I made 16 Zines in 14 months, so here is a summary
From April 2025 to June 2026, I created 16 Zines.
I am a 33-year-old full-time worker who is also raising children (aged 3 and 8). So, I have summarized the evolution of my bookmaking process.
By the way, this article is incredibly long, but as you read it, you might feel comforted to realize that "even people who look like they are used to events are actually quite clumsy." Let's do this!
Also, I do a little bit of mail order, so please buy them!!! Think of it as saving a life!!!
📘 Bookmaking: Season 1 - Trial and Error Edition
So, I would like to look back on the books I made one by one, along with my memories of them.
By the way, my bookmaking process is roughly divided into three seasons.
Season 1: Trial and Error Edition ← 5 books
Season 2: Cute Appearance Edition ← 8 books
Season 3: Solid Structure Edition ← 3 books
They transition about every six months.
While I was writing this, I was quite anxious about whether this would be helpful to anyone, but what do you think... Hehe...
I would be happy if you could use this as some kind of hint, thinking, "Oh, so there are people who acquire knowledge this way too..."
☀️ Book 1: Finding a Hobby. (Published: April 2025)
Ugh! Dark history!!!!!!
The very first Zine I made. I didn't know my own style at all, so I remember thinking, "For now, let's try putting things I often write for work into book form." and making it.
That's why it looks so much like a practical guide, isn't it?
24 pages in total, stapled.
I thought, "Let's try participating in an event," so I planned it and dashed it off in about 10 days.
I was afraid to draw for the cover, so I relied on AI. Thinking back, I could have just drawn it myself.
At one of the events I participated in, someone told me, 'I won't buy anything that uses AI,' so I stopped using AI in my production after that.
By the way, I had been asking a printing company to handle the binding from the start. Based on various past experiences, I knew that it was impossible for me to bind books neatly...
If I had to do the binding myself, I don't think I could have made Zines. That kind of work is truly painful for me... I've never even been able to fold origami properly...
By the way, before I started selling, I had never even attended an event like a Zine festival as a general visitor. I started selling without even having an image of 'what kind of products are displayed'.
As for sales, they didn't exactly fly off the shelves, but they didn't fail to sell at all either. I remember going home with the feeling of, 'Well, this is about what I expected.'
🍞 2nd Book: Things That Become Nothing (Published: June 2025)
This is also a dark history, isn't it? A 50-page essay collection.
A series I thought I would make while looking at my reading notes.
I wanted to write essays that were about 2-4 pages per article, easy to read, and would make the reader think, 'Oh, that's a nice thing to hear.'
Around this time, I wasn't really paying attention to things like 'readability.' If I were doing it now, I'd probably leave more space between the lines.
Also, I had a strong sense of being bad at making covers, so even here, I went through a mysterious process of 'taking a photo -> processing it with AI -> painstakingly repainting it myself' to create the image.
Furthermore! At this time, I didn't understand the 'role of a cover' at all.
The flow of 'having someone notice it and wonder what it is, having them roughly guess the content, and having only those who are interested read it...' is something I couldn't create with this cover.
I reflected on this later, but at this time, my focus was still on the 'joy of having made it'.
👶 3rd Book: Wisdom (So that I don't end up hating myself.) (Published: August 2025)
A 24-page practical book.
It's a practical book, but with the inspiration of, 'It's a Zine, so why not make a cover that I think is cute!' I started making cute covers.
I decided that I would definitely use my daughter for the cover. Because for me, when I think of someone with 'insanely strong self-esteem,' it's my daughter.
At the time, I had just recently recovered from postpartum depression, so I was thinking,“I wish there were some self-care books that were written in a humanities-style, with lots of references and citations.”
If I were to do it now, I would probably add some illustrations and make it look cuter and more approachable. But well, that was the best I could do at the time.
🌊 4th Book: To You, Young One, and Me. (Published: August 2025)
A 100-page collection of short stories. I wrote many of these while I was living in Canada.
