November 22, 2024
I haven’t always realized the connection between punk rock and indie publishing, but both worlds taught me to value independence and creativity. Looking back, I see now that the two aren’t just linked by a similar ethos but also by my own personal journey into both cultures. I’ve been part of both scenes, and the more I think about it, the clearer it becomes how deeply intertwined they are—not just in philosophy but in practice.
I hadn’t really made this connection until I read this recent essay in Racket about the Minnesota Indie Horror Publishing Scene. Then I couldn’t stop thinking about it.
For me, it all started in the late 90s. I wasn’t immediately drawn to punk rock for the music itself but for a boy I had a crush on. He wore a leather jacket covered in safety pins and patches—you know I have always been drawn to rebellion (shout-out to The Rebel Newsletter, RIP). I had no idea what they meant, who the bands were, but I was drawn to them. It wasn’t long before I realized that punk rock wasn’t just about the fashion (though I did dream of that jacket draped around my shoulders from time to time, and maybe it even was once, I am so fucking old I don’t remember if it actually happened that one time, or almost happened, or if it was just in a dream); punk rock is about rejecting mainstream norms, finding your own voice, and creating art on your own terms. It was about doing it yourself—and this was something I could relate to, because I was obsessed with zines.
The punk scene, Riot Grrrl scene, and zines were where I truly found my voice. Zines, those DIY magazines created by fans and bands, were my first real experience with self-publishing. They were rough, photocopied, often messy—but that’s what made them so raw and real. I remember making my first zine in high school, a collection of thoughts and poetry and secrets and rants. It wasn’t polished or professional, but that was the point. I was contributing to a community that didn’t need anyone’s permission to exist. In the world of punk rock, everyone had a voice—whether you were writing about music or politics, or just about your own life. This DIY spirit became the foundation for my own publishing journey.
Jump ahead a decade(s), I began self-publishing my own books. Covid lockdown hit and I was tired of waiting for a publisher. I decided I was done waiting on someone else for a yes. It wasn’t easy, but it felt right at the time. Punk rockers had long known the power of self-production, whether in music or art, and I had learned from them. I was following the same path—creating, printing, and sharing without corporate interference. The thrill of being part of something that wasn’t controlled by the mainstream felt empowering. The punk ethos and indie publishing, both born of rebellion, offered a space for expression that was free of outside constraints. I put out that first workbook in a month, for the good and the bad of it, I just went for it.
Zines were fundamental to the punk scene, but they also shaped indie publishing. I devoured zines when I was young because they felt like they were made by people just like me. Many of the zine creators eventually turned their passion into published books, taking that same raw energy into the world of literature. The idea of publishing for the sake of getting your voice heard, not just to make a profit, was a key takeaway for me. It was about creating something real, something that felt authentic, no matter how small the audience.
Both punk rock and indie publishing reject the mainstream. Punk’s “do it yourself” approach, seen in the music industry where bands recorded their albums on low budgets, mirrors the way indie authors self-publish their works today. We were, and still are, creating our own spaces—spaces that don't conform to corporate rules. It’s a rejection of the commercial systems that often shape our culture, and it’s one of the reasons I fell in love with both punk and indie publishing. There’s a power in independence.
Looking back, it’s clear to me that my punk rock roots and my zine-making days directly influenced my choice to self-publish. I wasn’t looking for approval or a “proper” publisher to say I was good enough. I wanted to make my work accessible, just like punk rockers made their music accessible to fans by touring small venues and recording on their own terms. The punk rock culture I found at 14 through a big crush gave me the confidence to reject the conventional paths and create something true to who I was—something that wasn’t watered down by outside forces. And in the world of indie publishing, I found the same freedom.
I don’t know if I will always self-publish and only work with small presses, but its where I started and it a world I have loved.
Anyway, you can read the piece in Racket that inspired this letter here.
Cheers to creating and cheers to your rebel yell.
