Start A Zine Publisher Business - Business Ideas

Updated: September 15th, 2022
Start A Zine Publisher Business

Please note that the data provided in this article are estimates and may vary depending on various factors, and should not be considered as perfect or definitive.

Zine publishing is an alternative publication by people who want to distribute their ideas without the limitations of traditional magazines. Zine publishers determine the layout, choose images and content, and can take the zine publication in any direction they wish.

Since zine publications are deliberately low-tech, low-cost publications, you can begin the business without particular expertise in a news publication.

Starting a zine publisher business requires a great deal of effort, dedication, and most importantly passion.

If you're interested in how to sell zine publishing services, or selling zine publishing services online, you can use this page as a guide for everything you'll need to know.

Key Stats

market size
$125B
starting costs
$5.89K
gross margin
65%
time to build
210 days
growth
Organic social media
business model
Subscriptions
time investment
Full time

Startup Costs

Min Startup Costs Max Startup Costs

Office Space Expenses

$0

$7,000

Training & Education Expenses

$0

$1,000

Software Expenses

$0

$594

Advertising & Marketing Costs

$0

$2,750

Website Costs

$13

$215

Specific Industry Expenses

$0

$100

Total Startup Costs

$13

$11,659

Successful Businesses

Business URL Rank

Slate Magazine

slate.com

2,200

Flipsnack

flipsnack.com

5,839

CFO

cfo.com

96,548

POWER Magazine

powermag.com

121,626

BIC Magazine

bicmagazine.com

447,951

Shri Ram Hospital

shreeramhospital.com

1,716,297

Publishers & Writers San Diego

publisherswriters.org

1,892,079

Onion Business – The leading digital news source for the Onion Industry and the business of selling onions

onionbusiness.com

2,795,957

ANTIGRAVITY Magazine

antigravitymagazine.com

4,391,102

Fifth Estate

fifthestate.org

5,633,055

Pros & Cons

Pros Description

Flexibility

You can put as much time into the business as you'd like. If you like the work and have some initial experience, you can start small and manage all aspects of the business on your own.

Ability to start your business from home

It's not necessary to have a physical storefront or office space to get your business started. You can do everything from the comfort of your own home, at least in the beginning!

Little startup costs required

The cost to start a zine publisher business costs significantly less money than most businesses, ranging anywhere from 12 to 11,659.

Rewarding work

Starting a zine publisher business can be really rewarding work. After all, you are solving an immediate issue for your customer and you're working on something you truly care about.

Scalable

With businesses and processes changing daily, there will always be demand for new features, products and services for your business. Additionally, there are several different business models and pricing tiers you can implement that will allow you to reach all types of customers.

Traffic to your website

A zine publisher business gives people a reason to visit your website and to keep coming back to you!

Cons Description

Crowded Space

Competition is high when it comes to your zine publisher business, so it's important that you spend a good amount of time analyzing the market and understanding where the demand lies.

Constant maintenance of publication

You may find yourself constantly needing to update your zine publisher business in order to stay relevant for your audience and for those searching on google.

Lack of benefits

With a zine publisher business, you are typically self-employed and responsible for finding your own insurance, which can be quite costly and time-consuming.

Isolation

Often times, as a zine publisher business, you typically work alone and do not have much face-to-face interaction with other team members.

Taxes

As a zine publisher business, you typically pay self-employment taxes which can be quite high. It's important to understand what you will be paying in taxes each year so you can determine if the work you're taking on is worth it.

No safety net

Typically, as a zine publisher business, you do not receive a consistent pay-check and instead earn money based on your transactions each month. During the slow periods, you typically take away less since the job is based on commission. It's important to budget accordingly for the slow times.