The first step toward the 'books I want to make' that fall through the cracks of 'books that sell.' Why I am participating in ZINE Fes

The card book I showed on note the other day has finally been printed. With cards featuring vegetable illustrations on the front and recipes on the back, along with a holder to keep them together, I will be exhibiting at ZINE Fes Sendai on Sunday, June 28th. This time, I'd like to talk about 'why ZINE Fes'.

That's it, I can do it with a ZINE

I have published many books through publishers so far, but there are still countless things I haven't done. For example, since I became a soup writer, people around me have been telling me something periodically.

You should make soup recipe cards

When I see a recipe book and want to make a dish that looks good, I want to have the book at hand while I cook. However, few people have a kitchen large enough to have space to leave an open recipe book. You also don't want to handle a book with hands that are sticky from touching meat.
With cards, you can stick them on the refrigerator door or kitchen wall with magnets or masking tape. You can look at them even if your hands are dirty.

Aside from the meaning of a book you read through, in terms of practicality, cards are the best for recipes. Also, since many food photos are beautiful, they can be used like pin-ups.

However, many editors don't easily tell me to make recipe cards. In reality, there are valid reasons, such as printing costs, management issues as a product, and the fact that if you actually make them, the price ends up being relatively high and they don't sell as well as expected.

The people who want me to make cards are ordinary people who have nothing to do with the publishing circumstances of recipe books. And, inconveniently, those are the very people I want to deliver my recipes to.

Last year, seeing so many people selling handmade books at the Literature Flea Market, I thought, I'll make and sell my own too! I decided on ZINE Fes because it feels more like merchandise than a book.

Once I decided to do it, the rest was simple. I drew the pictures, photographed the food, laid it out in Canva, added the text, and sent it to the printer to have the cards printed. For the holder to bundle the cards, I properly asked a designer to make a cute yellow holder. I couldn't leave everything to the pros because I didn't have enough budget, but the result is something I want to praise myself for.

Creative experiments for the next era

Besides recipe cards, I have ideas for various recipe printed materials (I dare not call them publications) that I want to try. For example...

Cooking can really be viewed from many different perspectives, and I think there is an incredibly wide range of expressions for recipes. However, in the current market, there are many books that are inevitably difficult to make, things that are difficult to sell, and projects that are difficult to realize even if an editor wants to do them. It's partly the era, and it's not that publishers are bad. But there isn't a day I don't think about how I wish I could do more ideas that don't fit the standards and freer expressions.

In every era, what creates the next era is something that seems eccentric, lacks empathy, and therefore looks like it won't sell. The correct answer for the next era can only be found in things that are wrong when judged by current norms.

And people who are trying to create such things are called creators. The reason why the Literature Flea Market and ZINE Fes are thriving now is that creators are starting to gather in search of places to create.

It's not that I want to move the world in a big way. But ever since I started this job, what I have always kept in mind is to provide new designs for home cooking. I want to present new forms and values to everyone's lives and have many people live brightly and cheerfully. So first, I decided to face the direction I believe in and move my body and hands.

This recipe card is a small step that started from such thoughts. The reason I started drawing again after a break is also here.What is the meaning of a culinary expert drawing pictures?I will talk about that a little more deeply next time.

The story beyond the cards

These recipe cards will first be available for sale at ZINE Fes (I will be attending the festival with my supporter, Noriko Morisako, and we will be there together!). I will also have them on hand at my own upcoming events, such as talk shows and cooking classes. I will definitely announce these events on X and Instagram Stories, so please be sure to check them out.

I know there are some of you who would like the cards but cannot make it to the festival or events. However, at this stage, I do not have any staff, so it is difficult to manage. I will think about it and come up with a solution.

I am looking for bookstores that handle ZINEs and would be interested in purchasing them in bulk. We can discuss details such as pricing. I would appreciate it if you could send me an email. If you are in the Tokyo metropolitan area, I can visit your shop.
soupariga☆gmail.com (please replace ☆ with @)

I intend to do my best as a newcomer in this field. Please support my activities. Let's aim together for a world where creators can spread their wings even further.

Click here for ZINE Fes details.