VANESSA VALLEJO CUNILLERA
(ART DIRECTION, COMMUNICATION DESIGN & SELF-PUBLISHING)
SELF-PUBLISHING: NO NEED FOR PERMISSION, ONLY A PRINTER (AND NOT EVEN THAT)
I trace my self-publishing practice back to the greeting cards I crafted as a kid for special occasions—projects I now consider the first design works of my life. I took this recurring brief seriously, like a magazine issue, spending hours each year coming up with personalized ideas for my relatives. Even when making cards for the same person, I challenged myself to innovate. I put as much care into the cover and envelope as I did into the message inside, always working with paper-based materials.
This early drive to put together meaningful, hand-crafted messages has stayed with me, serving as a constant reminder when approaching self-publishing projects—perhaps as a way to reconnect with intuition and step away from the structured design training I later received.
What fascinates me about zines and artist books is their openness—you can create a project around anything that sparks your interest, no matter how niche. There are no rules, no need for permission, an audience, or validation—just the freedom to experiment and reflect a message in a tangible way.
I’m proud to be part of Unzine with Steven Catalino and Half A Hot Dog Collective with Samantha Teles. Through art fairs and markets like The Tiny Zine Fest in Rotterdam and Tenderete in Valencia, I've discovered the collective charm of self-publishing. These experiences continue to inspire me to create and share more, alongside welcoming and like-minded communities.
Half-table available at your zine fair?
Want to self-publish together?
I’m all ears