Little Free Zines was founded in July 2025, sparked by a rejection that hit differently. I’d gotten used to hearing “no,” but this time, something had shifted. It made me realize how short our time is and that if I could use mine to help other creatives share their work, then it would be time well spent. 

I’d previously worked on literary magazines and, separately, on Little Free Library projects. Eventually, those two worlds came together: what if we created zines that could live in Little Free Libraries, bringing writing directly into neighborhoods?

Since launching, we’ve begun collaborating with other literary magazines to explore print partnerships and shared projects. We also began partnering with nonprofits to create informational zines and pamphlets to help share resources and ideas with a wider audience. 

What started as a moment of disappointment became a growing effort to make creative work more visible and accessible beyond the screen.