Should independent newsletters launch their own print editions?

PLUS: How creator brand deals are evolving

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Should independent newsletters launch their own print editions?

The writer behind a popular food Substack launched a print edition for paid subscribers:

When the decision to go into print was finally made, around six months ago, Team Vittles were torn about whether it would be a longer-term commitment or just a one-off. For the first three months of the process, “issue one” was not “issue one”, but “issue zero”. (“Because ‘issue one’ is committing to more issues,” [Vittles founder Jonathan Nunn] explains.)

They’d seen the upfront costs associated with print, and weren’t convinced the magazine could be anything more than an occasional, loss-making pet project. But as they stayed on schedule, and didn’t go over budget, and didn’t find any hidden costs, Nunn decided they should commit. Issue one is now profitable and the first meeting for issue two – which will be themed around “bad food” – was last week. Priced at £20 per copy, Vittles is promising to be published twice a year.

We've seen several legacy publishers relaunch their print products in an effort to strengthen their brands. I could see more and more independent creators experimenting with annual or even quarterly print zines to stand out from the competition or reduce churn. The costs are relatively low as long as you design, print, and mail the zines yourself.

How AI is speeding up the animation process

New AI tools are allowing animators to reduce their production time by as much as 80%. While this threatens traditional animation jobs, it could also make it much easier for creators with limited resources to launch their own cartoons:

Jeffrey Katzenberg, a former chairman of Walt Disney Studios and a co-founder of DreamWorks Animation, has predicted that by next year, it will take only about 50 people to make a major animated movie, down from 500 a decade ago. If he were founding DreamWorks today, Mr. Katzenberg said of A.I. on a recent episode of the podcast “The Speed of Culture,” he would be “jumping into it hook, line and sinker.”

Why Disney is still the best at monetizing IP

When Lilo & Stitch came out in the early 2000s, it wasn't even a monster hit, but the company was able to keep introducing it to new generations of children and then built a massive merchandise operation around the franchise:

At PetSmart, you can find a Stitch squeaker toy for your dog. The discount chain Five Below has Stitch neck pillows, portable power banks and slime. Stitch clothing and accessories line the shelves at Primark. Yoplait offers berry- and cherry-flavored Stitch yogurt. Even Graceland has a tie-in collection of Stitch pompadoured plushies dressed in various Elvis Presley ensembles. If you’re overwhelmed, don’t worry: There’s also a cottage industry of TikTokers who devote their entire accounts to showcasing the latest Stitch-centric items to their legions of followers.

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How creator brand deals are evolving

Alix Earle is a good example of how the biggest creators are moving beyond mere sponsorship deals and instead fully integrating with brands — to the extent that they’re launching products in collaboration with the companies and even taking equity in them:

Earle, in a few short years, has gone from University of Miami undergrad to shrewd dealmaker, putting her name behind multinationals including Amazon and L’Oréal and investing in the prebiotic-soda brand Poppi, which PepsiCo announced that it was acquiring for $1.95 billion in March. Getting equity in a growing company has expanded her outlook on how she does business.

“It’s really taught me to look at brand deals and brand partnerships in a bigger way than just taking a check,” Earle says. “And really betting on myself—seeing what’s the most we can get out of this, and how far can we push it.”

How a Pulitzer winner preyed on female journalists

Wesley Lowery was a fast-rising star in the journalism world, having won both the Pulitzer and George Polk Award by his early 30s. But to many of his female colleagues, he was a sexual predator, one who pushed alcohol on them and then cajoled them into non-consensual sex. It was only after years of this behavior that several women came forward to report him, which then triggered his ousting from American University and the other institutions that employed him:

At the time of these encounters—which spanned from 2018 to 2024, when he had reached the height of his media stardom—each of these women viewed Lowery as a professional contact, someone they knew socially and looked up to, not as a romantic partner with whom they were engaging in consensual sex. Until now, some had feared making noise about Lowery, beyond telling a few confidants. “He was the golden boy, held up on this pedestal,” [Imani Moise] said. She deeply felt his importance to journalism, to American culture, to so much. “He was Mr. BLM.”

ICYMI: How The Future Party collaborates with the world's largest brands to host events

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