I made this because I wanted to show that while I can write practical books and essays, I can write other things too.
When I look at works born from this desire to claim, “I can do this, I can do that,” I wonder what I was trying to achieve. It completely lacks a reader-centric perspective.
But well, I do like the writing I produced when I was feeling naive, so it feels like something I made for my own self-satisfaction.
If I were doing it now, I would have a solid plan from start to finish, decide on a theme, make the cover look much better, and come up with a title that has a strong hook, something that makes people go, “Whoa, what is this?”
But well, you just have to do what you can with what you have at the time. It’s just like life, isn't it?
🐰 5th Book: The Source of Knowledge (Published: September 2025)
Oh! I finally started drawing the cover illustrations myself. Around this time, I began trying to explore what my “personal style” might be.
This is a book packed with trivia and bits of knowledge. I was trying to establish some kind of character by “reading lots of books” (it was a very weak character).
I made this book for my fourth event appearance, but the person next to me was selling a ton of stuff, and I completely lost my confidence.
It was also the moment I felt deep in my bones that “you have to make products so that their meaning is understood the moment someone sees them.”
The experience of having the person next to me sell out and get scouted by a bookstore, while no one stopped at my booth... was truly, deeply embarrassing.
I remember that after the event, I couldn't sleep at all when I got home, and I spent the whole time writing in my diary, thinking about what I should do from then on.
After this, I went through a period of devouring books on VMD (Visual Merchandising), store layout, and customer service.
Also, around this time, I realized I had absolutely no stamina, so I started jogging. My stamina didn't increase that much, but jogging is fun, so I've been keeping at it in my own sluggish way.
📘📘 Bookmaking: Season 2 - The Cute Appearance Edition
So, Season 2. Based on the realization that “books that look good are easier for people to pick up with peace of mind!!!!,” this was a period where I worked hard to make my books look better.
That said, I don't have any design sense or artistic talent, so I was basically struggling the whole time.
But well, as I continued, I gradually got better at it, and by the time I was making my 8th book this season, I was able to create things little by little that said, 'I think this kind of thing is cute.' Consistency is key in everything.
🍋 6th Book: Daily Report of Gunoyo (Published: September 2025)
After feeling down, I got motivated and made this book with the mindset of, 'For now, I'm going to make the most 'cute' thing I can possibly make right now!!!'
I compiled 4-panel comics of original characters I've been drawing by habit for a long time. 68 pages.
It was my first time submitting manga for printing, and it was tough having to think about resolution...
Around this time, a conviction began to take hold in me that 'the illustrations I draw are loose but have character, and aren't they just cute?' began to take hold of me.
🪻 7th Book: Things That Become Nothing (Published: October 2025)
So, from the 7th book on, the style of drawing my own pictures and adding illustrations became established. A collection of essays.
For the title, I really loved the title of the second book I made, so I decided to just borrow that title.
It's autobiographical, or rather, an essay where I wrote a lot about myself. I like essays where young women ramble on about themselves like this. I wanted to read something like that myself, so I made it.
📕 8th Book: It's Meaningless to Read Books (Published: November 2025)
A reader said to me, 'If you read that many books, let me hear your theories on reading,' so I thought, 'I'll do it,' and wrote this book.
I really liked this book myself, and after that, I went through three editions, rewriting almost the entire thing each time. It was the book where I learned the joy of 'responding to people's requests.'
This was also the first book where I 'decided on a theme first and wrote toward that theme.' In the first edition, this didn't go well at all, and the content ended up feeling very scattered.
But through this book, I got to know many people. It is, without a doubt, my favorite book.
🦆 9th Book: For Nights When You Need to Cry (Published: January 2026)
Aren't square books cute!??!?!!?! I thought, and made this book on impulse. 20 pages.
The event where I first sold this book was 'ZINE Fes Yamanashi'.
