Spring Warehouse Sale: Elly’s Picks!

In case you missed it, the Spectacular Spring Warehouse Sale is going on until April 6th! Elly has a few favorites included in the sale that she wanted to make sure you knew about, Check ’em out below, and if you decide to snag one, just use code SPRING2025 at checkout to get 50% off.


Getting Things Done – When I first started at Microcosm ten years ago and could no longer manage my work in an extremely ad hoc and disorganized manner, this book saved my bacon. It’s a classic for a reason. Great for figuring out how to get the shit done you need to in way less time with way fewer tears.

The Silence of Our Friends – A timely and bestselling graphic novel about the Civil Rights Movement, and a playbook for the advocacy skills and alliances we need to rebuild now. Illustrated by the incredible Nate Powell (of March fame, but, fun fact, Microcosm published his first book!)

How to Get Rid of a President – This is exactly what books are for, folks, to learn the skills you need to succeed in life.

Thomas Paine and the Dangerous World – A children’s picture book about the guy who wrote maybe the most famous zine in history.

Head Case is a memoir by Microcosm’s editorial manager Lex Orgera about how she coped with her father’s Alzheimer’s. Lex is a poet and all-around brililant and empathetic writer and this book has resonated so hard with other readers who’ve been there.

Incredible Doom – this comic by Matthew Bogart and Jesse Holden brings you RIGHT back to the online 90s, when you’d bike to your friend’s house to log into a BBS.

Will It Waffle? – I got a $2 waffle maker at yard sale last year and messing around with weird stuff to waffle-ize has seriously been a highlight of the last year. A very low price for joy. And seriously, there are no limits to what will waffle!

Spectacular Spring Warehouse Sale- 50% Off Over 800 Books & Zines! (EXTENDED through 4/6!)

We need to clear our a bit of space in the warehouses to make room for new stock, so we figured now’s as good a time as any for a big spring cleaning sale.

From now until the 30th, get 50% off any of the titles tagged Spring Sale when you use coupon code SPRING2025 at checkout.

There are over *800* books included in the sale, so to help, we’ve made a few special toplists with popular subjects to get you started. There are some great picks in kid books, witchy things, and a bunch of Microcosm-published titles!

Plus, you can use the subject search filter at the top of the page to narrow things down by category, like if you want to search for all the books included that are about activism.

The sale runs until March 30th, Update: the sale has been extended by one week, through April 6th!, so you still have a little time to snag yourself a book (or two!) as treat. Or maybe a friend is going through it right now and needs a boost. (Aren’t we all)?

Thanks for support our shenanigans.
<3 Microcosm

Is Print-on-Demand a Class Issue? w/Jane Friedman | A People’s Guide to Publishing

Print-on-demand books have been called cheap, low quality, and the publishing equivalent of fast fashion. But is that true? What are the upsides of publishers using POD? How do publishers know if POD is the right call? Jane Friedman of The Hot Sheet is back to talk about it!

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

Portland Queer: Stories of LGBTQ+ Life in Portland, Oregon

Keep Portland Queer!

Portland, Oregon, is a queer city in the queerest state in the US. It’s also a place where, like anywhere in this country, you can experience bigotry, violence, and discrimination. Out of these contradictions bursts this sparkling collection of first-person stories—a heady mix of fiction and fact—written by contributors from across the queer spectrum and beyond, serving vulnerability, humor, and realness.  

Immerse yourself in familiar scenes and landmarks like Washington Park, Caffe Mingo, the Silverado, Powell’s City of Books, Umbra Penumbra, St. Mary’s Academy, the Lloyd Center Mall, Hawthorne Boulevard, Food Front Co-op, Darcelle XV, a ghost bike installation, a backyard barbecue, a call center during third shift, and the many bridges over the Willamette River. Read Gabby Rivera’s original story that became the hit novel Juliet Takes a Breath. Revel in David Ciminello’s tale of a waiter who falls in love with a straight guy from the café next door. Learn Marc Acito’s answer to the question “Where do you find hot men in Portland?” Elevate your vocabulary with Stevie Anntonym’s “Lesbian Lexicon.” Whatever your orientation, these accounts of queer and trans life in the Rose City will make you see the world and your place in it from a different angle.

