Hello Reader,
I have been thinking about how I can do things differently.
I want to simplify—not any of the creative side; editing, designing and publishing UPPERCASE magazine and my books is why any of this exists!—but to reduce the logistical complexity and financial burden of publishing physical things.
I want my business to be less resource-intensive to ensure it is aligned with my environmental values.
I don't want UPPERCASE to exist within the assumption that "successful" businesses are built on constant growth.
More doesn't equal more.
I am looking at less equals more.
A more concentrated version of my business. More time and attention on what matters most.
I am exploring what that word means and all of its positive connotations: focused, compact, strong, intense, deep, centred. A concentration of thought, beauty, kindness and community during this time when we need all of these things so very much.
I have lots of ideas and inklings. But I am starting with the logistics first, to reduce the physical and financial challenges of managing thousands of copies of the magazine every three months. The conundrum is how to do this in a way that doesn't harm my business but enhances it.
If you've been reading my newsletter for a while, you've heard me talk about the necessity of reducing inventory. It is very expensive to pay monthly rent at my printer and weekly storage fees at the fulfillment warehouse. Thus, a small solution, in what has been a very slow summer in the UPPERCASE shop, I am having a 50% off back issues sale.
Back issues simply don't sell on a regular basis anymore. For the first decade or so of UPPERCASE, when storage costs were much lower, having back issues available to sell between new subscriptions was an excellent business strategy; it really kept things going when the magazine was still "new and exciting" and being shared widely in the good old days of early social media. In the early years of the pandemic (2020-2021), back issues were also popular. Now, I sell about 40% of what I used to sell in back issues in a year. There are numerous factors for this decrease, which I won't delve into here, but it is past time I recognize that the economics of printing more no longer work in my favour. (For those of you unfamiliar with commercial printing, the per-unit price drops the higher your print quantity.) Now, if I have extra back issues in the warehouse, they can end up costing me an extra $5 apiece in total rent if they don't sell within three years.
I am also giving away some inventory that is currently housed at my printer here in Canada. If you're a Canadian non-profit, school, educator, event or community group that could use multiple cartons of back issues (30 per carton), please be in touch via this form.
The easiest solution going forward is to reduce the print run so that inventory sells out more quickly. I've been hesitant to do to this, mostly due to my (mis)conception that reducing my print run means the magazine is not doing well. It's doing fine! UPPERCASE has 7400 subscribers for the current issue #70 and hovering at 6800 subscribers for #71, which I'm sure will go up in the weeks ahead.
I hope the limited quantities will also encourage new subscriptions and faster renewals. (hint hint!) I'm still figuring out the math, whether to reduce by 500 or 1000 copies, but I'll need to let my printer know soon since issue #71 (Oct-Nov-Dec 2026) goes to the printer next week.
Speaking of which, I've got pages to design!
Thank you for reading all the way to this point. Here's a gold star for you: ⭐
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Janine Vangool
UPPERCASE magazine publisher / editor / designer
(and customer service, too!)
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Tell your creative friends about UPPERCASE!
Share the discount code 'perfectcircle'
for CA$15 off subscriptions and renewals.
Trump tariffs
Trump's latest illogical tariffs threaten a 50% tariff on a long list of things, and includes some paper products, including blank notebooks.
- Diaries, notebooks and address books, bound; letter and memorandum pads and similar articles, of paper or paperboard
This will seriously affect many Canadian stationery companies who make their items in Canada. Buy Canadian and support Canadian small businesses. 🇨🇦
This tariff means that I must immediately ship the goodies to my Jot Book Patrons located in the USA. I had been holding off to send these later in order to include an unannounced goodie for all Jot Patrons and preorders, but I've scrapped that idea because it is on the above list.
So, if you've wanted to become a Jot Book Patron, today's your last chance. I will remove that Patron listing tomorrow.
❤️ ❤️ ❤️ Thank you to the following Book Patrons who have generously sponsored the book!!! you're amazing!
Noelle S.
Mimi B.
Deborah LeFrank, Visual Life Stories
Marcia M.
George C.
Ronnie Chee
Kim Duke, Kim Duke Writes
Lynn F. Dacosse, Atelier Dacosse
Debbie Rodriguez
bernie kowey
Véronique H.
anonymous
Alison Manning, Vintage Page Designs
Society of Scribes, NYC
This message has been sent to a general list.
If you've already pre-ordered Jot, thank you!!!
If you're already an UPPERCASE print subscriber, thank you!!!
(Please refer to your order receipts from shop@uppercasemagazine.com.) |
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100% of sales from Little U are donated to UNICEF for humanitarian aid in Gaza.
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