✂️ The zine we made together
Work Unseen 01 – out in the real world
THE UNPOSTED
a zine by Work Unseen readers
It’s here: the first Work Unseen zine.
A photocopied paper feed made of posts, scraps, notes, screenshots, and the stuff we meant to share but didn’t.
No likes. No tags. No algorithm.
Paid subs and folks who submitted will receive a real-life copy in the mail (yes, with a stamp). They hit the USPS today – I’m addressing the envelopes now!
This is an experiment. A remix. A pause
Social media, but slower. And on paper
Download color PDF version here
Here she is in her glory –
Behind the zine: THE UNPOSTED
Why make a zine in 2025?
Why not? I wanted to build something with the readers of Work Unseen. Not just talk at them. Something that captures a slice of the moment we’re all in—thinking about the internet, about what we post and don’t post, about the pressure to perform every passing thought online.
And I wanted it to arrive. In your actual mailbox. With your name on it.
Written in ink, on paper envelope.
Because opening an email is not the same as opening a letter.
There’s excitement.
Pleasure.
A little treasure inside.
What surprised me:
I imagined scissors and glue, but I ended up doing the layout on my computer. No high-quality printer nearby, so I adapted. I made a mock-up at the library, then found a local copy shop. (Future me: try a full analog version next time.)
I couldn’t include everyone—45 people submitted (!!), but the page got too crowded, and some images didn’t translate well to black and white. A lot of learning here.
What felt good:
Seeing how fast people responded. The energy. The eagerness.
Made me want to make more. But maybe not a zine next time—maybe a one-page newsletter with sections like classifieds, recommendations, letters. Still weird, still analog. Thank you for participating!
The vibe I’m going for:
Low-stakes. Mailbox joy.
Something you unfold while standing at your kitchen counter.
Nothing too precious. Just a casual, tactile moment that reminds you: oh right, we don’t have to live on screens.
If you submitted, thank you. You’ll be received your hard copy soon!
If you’re a paid subscriber—you’ll get the real thing in the mail, stamps and all.
Please reply with your address!
And if you missed it? Stay tuned. This is just the beginning.
To everyone who submitted to THE UNPOSTED—
I can’t thank you enough.
Reading through your unposted thoughts, scraps, screenshots, and snippets was FUN! There’s something so intimate and human about what we choose not to share—and seeing those moments laid out together made me feel like I was sitting inside a collective diary.
One note: I wasn’t able to credit everyone by name this time around. I realized (too late!) that my submission form didn’t collect names in a consistent way—and matching them to pieces got tricky. That’s on me. I’ll improve this for future issues.
In the meantime, thank you. If you sent something in, you’re part of this.
Your words made it what it is.