Sad Mag

Independent Arts and Culture Print Magazinesadmag.ca

SAD Mag is a volunteer-run, Vancouver-based nonprofit arts publication (founded 2009) that publishes a biannual print magazine, year-round web content, a podcast (SADCAST), and cultural events targeting emerging writers, artists, and underrepresented voices across Canada.

Company typePrivate
Founded2009
HeadquartersVancouver, Canada
Headcount11–50
GTM typeB2C
OfferingDigital Commerce or Content

What Sad Mag does

SAD Mag (legally SAD Magazine Publishing Society) is a Vancouver-based, volunteer-run nonprofit arts and culture publication founded in 2009. It produces a biannual themed print magazine featuring emerging writers, illustrators, and photographers, complemented by year-round web publishing through "SAD Online," a twice-monthly podcast ("SADCAST" hosted on Anchor.fm), and in-person cultural events including launch parties and art shows. The publication distributes through stockists across Canada, a direct online shop (single issues at $15 and subscriptions), and digital back-issues on PressReader and Issuu, and reports reaching more than 10,000 creative professionals per year.

The organization is committed to a Justice, Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (JEDI) editorial framework and prioritizes underrepresented voices (LGBTQ+, BIPOC, people with disabilities) and first-time contributors. Since 2015 it has paid contributor honorariums ranging from $25 to $500 depending on medium and length — a practice described as rare among independent volunteer publications. Production is handled exclusively by MET Fine Printers, a local carbon-neutral printer, with per-issue production costs of $7–8.

SAD Mag is operated entirely by volunteers, including its editorial board, design lead, distribution and events managers, and a Board of Directors; there are no full-time paid staff. Revenue is drawn from five streams: grants (City of Vancouver, BC Arts Council), advertising (from values-aligned businesses via a downloadable media kit), print sales and subscriptions, fundraising events, and individual donations publicly listed on the About page. Its community ecosystem includes 17+ "Friends of SAD Mag" partner organizations and cross-promotional relationships with Rain City Chronicles, PechaKucha, and the Vancouver Art/Book Fair.

Sad Mag firmographics

Firmographics

Name: Sad Mag
Legal name: SAD Magazine Publishing Society
Website: https://sadmag.ca
Company type: Private
Founded year: 2009
Operating status: Operating
Headcount range: 11–50 employees
Short description: SAD Mag is a volunteer-run, Vancouver-based nonprofit arts publication (founded 2009) that publishes a biannual print magazine, year-round web content, a podcast (SADCAST), and cultural events targeting emerging writers, artists, and underrepresented voices across Canada.
Ownership category
akta.pro rank

Sad Mag industry classification

Industry

Product category: Independent Arts and Culture Print Magazine
NAICS: Periodical Publishers (513120)
SIC: Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)
akta.pro primary industry: Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)
akta.pro secondary industry: Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press (MPAJADAH)

Keywords

Independent print magazine
Arts and culture publication
Volunteer-run nonprofit
Emerging artist platform
Creative community media

Where Sad Mag is headquartered

Location

Headquarters

HQ city: Vancouver
HQ country: Canada
HQ region: North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

Sad Mag business model

Business model

GTM type: B2C
Offering type: Digital Commerce or Content
Cost components: Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

Grants: SAD Mag receives grant support from the City of Vancouver and the BC Arts Council for publishing activities and cultural events. The grant writer position is a volunteer role that reports to the Board of Directors and works to identify and apply for additional grant opportunities.
Advertising: The magazine features advertising from select businesses, organizations, and individuals whose values and brand align with SAD Mag's identity. Advertising inquiries are directed to [email protected].
Sales: Revenue is generated through individual issue and subscription sales via the shop at sadmag.ca. The print magazine costs $15 per issue. Sales revenue is reinvested into production for the next issue, contributor payments, shipping costs, and cultural events.
Fundraising Events: SAD Mag organizes parties and cultural events to raise funds. Events are kept free or affordable to maximize accessibility, with revenue coming from bar sales and issue purchases at events.
Donations: The organization accepts donations from supporters. A list of donors to the magazine is publicly acknowledged on the About page, including individuals such as Madeline Barber, Joelle Barron, Veronica Best, and many others.

Pricing tiers

Model	Billing	Price
One time/ perpetual license	Pay-as-you-go	Single print issue
Hybrid	Pay-as-you-go	Print contributor honorariums

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Sad Mag product offering

Product offering

Core offering

SAD Mag is a volunteer-run, Vancouver-based nonprofit arts and culture publication that produces a biannual themed print magazine featuring stories, art, and design from emerging local writers and artists. It complements the print magazine with the SAD Online blog, the SADCAST podcast, cultural events such as launch parties and art shows, and a merchandise and back-issue shop, while paying honorariums to contributors and operating under an explicit Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) policy.

Product overview

SAD Mag is a volunteer-run, Vancouver-based nonprofit publication offering a multi-platform arts and culture media portfolio centered on its biannual print magazine. The core products include the print magazine featuring themed issues with emerging artists and writers, SAD Online for web content, SADCAST podcast, and SAD Events for cultural programming. These offerings work together to support emerging creatives through publishing, events, and community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

Reaches more than 10,000 creative professionals per year through print publication and event programming
+2 more outcomes

Companies that use Sad Mag

Customer profile

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Sad Mag technology and API

Technology

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API: No
API docs
API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Sad Mag partnerships and signals

Strategic signal

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered notable, core and supporting.

