Fresh Pulp Magazine is a cooperatively run, and soon, cooperatively owned science fiction magazine.
- Our goal is to promote STEM literacy within Black, Indigenous, People of Color, and Women through STEM-based storytelling.
2. We wish to create agency for all of the various intersections of identity and a place where we feel free to explore the influence of those intersections on technology and vice versa.3. The platform will be cooperatively run. Which means those permanent members of the collective, that participate in its creation will have a say in how the zine is run.4. Fresh Pulp will be collectively owned. Each person is entitled to represent their contribution to the publication. Therefore each person is essential and entitled to no more or less remuneration than any other participant.
5. We believe the purchase structure of publishing is outdated. “Buying” stories from authors that spent thousands of hours honing their craft and hundreds more writing individual pieces, is not equitable. Our objective is to cultivate authors so that we are also invested in them and their work. And by sharing the proceeds of each issue in which an author’s work appears, we feel this offers the best incentive for the highest quality work since each author will feel immediately invested as well. Under current pay systems authors are compensated once for their work unless they are invited to participate in anthologies or reprints. The objective here is to create a system where artists continue to accumulate equity from their labor over the life of their careers.
6. We are not seeking simple diversity. We are looking to rewrite the default. We are looking to create equity, inclusion, and representation.
To be transparent we are NOT YET cooperatively owned. Though provisions for collective ownership are outlined in the corporate bylaws and will be voted upon as soon as the permanent members of the company have been finalized. There will be a transitional period which by regulation may not extend beyond one year past the finalization.
It has been said in writing circles that you should write the stories you want to read. True representation and cooperative ownership is our story.
What we are doing now:
Currently, every person working for Fresh Pulp Magazine will share equally in the proceeds from print and digital sales.
Every author who submits work will share in the profits from the print and digital sales of the issue(s) in which their work appears, in perpetuity. Or for as long as that issue remains available for purchase.
Every editor/curator who participates in the assembly of an issue will continue to receive shares in the proceeds from print and digital sales of those issues in perpetuity. Or for as long as the issue remains available for purchase.
Illustrators who contribute to an issue will receive an equal share in the proceeds from the sale of that issue, (or those issues if it is more than one) for as long as the issue remains available for purchase.
Print issues will have a limited run. However, digital issues will likely remain available for as long as it is cost-effective to do so. Participating authors, editors, and illustrators will continue to receive proceeds from the sale of those issues.
In the event that print or digital issues are discontinued from print, the shares for those issues will cease. If those issues ever return to print or digital format, the participating editors, authors, and artists for those issues will receive shares of the proceeds from the sale of those issues.
Shares in proceeds from sales will be paid out quarterly. Each quarter will pay out proceeds from the preceding three month period.
The proceeds of each quarter will be tabulated against the cost to run the magazine. Initial payment for authors, artists, and journalists, travel expenses, promotional material, will all be deducted from the proceeds as essential.
Non-essential expenses will be voted on by permanent members of the cooperative.
There are no bonuses therefore no bonuses will be paid out of the levy.
Every quarter a statement will be made available for viewing by all participants for that quarter, detailing the expenses and payouts for the entire company.
Another report will be made available annually for all participants for that year, detailing all of the financials for the company for that year.