I live in Saitama Prefecture, so going to Yamanashi felt like an 'expedition.' I remember very well how much fun it was to ride a train I didn't know while checking the transfer search over and over again, and packing my carry-on case with souvenirs on the way home.
At this time, I made a few friends in Yamanashi, which also made me incredibly happy.
Making books creates an 'excuse to go far away.' Since I am a homebody, I rediscovered the great realization that events are actually pretty good.
🌹10th book: I choose this one (Published: January 2026)
A book where I commissioned an Indonesian illustrator for the cover. It's truly cute! I want to reprint it, but I don't like my own writing...
If I were to reprint it, I would want to reorganize it more neatly, but I don't know how to go about fixing it.
I made this entirely in Canva, including the layout. I took quite a risk with the desire to 'make the pages cute.'
📘11th book: Reading books is meaningless [2nd Edition] (Published: January 2026)
Since the first edition sold out, this is the second edition. I rewrote it extensively. I held my head in my hands thinking, 'The first edition was way too confusing about what it was trying to say.'
The process of rewriting is always fun; it was a lot of fun.
👓12th book: Don't die, little girl, I came from the future (Published: February 2026)
When the 7th book, 'Something That Becomes Nothing,' sold out, I liked the writing so much that I thought I would make an expanded and revised edition... but while working on it, I ended up rewriting it quite thoroughly.
In the end, I didn't know how to sell this book, so I let it go out of print as soon as it sold out. But by being able to write this, I felt like I had finally conveyed most of the big things that happened in my life that I had always wanted to tell someone.
It was good, it was good.
🐢13th book: Making books and falling in love with it (Published: March 2026)
The square book trend is continuing.
I've made over 10 books, so I felt it was okay to make a book about how 'making books is interesting.'
It feels very much like a practical guide, packed only with information like, 'There was no book that taught me these things when I was struggling with bookmaking.' For me, it was the best book.
I made this entirely in Canva too. I realized, 'If I'm allowed to be this free, then naturally I can include emojis in the text,' so I included quite a lot of them.
I feel like the text became quite easy to read.
📘📘📘Bookmaking: Season 3 - Solid Structure Edition
And so, the third season.
Around this time, I started getting asked for "new releases" more often at events.
Because of that, rather than just wanting to increase the number of copies sold, I gradually started feeling like,"I want people I meet to keep thinking that Morise writes good prose,"which is how I felt around this period.
While paying attention to the structure in my own way, I started aiming for books that are "fun and light enough to read in one sitting, but leave you feeling glad you read them!"
I don't know if there will be more changes after this, but for now, this is the season I'm in...!
👻 14th book: How to Break a Tiny Curse (Published: April 2026)
This is also a book I made because a reader requested it. I'm still struggling with it because I don't feel like the final result is quite satisfying...
📘 15th book: Reading Books is Meaningless [3rd Edition] (Published: June 2026)
It's the 3rd edition!!! I rewrote it to death. My own writing in the previous two editions was so embarrassing that I thought, "Why did I think I should sell this! You idiot!"
That said, I also feel like I was able to write it until I was satisfied.
Also, starting with this book, I decided to add English titles. I thought that if someone from overseas came to an event, having an English title might help convey the vibe a little...
You can buy this book via mail order ▼
I started studying how to write novels around this time, so I was thinking of making a book that you can "read through smoothly in one go" by being conscious of cliffhangers.
🖌️ 16th book: Why Do You Create Even Though You're Bad at It? (Published: June 2026)
A book born from a DM conversation with someone I became friends with when I participated in an event in Tochigi.
While I was passionately arguing, "You have a talent for writing, so you should definitely make a book," the table of contents just sort of floated into my mind. I felt like I had a lot to say to "people who want to create but can't take that first step." I quite like it, for now...
I made this book right before hosting my first event, and I also had the feeling that I wanted to support people who are making something for the first time.