This new edition of the Lambda Literary Award-winning anthology includes a poem by Nastashia Minto and stories by Christa Orth and Kalimah Abioto, along with a new introduction from editor extraordinaire Ariel Gore.

Read on for an excerpt of Portland Queer: Stories of LGBTQ+ Life in Portland, Oregon edited by Ariel Gore, available for preorder from our site (shipping starts now!) or your local bookseller (officially hitting shelves 5/6/25)!

(more…)

Spread the Zine Revolution

Unbannable. Unbeatable. Distributed out of a backpack!

In this Year of Zines, we’re exploring all kinds of ways to dig into our DIY roots in the ever-expanding underground, where art and ideas to flourish beyond the clutches of the mainstream—and the powers that enforce it.

In this spirit of kicking it old school and under the radar, we made this flyer that you can print and distribute yourself in and around your community. Print and copy, grab a stapler, and head out into your small world armed with resources to empower your kindred, comrades, and neighbors!

From library bulletin boards to lamps posts to the local infoshop, reclaim the commons while spreading the zinester spirit. This flyer features cool stuff we proudly publish, but we want to be just one piece of a thriving autonomous network of zine creators crafting passionate pocket publications about what they love and why. You can help make it happen. So pick up your tools, invite a friend, and join the cause—zines forever!

If you have a zine you think makes a good fit with Microcosm, give our submissions guidelines another look and get in touch!

Why are bugs so cool? w/Karyn Light-Gibson (author of BUG LIFE) | A People’s Guide to Publishing

Just in time for spring, we’re talkin’ bugs! They’re everywhere, whether you like it or not. And they’re such cool little critters.

Bug Life author Karyn Light-Gibson joins Joe and Elly this week to talk about entomology, the importance of maintaining bug populations, how the book could have been much, MUCH longer, and fun insect facts.

Bug out!

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

Spectacular Spring Warehouse Sale Next Week!

We’re doing a big sale next week!!

We need to make some space in the warehouses for new stock, and figured, hell, let’s make it a party. We’ve got some great things lined up for it, including some limited-stock titles, and a bunch of Microcosm-published things! The sale will run from Thursday the 20th through the 30th, and newsletter subscribers will get access to the coupon code on Tuesday!

Not subscribed to the newsletter? It’s a great way to keep up on some of our latest news and updates and shenanigans. Sign up at microcosm.pub/newsletter

More soon!
Abby

How can you teach experts to write a book in a day? w/Jelani Memory | A People’s Guide to Publishing

Jelani Memory (of DK Publishing and A Kid’s Co) is back to talk about The Workshop Method, how Kid’s Co is able to get subject matter experts to write quality kidlit, often in under a day. With over 200 books under their belt that have been created through the Method, it’s a proven successful way to get words on pages to help kids learn.

Prefer an audio experience? Listen to the episode on your favorite podcast app.
Get the People’s Guide to Publishing here, and the workbook here!
Want to stay up to date on new podcast episodes and happenings at Microcosm? Subscribe to our newsletter!

March Zine Blast

When we said Year of Zines we meant it!

We publish new zines each and every month (you read that right!), and we want to make sure you don’t miss any that could help you change your life and the world around you. So every month this year, we are sharing a roundup of what’s been released, and maybe a few sneak peeks at what’s ahead in the zine pipeline. Let’s dive in for March!

A Pocket Guide to Natal Astrology: Birth Chart Basics by Maia Sky
This zine will empower you to navigate your astrological fundamentals while fostering a deeper appreciation for the intricacies of the ancient art and science of astrology. Whether you’re birth chart curious or an avid student of the stars, this expertly-organized and highly-detailed guide will build your knowledge and confidence in essential astrological information, from signs and houses to aspects and angles and lots more.

