WMN

What WMN does

WMN is an independent publication of lesbian art and poetry founded in Queens, New York in May 2019 by artists Jeanette Spicer, Florencia Alvarado, and Sara Duell. The company produces themed print zine issues—five published to date (Issue 1: Seasons of a Dyke, Issue 2: Show Me What You Got, Issue 3: Taking Space, Issue 4: When We Leave, and Issue 5: Thresholds)—each dedicated to a specific underrepresented subgroup within lesbian and queer communities, including rural Lesbians, dykes fifty-five and above, disabled Lesbians, immigrant/migrant Lesbians, and trans, gender non-binary, and non-conforming Lesbians. Issues 2 and 5 have sold out, indicating scarcity and collectibility.

The company's technology stack is deliberately minimal: a WordPress website (wmnzine.com) serves as the editorial and brand surface, while a Square-powered e-commerce storefront (shop.wmnzine.com) handles direct-to-consumer sales of zine issues and merchandise. Distribution is supplemented through membership in the DoubleD's (Dyke Distribution) collective, a regional physical distribution network. Community engagement is driven by an Instagram presence (wmn_zine), an email newsletter, and the website's blog covering authors, themes, patterns, and events.

WMN's revenue model is straightforward: one-time sales of physical zine issues and merchandise through its owned storefront, with no subscription, licensing, or recurring revenue streams. The company targets lesbian and queer women readers seeking representation and community-aligned content, with a vertical segmentation approach. It is privately held, founder-owned, and has not disclosed any external funding, employees beyond the three co-founders (headcount stated at 1–10), or institutional investors.

Name

WMN

Legal name

WMN

Website

https://www.wmnzine.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

WMN is an independent publication founded in 2019 that produces themed print zines of lesbian art and poetry, each issue dedicated to an underrepresented subgroup within lesbian communities. It sells issues and merchandise direct-to-consumer via a Square storefront and distributes through the DoubleD's collective.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent Literary Zine Publication

NAICS

Periodical Publishers (513120), Periodical Publishers (51312)

SIC

Periodicals: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2721)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Culture & Literary Magazines (MPAJAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Author Website, Storefront & Direct-to-Reader Commerce (D2C Sales) (MPAJAJAE), Self-Publishing & Author Platforms (BPAMAJAF)

Keywords

• Lesbian art zine
• Queer poetry publication
• LGBTQIA+ literary art
• Themed art publication
• Independent print zine

Headquarters

HQ city

Queens

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Zine Issue Sales: Sale of physical and/or digital zine issues. Five issues published to date (Issue 1-5), with some sold out. Each issue features a specific theme and community focus.
2. Merchandise Sales: Sale of merchandise through shop.wmnzine.com.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

WMN publishes themed print and digital zine issues of lesbian art and poetry, with each issue spotlighting a specific underrepresented subgroup within the lesbian community (rural Lesbians, Dykes 55+, disabled Lesbians, immigrant/migrant Lesbians, and trans/non-binary Lesbians). The publication has released five issues to date, sold directly through its Square e-commerce storefront and distributed via the DoubleD's (Dyke Distribution) collective. The company also sells related merchandise and operates a WordPress blog, Instagram presence, and email newsletter to build and engage its reader community.

Product overview

WMN is a publication of lesbian art and poetry that produces themed print issues. The offering consists of five published issues (with Issues 2 and 5 sold out), each focusing on a specific underrepresented community within LGBTQIA+ media: rural Lesbians, mature Dykes, disabled Lesbians, immigrant/migrant Lesbians, and trans/non-binary Lesbians. Issues are sold through the Square online store alongside merchandise. The publication exists to demonstrate the expansiveness of the terms 'Lesbian' and 'Dyke' and is distributed through DoubleD's (Dyke Distribution).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Issue 1: Seasons of a Dyke Print/digital zine issue featuring artwork and poetry by Lesbians living rurally or outside American urban metropolitan cities, sold directly through WMN's Square storefront and distributed via DoubleD's collective.
• Issue 2: Show Me What You Got Print/digital zine issue featuring work by Dykes fifty-five years of age and above, sold directly through WMN's Square storefront and distributed via DoubleD's collective; sold out.
• Issue 3: Taking Space Print/digital zine issue showcasing art and poetry by Lesbians identifying as disabled and/or living with a physical, sensory, cognitive, or chronic illness, sold directly through WMN's Square storefront and distributed via DoubleD's collective.
• Issue 4: When We Leave Print/digital zine issue featuring work by Lesbians with experience of migration and immigration, sold directly through WMN's Square storefront and distributed via DoubleD's collective.
• Issue 5: Thresholds Print/digital zine issue showcasing Lesbians who are trans, gender non-binary, and/or non-conforming, sold directly through WMN's Square storefront and distributed via DoubleD's collective; sold out.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• DoubleD's (Dyke Distribution)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWMN is a member of the distribution collective DoubleD's (Dyke Distribution). This partnership provides physical distribution channels for WMN's zine issues to reach readers beyond direct online sales.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Wussy Magazine: Independent queer feminist zine and online publication featuring writing and art from marginalized voices. Closely comparable to WMN in format (themed issues), niche focus (queer women's perspectives), and small-scale independent publishing model.
• The Offing: An independent literary magazine publishing work from marginalized and emerging voices, including queer writers. Similar to WMN in its literary focus, community-driven ethos, and digital-first distribution alongside limited print editions.
• Apogee Journal: Literary journal publishing work by writers from marginalized backgrounds, including LGBTQIA+ voices. Comparable to WMN in its thematic-issue structure, art-and-literature format, and mission-driven approach to representation.

Broad incumbents

• Autostraddle: A larger, established online publication serving queer women and non-binary people with news, culture, and original content. Comparable audience overlap with WMN, but operates at far greater scale and breadth across digital publishing.
• Curve Magazine: Long-running print and digital magazine for lesbian and queer women. Overlaps with WMN's audience (lesbian/queer women readers) but covers a much wider editorial scope and operates as a broader incumbent media brand.
• The Rumpus: Independent online literary magazine featuring essays, poetry, and interviews. Shares WMN's literary magazine orientation and independent publishing model but serves a broader, less narrowly themed audience.
• Electric Literature: Established digital literary magazine and publisher of recommended reading and original fiction. Comparable to WMN as an independent literary publication, though with broader editorial scope and a larger reader base.
• The Feminist Press: Nonprofit independent publisher focused on writing by, for, and about women, including queer voices. Shares WMN's mission of amplifying under-represented women's writing but operates across full-length books rather than themed zines.
• McSweeney's: Independent literary publisher known for distinctive themed print issues. Comparable to WMN in its themed-issue publishing model and independent literary ethos, though at substantially greater scale and visibility.

Emerging players

• Catapult: Independent literary platform publishing essays, fiction, and books alongside writing classes. Overlaps with WMN on literary independent publishing and a focus on diverse voices, but with a broader, multi-format business model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/wmn_zine
• Xx.com/wmn_zine
• Facebookfacebook.com/wmn.zine.dyke
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wmnzine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WMN