How a High Schooler Started a Magazine
Print is NOT Dead - Volume 8
Hello Everyone! Welcome to the Revelry Collection newsletter. Today I wanted to share something special with you—an interview I recently did with FieldMag, where I talk about the journey of starting the Revelry Collection Magazine. In a day and age where most print publications are closing up shop, one may ask the question “Why do it?” Well, here is your answer. Without further ado, my interview with FieldMag…
FieldMag Interview
Most high schoolers these days have their sights set on YouTube and TikTok. What made you want to make a magazine?
I always enjoy a challenge and doing something people say won’t work, and a magazine project definitely fits that bill. I wanted to create a magazine because I wanted to offer people a place away from the screens and away from the constant notifications. I wanted to offer a destination where you could explore the world without all those distractions. You don’t need cell service; it’s just you and a magazine. It’s a slower experience where you get to explore the world in a more intimate way compared to other platforms, such as social media.
How long has Revelry Collection been in the works, and how are you balancing a project as large as a magazine launch with everyday life and school?
This magazine project has been in the works since December 2023. In the past year, I have been learning everything from how to design a magazine to setting up e-commerce and how to file sales tax. To say it has been difficult is an understatement. There have been many times that I wanted to give up, but the smile people will get from reading these stories makes it all worth it.
At times, it has been difficult balancing everything: school, life, the magazine, friends, and trying to get outside as much as possible. Being homeschooled has helped a lot as it gives me the time and space to work on other activities—such as this magazine—once the books are put away.
What do your parents and friends think about your mission to launch a magazine?
My family and friends have been super supportive; they have always encouraged my entrepreneurial spirit. To be completely honest, I don’t think they really thought I was going to make this magazine until this past fall. It was always kind of a pipe dream; like, “Ohh, one day, it will happen.” Then one day I was showing my parents a sample of the magazine that I had created, and they both were like, “Ohh, this is a real thing.”
Who are some of the contributors in the first issue, and how did you go about sourcing them?
Some contributors in the first issue include Isaac Johnston, Taylor Burk, Alex Strohl, Jeff Marsh, Lawson Chapman, and more. I wanted to find people who showcase adventure in a real and raw way. I didn’t want the picture perfect; I wanted to find people who are going to share about a person or place from an authentic perspective.
I just cold emailed most of them. I asked them if they wanted to contribute to a new print-only adventure magazine that was exclusively shot on film. It was amazing the response I got; they were thrilled to share their adventures. I think they were ready for something different……
Thanks for reading the RC newsletter. Instead of swiping out of this email and then scrolling through Instagram, let’s go on a hike outside where there is no cell service. And while you’re out there, why not read a magazine (may I recommend Revelry Collection?)
Print is BACK! Help us prove it!
Signing off, Bentley Zylstra (Editor & Founder)
Cool interview. A real feat to put this togeather and get it to print. I really do think what you're doing here has value. I was born in 1980 and was of the generation that was young enough to adopt a rapidly changing world and how we operate in it, but old enough to remember the great print that was available and how much of life was spent with people doing things as aposed to being glued to our screens.
Later in life I've returned to much of the stuff I grew up with, film being one of them. There's a reason why we are seeing a resurgence in the "physical". Whether it be film, cassette, vinyl, print. Entire generations have grown up with nothing but digital versions of those things. With nothing tangible. Without the experience of making a mixtape or having to wait for film to come back from the lab. And, I think your age group up through the 20s is yearning for something "real" which is why we are seeing them adopt this stuff again.
Nice!