The Making of Wandering Through Life: Thailand
A pop-up newsletter on the process of creating a photo magazine from scratch
Hello there 👋
If this is the first time you're reading my work, my name is Mattia, and I'm a designer, photographer, and writer based in Barcelona. I’m about to start working on the next issue of Wandering Through Life (you can check out the first issue here), focused on Thailand, and I’m launching a pop-up newsletter to document the process.
In this pop-up newsletter, I’ll take you through the entire process—from concept to completion. I’ll share my thought process, insights, and mistakes (because there will be plenty).
I’ll also dedicate a section to paper selection and hand-binding, as I’m planning to create a fine-art, handmade limited edition.
What is a pop-up newsletter?
A pop-up newsletter is a temporary, time-limited newsletter—an ephemeral experience that lasts only until the magazine is released. It’s a concept that challenges the relentless stream of content creation that defines our time.
Once the newsletter ends, all emails will be deleted, and no further messages will be sent.
What to Expect
A raw, behind-the-scenes look at making a photography magazine from scratch, with all the challenges and decisions along the way. It won’t be perfectly polished, but it will be real.
Some of the topics I’ll likely cover:
- Laying the foundations – Choosing themes and topics
- Editing – Sorting through the catalog and selecting the right photos
- Storytelling – Writing essays, pairing and sequencing images
- Design & layout – Bringing it all together visually
- Creating a handmade fine-art edition – Selecting paper, format, and binding techniques
- Setting up a Blurb version – Preparing for print-on-demand
- Promotion & sales – Getting the magazine into people’s hands
Timings & frequency
I’ll send updates weekly or bi-weekly, depending on progress. No filler emails—just meaningful updates.
As said before, once the newsletter ends, all emails will be deleted, and no further messages will be sent.