I'm patting myself on the back for how cute it is that the cover is a pair with "Reading Books is Meaningless."
You can also buy this book via mail order ▼
Skills and Environment [Things I had before I started creating]
So, I have looked back on those 16 books.
By the way, my method of making them isn't very reproducible. But well, life is usually not reproducible anyway, so I guess it's fine...
Whenever I read success stories of famous people, I sometimes feel like "Hey, you were basically guaranteed 'success' in life the moment you were born to those parents and in that environment.", and I want to keep holding onto that sense of discomfort.
So, finally, I will quickly write down the skills and environment I had.
🐻 Skills
In a word, I am doing a 'reincarnation with skills suited for bookmaking'.
● Writing
...Since my main job is a writer and I have always loved writing and reading since I was a child, I didn't find creating text to be painful.
● Structuring and Planning
...Since I often create book writing and planning articles for my main job, methods like 'first make a plan, then work backward to think about the table of contents and structure' weren't that difficult. But I'm not good at it.
● Reading Notes
...This is also big. I am the type of person who pours most of my disposable income into books. Furthermore, I have a habit of transcribing the interesting parts of the books I read into analog notes, categorizing them, and organizing them. When I started making books, I had notes for hundreds of books. Now I have a bit more. When I write a book, I get most of the material from these notes.
● Basic Design
...It's really basic, but since my job is in public relations, I sometimes do design work in practice. But I'm not good at it.
● Drawing
...I was a geek, so I used to draw pictures too. But I'm not good at it. I started adding illustrations I drew myself around the 7th book.
● Knowledge of Bookbinding
...I belonged to a literary circle in college. That circle was the type that made club magazines many times a year and also participated in the Literature Flea Market. Because of that, I had a general knowledge of bookbinding. On top of that, I was clearly aware that I was bad at and unskilled at bookbinding.
● Knowledge Related to Printing Shops
...Since I submit flyers and pamphlets for work, I had some knowledge of what kind of data is needed when leaving printing to a printing shop.
By the way, even if you start in this state, if you sell 50 copies at one event, it feels like 'a miracle happened.' Usually, I go home happy after selling about 20-30 copies. My luggage is also super heavy with inventory on the way home. At the Literature Flea Market and Zine Fes, people who have 'never written a sentence in their life' are selling tons of copies, so skills and sales don't really correlate. Hahaha.
🐰 Environment
● MacBook Air
...My partner. Ever since I accidentally chose a Mac when I was a college student, I've been using a Mac for no particular reason. Basically, I did over 90% of the work on the Mac. I don't use a smartphone.
● iPad and Apple Pencil
...I used them with Procreate when drawing illustrations.
● Procreate
...Drawing software. It costs less than 2,000 yen for a one-time purchase, and you can draw very happily.
● Canva
...I'm not a professional designer, so Canva. I use it for work too, so I have a paid plan. I don't have the money to subscribe to Adobe... For a book of about 24 pages, I make everything including the main text just with Canva.
● egword Universal 2
...Software for creating vertical layout typesetting on a Mac to a certain degree of beauty. Actually, Adobe InDesign is better, but I don't have the money for that...
That is all.
So, I have put together a quick summary.
Looking back at it, I realize I have been making nothing but silly books. But well, these past 14 months were truly a time when I thought a lot about zines and used my brain for all sorts of things while trying to make them as good as possible. It was fun.
I wonder if I will keep making them in the future. The next one is the Zine Fes Yamanashi in September, so I might start worrying about it again around August.
That is how it is. Let me know about your own book-making journey too!
Promotion
They are also available for mail order!!!
If you purchase one, you get to hear three of Morise's "Lucky Meals of the Month," which has been quite popular and is considered very convenient (by me).
That is all!!! Thank you so much for reading.
It is hot out, so please eat some nice food in a cool place.
Lucky meals of the month
Paella
Clam miso soup
Karamucho
See you again!!!!