into local bookstores, salons, and even a vegan bakery. Harvin saw offline sales spike during launch events and pop-ups. LaBelle noted that strangers picked up her print edition simply because it “looked cute” and caught their attention. A printed project is more than a product — it’s an opening line that invites dialogue, connection, and discovery in ways that digital alone can’t always replicate.

“I absolutely think it’s been worth my time,” said Erbentraut. “I’ve had so many people discover my work through encountering my zines out in the real world, through retailers carrying it or friends who have it on their coffee table. It brings my work to people who aren’t necessarily as tuned into online newsletters and helps grow my audience.”