Why Self-Publish Under Fascism?

There are an incredible number of young people that are making zines right now, alongside older people like myself that never stopped self-publishing. For some people, this will likely be a phase and something they age out of when it stops fulfilling whatever it is doing for them now. Others will keep going, as I have, and change their approaches to publishing, or the themes of their work, as their lives change and as our world is transformed by dramatic ecological, political, and social shifts. 

As the US becomes increasingly repressive, and as libraries, universities, and schools suffer constant threats and attacks, our freedom of the press cannot be taken for granted. Self-publishing has long thrived in the margins. In our current climate it’s more important than ever that people consider owning the tools and developing the skills to spread information, messages, stories, documentation, ideas, and art in tactile ways that they can produce in multiple. 

I hope this collection of reasons to self-publish under fascism motivates others to be bold and continue making things in a public way, no matter how bad it gets. I hope that self-publishing helps others find a strong supportive community. My personal and group work in publishing has helped me connect with countless people everywhere who have chosen this creative path, as well as generous readers who offer help, kindness, and encouragement in their own ways. Self-publishing is life-sustaining.

— Marc Fischer / Public Collectors