OPEN CALL: The Zine Shop

Open edition, print-on-demand zines
shipped worldwide

Jing Oliver

The Process

  • Zines in MEMORY CULT are print-on-demand publications produced through Blurb and listed through the MEMORY CULT shop. Each zine is shaped by the photographer’s process meeting the photographic culture of MC. Each copy is open edition and shipped worldwide. Our zines function as loose, experimental, exploratory bodies of work rather than resolved professional objects. They are built to serve as a physical destination for photography with direct distribution worldwide.

  • Zines in the shop are produced and fulfilled through Blurb and follow one of two publishing paths: either you design the zine and MEMORY CULT handles selling and marketing, or we collaborate on the design and MEMORY CULT manages publication under our brand.

  • Zines hosted in the Memory Cult shop receive a 60% share of profits. When a zine is designed and produced by MEMORY CULT, the photographer receives 40% of profits from sales.

  • At launch, each zine includes professional product photography, one promotional reel, one promotional carousel, and a featured placement in the MEMORY CULT journal.

    After release, zines continue to receive ongoing visibility through MEMORY CULT’s existing channels, including newsletters, email outreach, advertising, and the MC membership. This structure is designed to support sustained discovery and steady, passive sales over time.

Janine Oswald

 
The Details

  • If the member designs the zine:

    Zines created by members remain the intellectual property of the creator. They may be sold or distributed independently through other platforms without restriction. MEMORY CULT retains only the non-exclusive right to sell the zine within the shop.

    If MEMORY CULT designs the zine:

    Zines designed and produced by MEMORY CULT remain the intellectual property of MEMORY CULT. These works are exclusive to the MC shop, include the MEMORY CULT branding on the spine and may not be resold, redistributed, or reproduced elsewhere.

  • Membership in MEMORY CULT (Active or Silent) is required to publish in the zine shop. Only current members are eligible to create and sell work through the platform, ensuring the shop remains an extension of the community’s shared practice rather than an open submission space. Each member is automatically eligible to publish, with no additional approval process beyond membership status.

  • To begin, members submit a simple pitch below outlining the concept, intent, and material direction of their zine. This can include sample images, sequencing ideas, or a written proposal—there is no strict format, but clarity of direction is essential. Once approved, the zine moves into production through Blurb, either fully self-designed or developed in collaboration with MEMORY CULT. From there, it enters the shop workflow for design finalization, publishing, and launch preparation.

Daisy Bennett / Rachel Koszka

  • "It will forever amaze me how the things you carry deep inside at some point explode and become when you have the proper environment for it to happen."

    Ofelia, Nova Scotia, Canada

  • "With your work, your questions, and your feedback, you bring out things that lie deep within us and release them."

    Sally, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany

Zine Pitch

Outline the concept, intent, and material direction of your zine

AJ Tamari

View The Shop

Issue 02 — Fall 2025

Issue 01 — Spring 2025