Want to read us in print? We have a zine!

Issue 1 of the Tenderloin Voice zine is now available! 

Literal ink on literal paper, in the year 2026!

This is a printed version of the stories that we launched our newsroom with. If you know someone who prefers to read physical media, if you serve people with limited access to digital tools, or if you just appreciate having stories and photos in your hands, please let us know how we can get you a copy. They’re available at our office and we’re also happy to deliver anywhere in the neighborhood. You can reach us at hello@tlvoice.org.

From early on, community members have told us the neighborhood would benefit from a print product of some kind. That’s because not everyone has reliable internet access, or even electricity, and some people just don’t feel at home online. Print can also be easier to read. And devices are often a source of stress — many people want to spend less time on their screens, not more. 

These could be reasons why the zines are highly popular. We’ve gotten incredibly positive feedback so far, and we are honored by that. Distribution has been ongoing for about the past two weeks, and we can’t keep up with demand. In fact, we keep running out of ink — yes, we print and assemble them ourselves. This is a great problem to have! 

The experience has also underscored something we’ve long known but that bears repeating: The Tenderloin is a community full of people who are willing and ready to help. Many have already become distribution partners, getting the zine into the hands of neighbors, colleagues, and friends. Several people who heard about our ink shortfall have asked for the zine’s digital file so they could print a few themselves. If you have a printer and want to make copies, by all means, please do so! You can find the printable file here. The zine fits on regular 8.5” x 11” paper, and we bind it by folding it in half and stapling the spine. If you just want to see what it looks like and read it digitally, this file is better suited. 

So, huge thanks are in order to everyone who has made this possible with their content, guidance, donations, and assistance. The Tenderloin Voice, online and in print, would not exist without the contributions of this community. 

The enthusiastic reception also usually comes with a question: “When’s your next issue coming out? How often will you print zines?” The unsatisfying answer is that we’re aiming to print one issue per month, but we’re not entirely sure that will be possible. Making these in-house has been very rewarding and has given us a high degree of control over the whole process, and we retain a lot more flexibility than if we had to rely on a printing company, with its schedule and delivery constraints. But it’s also been incredibly time- and resource-intensive. As we figure out how to build a sustainable operation, we’ll be exploring potential partnerships in the neighborhood to expand our reach and capabilities. 

Issue 2 is in the works, and will hopefully hit the streets in March.