Rain City ChroniclesnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerRain City Chronicles is listed as one of SAD Mag's prominent community partners. The organizations cross-promote content and share audiences in the Vancouver arts and culture space.
PechaKuchanotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerPechaKucha is listed as a prominent community partnership. PechaKucha's format of rapid-fire creative presentations aligns with SAD Mag's mission to showcase emerging creatives.
Vancouver Art/Book FairnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Vancouver Art/Book Fair is listed as one of SAD Mag's prominent community partnerships, with cross-promotional activities and shared audiences.
MET Fine PrinterscoreOthersSAD Mag prints locally with MET Fine Printers, a carbon-neutral printing company. This is the exclusive printer for the publication, ensuring consistent quality and sustainable production practices.
Friends of SAD Mag (17+ organizations)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAD Mag maintains a network of 'Friends of SAD Mag' including CAG (Contemporary Art Gallery), Make, Mills Basic, Obscurior, Poetry is Dead, Rain City Chronicles, Real Vancouver Writers Series, Remington Gallery, Rethink, The Lab, Mocktails, Metropolitan Fine Printers, The Parentless Club, Water Water Water, Stocksy, Quietly, and Slice of Life. These organizations represent mutual community support and cross-promotion within the Vancouver arts ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Sad Mag competitors and assessment

Company assessment

Direct peers

Shameless Magazine: Toronto-based independent magazine for young women and trans/non-binary youth with a strong JEDI/intersectional editorial lens. Highly comparable to SAD Mag as a Canadian, volunteer-driven independent print and digital publication publishing underrepresented voices and paying contributors.
Room Magazine: Vancouver-based Canadian feminist literary and arts magazine publishing emerging writers and underrepresented voices. Direct peer as a Vancouver-rooted, JEDI-aligned print and digital publication supporting early-career contributors.
Brick Magazine: Long-running Canadian literary magazine publishing essays, fiction, and criticism on arts and culture. Comparable as an independent Canadian print periodical paying contributors and serving an arts/culture readership, though with a literary rather than visual-arts emphasis.
Maisonneuve Magazine: Montreal-based Canadian independent magazine of arts, culture, and ideas publishing essays, fiction, photography, and design content. Direct peer in format, mission, and Canadian nonprofit/independent publishing model, though with a national rather than city-specific lens.
Montecrist Magazine: Montreal-based independent bilingual arts, fashion, and culture magazine with high-design production values. Comparable as a Canadian independent print magazine championing emerging creatives with a visual-arts emphasis.
Broken Pencil: Toronto-based independent magazine covering zines, small-press, and indie arts and culture publishing. Comparable as a Canadian independent print and online publication serving an emerging-creator community with strong volunteer ethos.
Carousel Magazine / The Dance Current: Independent Canadian arts publication covering dance and contemporary performance. Comparable as a print and digital magazine publishing Canadian arts criticism and emerging artists within a specific cultural community.
Filling Station Magazine: Calgary-based independent Canadian literary and arts magazine publishing experimental writing and art. Comparable as an independent Canadian print and digital periodical with a focus on emerging and avant-garde creators.

Broad incumbents

The Walrus: Established Canadian magazine of arts, culture, and public affairs. Operates as a larger, more resourced incumbent in the Canadian independent magazine space — overlapping audience and editorial territory but with significantly broader scope and professional staffing.
Hazlitt: Canadian digital-first arts and culture publication (long-form essays, fiction, criticism) owned by a nonprofit. Comparable editorial mission and contributor-payment model, though primarily digital rather than print-led.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Sad Mag financial estimates

Financial estimate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Sad Mag leadership team

Management profile

Number of profiles

Profiles20 records

Sad Mag funding detail

Funding detail

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Sad Mag M&A and investment

M&A and investment

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sad Mag

What does Sad Mag do?

Is Sad Mag a public or private company?

Sad Mag is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.

When was Sad Mag founded?

Sad Mag was founded in 2009. It employs 11 to 50 people.

Where is Sad Mag based?

Sad Mag is headquartered in Vancouver, Canada, in the North America region.

How does Sad Mag make money?

Five revenue lines are on record. Grants are the primary driver. The others are advertising, sales, fundraising Events and donations.

Who are Sad Mag's main competitors?

Direct peers on record are Shameless Magazine, Room Magazine, Brick Magazine, Maisonneuve Magazine, Montecrist Magazine, Broken Pencil, Carousel Magazine / The Dance Current and Filling Station Magazine. Broad incumbents are The Walrus and Hazlitt.

Does Sad Mag have an API?

No public API is recorded for Sad Mag.

What industry is Sad Mag in?

Sad Mag's product category is Independent Arts and Culture Print Magazine. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAEAN, Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines, with a secondary code of MPAJADAH, Alternative/Independent Newsweeklies & Opinion Press. Its NAICS code is 513120 and its SIC code is 2721.