Public Speaking for the Awkward & Overwhelmed by Elly Blue and Joe Biel
Have you ever clammed up, lost your train of thought, or stumbled over a word during a presentation? Talking in front of people can be hard, but fear no more! Elly Blue and Joe Biel put their heads and their 40+ years of combined public speaking experience together to create this zine of helpful suggestions, strategies, and practices, ready to support you any time you have to yap in front of—and really connect with—an audience.

Bigenital Revolution: My (Very) Graphic Guide to Nonbinary Gender-Affirming Phalloplasty by Hyde Goltz and Jey Pawlik
Go on a journey with Hyde Goltz, one of the first people to ever have bigenital surgery—basically, they have two functional sets of genitals. Hyde shares the intimate details of their experience getting this revolutionary surgery as a nonbinary person. Graphic, humorous, and heartwarming, this comic is for anyone who wants guidance and encouragement for this process—or to understand the experience of a loved one who’s pursuing it.

Managing Neurodiverse Workplaces: Autistic and ADHD Teammates & How Good Management Strategies Simply Benefit Everyone by Joe Biel, Elly Blue, and Andrew Coltrin
Accommodations don’t need to mean sacrifice or lowered expectations—by shifting focus from individual diagnoses to playing to all workers’ strengths and abilities, this zine will help you to support employees with completing their tasks, getting past blocks, and avoiding burnout. To be a neurodiversity-friendly employer is to make it easier for every one of your staff to excel—neurodivergent and neurotypical alike.

Upside Down Punks: The Strange but True Story of That Fugazi Basketball Hoop Show by J. Hunter Bennett and Mickey Lynch
In the summer of 1988, a star-struck teenager with zero concert promotion experience booked a fledgling DC punk band called Fugazi to play a decrepit gymnasium in a forgotten section of Northeast Philadelphia. Attendance was sparse, conditions were sweltering, and the sound sucked. And it was legendary.

Sabotage & How to Master It by Office of Strategic Services and Joe Biel
Read along to see 1) how the state weaponizes individual actors to disrupt collective efforts, 2) tactics to watch out for in your groups and collaborations (and within yourself!), 3) ways regular people can hack back against destructive forces through simple, nonviolent means that require no tools, skills, or training. Why let the CIA have all the fun!

Baking with Baddies: How to Succeed in Business, from a Multidimensional Cookie Creative by Via Carpenter
For bakers, business owners, and budding entrepreneurs, this zine gives you a step-by-step guide to small business success. From refining your mission to networking, getting tax help to dealing with burnout and discrimination, this zine is full of sound advice that can be applied to all kinds of small business and start-up situations.

To stay on top of the latest Microcosm news, including the zines digest delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter! Also often includes cute pet pics and good (bad) puns.

Punk Rock Entrepreneur: Running a Business Without Losing Your Values

Want to make a living without selling your soul?

Do you have an idea for something that you want to share with the world but don’t know where to start? Want to make a living without selling your soul? Have a business plan but can’t afford to buy anything up front? This book is for you. 

Punk Rock Entrepreneur is a guide to launching your own business using DIY methods that allow you to begin from wherever you are, right now. Caroline Moore talks (and illustrates!) you through the why and how of business operations that she learned over years booking bands, organizing fests, sleeping on couches, and making a little go a long way. Engaging stories and illustrations show you the ropes, from building a network and working distribution channels to the value of community and being authentic. The second edition features a new introduction by Lookout! Records co-founder Larry Livermore.

With first hand accounts from touring bands and small business owners, this book gives you the inspiration and down-to-earth advice you’ll need to get started working for yourself.

Read on for an excerpt of Punk Rock Entrepreneur: Running a Business Without Losing Your Values by Caroline Moore, available for preorder from our site (shipping starts 5/31/25) or your local bookseller (officially hitting shelves 8/26/25)!

(more…)