the just femme & dandy mixtape
a new type of publishing project
For the last four years, we have published our artists on our website and printed the first two issues of our magazine. As we consider the varying issues challenging the sustainability and ethical practice of both print and online literary magazines, we have felt the need to re-envision the platform, form, and model we publish from—one that remains true to our mission to move away from the institutional model of litmag publishing.
an image of the just femme & dandy mixtape logo - a black record with just femme & dandy’s logo at the center, above the words just femme & dandy in red, and mixtape in black written script
This reflection led us to create the just femme & dandy mixtape. Rather than a traditionally printed or online magazine, the just femme & dandy mixtape will include a fold-out poster of the cover, broadsides, zines and mini-chapbooks, stickers, and other separates packaged within a 12x12 vinyl dust jacket. The first just femme & dandy mixtape will include a curated selection of pieces from the first four issues and the second mixtape will include a curated selection of pieces from the most recent three issues. After the second mixtape, all future mixtapes will offer curated pieces from our rolling submissions.
By cutting down on printing and shipping costs, we can be more intentional about artists we feature. As a paying market, we will also pay a small percentage of our proceeds to the artists whose work is included, which we will sell with our mixtape as well as individual pieces on our website (stay tuned for those links later this summer) as well as at zine fests and other type vendor-based events. The just femme & dandy mixtape is inspired by the growing contemporary and historical curation of musical artists’ features with their records, as well as the offerings of independent artists who busk their comics, zines, stickers, and pins, fighting against the growing theft of AI and the exploitative partnerships with larger institutional storefronts.
Pre-orders are currently open, and we accept sliding scale from $15-$30! We plan to ship all orders after June 1.
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This project is funded and supported by Critical Minded, an initiative to invest in cultural critics of color cofounded by The Nathan Cummings Foundation and the Ford Foundation.