daphne’s diary entry #4

Written by Daphne Bryant

It’s been a little bit! I hope everyone is doing so well; for many of us school has started back up or will start up again soon, and before getting into the start of my semester I wanted to wish my fellow students the best of luck with theirs.

Now, onto the good stuff. A lot has happened since my most recent diary entry, including the official opening of the LA branch, so today I’ll include a recap as well as a look into all of the exciting things we have coming up.

Image courtesy of @barbiabul

1. We hosted our launch party! And it was so fucking good. We set up at the flagpole in the Boston Public Garden, laying all of our available zines, stickers and merch. Mireya and her Sustainable Swaps team got the ball rolling by laying out picnic blankets and sheets full of clothes and shoes, and it didn’t take long for guests to start showing up <3 Throughout the day more patrons brought all kinds of things to swap, we had live performers play acoustic sets, temporary tattoos and sketches were being given, interviewers got the details behind fire fit checks, there was free Yerba Mate for all and photographers and videographers I hired captured the rampant laughter and joy that Saturday. I’m proud to announce that before the last hour was even up we sold out completely of print copies. It was such a success, and I am so grateful for everyone that came and supported from far away. Now Issue 01 is officially out, and digital versions are available to buy here.Keep tagging us in pictures and videos with the zine; we love to see it!

2. We had our lola x sonderbyem photoshoot. This photoshoot collaboration was so much fun; we worked with photographer @sonderbyem to feature the @lola.camera, creating both photo and video that as always, is nostalgic and exemplifies girlhood. The official drop is actually supposed to happen today or tomorrow, so keep your eye out for that on our socials.

3. Speaking of socials, we now have 140+ YouTube subscribers. It might not seem like a big number, but I think YouTube is genuinely one of the hardest platforms to grow a following on, so I’m really excited about it! A huge percentage of these new subscribers are actually coming from the website tour I filmed a little while back. The comments are so sweet! In general we’ve actually gotten so many compliments on our website from fans and professionals alike, which is definitely a #egoboost for me considering I created it.

4. We also hit 1k Tik Tok followers and 2k Instagram followers. This also feels like such a huge milestone.I keep trying to not freak out about it, but it’s actually wild that there are so many of you now when we started out with 0 followers in April of this year. I’ve also been trying not to think too much about the numbers (because every business has peaks and slow periods), but if we made 2k on Instagram in five months and we’re thinking about things purely from an interval standpoint, we’d hypothetically have 4k in ten, 6k in fifteen, 8k in twenty and 10k in twenty-five. That’s a little over two years (and we could have even more if the growth becomes exponential or we have another viral post). More followers means a more impressive reputation, more opportunities, and more money; eventually I’d love to make this my part-time or full-time job. I see it in the future, I really do. ANYWAY! I am hopeful and excited, and thank you again to everyone that is here right now. Your support means everything to me.

4. Dreamworldgirl Zine got its’ first feature in the press. I can’t lie, I’ve always dreamed of being interviewed. Thank you to Gut Instinct Media for taking my press virginity and being so kind throughout the entire process. I love this interview and if you haven’t read it yet, you can do so here.

5. We put out a general survey and hosted our first giveaway. I made a survey mostly because we’re in a transitional period right now, prepping for Issue 02, and I wanted to hear from our readers and followers. What sorts of things do you want to see from us in the future? What sorts of events and opportunities? Are you planning to apply to any of our staff positions and internships, and if so, which ones? As a unique incentive, I promised a promo code to a random individual that filled out the survey. This code would make their digital zine free. Thank you to everyone that answered the survey, and congratulations to Nicole; I hope you love our first issue. In the future I hope to do more giveaways, so make sure you’re following us (primarily on Instagram) so that you never miss your chance to get free stuff.

And now, looking forward...

6. We have a virtual workshop coming up next month. This will be our first workshop and a chance for anyone who likes what we do to learn how we do it. In the survey one of the questions I asked is what kind of workshop would you pay for, and there were four options. There was a tie between [How To Start Your Own Magazine] and [A Guide to Creative Direction and Photoshoots], so I’ll be discussing with staff to determine what our first workshop will be, but look forward to one launching in early to mid-September.

7. As of right now, there won’t be a subscription service just yet :( Another question I asked in the survey is if readers would pay to receive biannual print zines, merch and other goodies. It was split down the middle, and I’d really need an overwhelming yes to invest in creating this service so for now, we’ll stick to print zines only being available to print contributors, staff members, and those who can attend our launch parties to purchase them. I get why it’s a toss up; a subscription for each individual would probably cost around $80/yr (with free shipping), and there would be no cancellations. Still, if you are really set on being able to receive print Dreamworldgirl zines straight to your door, the best ways to help move things along is by 1) donating and 2) sharing. Spread the word and help us grow, and more options will be available to you.

8. More launch party footage is dropping. We got so much content at the launch party, so expect longer behind-the-scenes videos, recaps, interviews, and photos. If you’d like to do photography or videography for us, please head to the Careers tab. It’s not yet updated, but openings to do a celebrity photoshoot and concert photography have opened up and will be posted soon.

9. I MOVED TO MF LA! THIS IS THE ONE YOU WERE PROBABLY WAITING FOR RIGHT?! It’s official; I’m an LA girl (at least until December). This means that the LA branch of Dreamworldgirl Zine has officially opened. We already have a photoshoot planned and have been accepted as vendors at the Manic Pixie Dream Market, which fits our vibe so perfectly that a future, more direct collaboration might just be in store...

You can definitely expect lots of LA content while I’m here, including vlogs, shoots, and hopefully an event as well. If you are an LA-based creative interested in working together please message my personal Instagram @daphnerbryant, or fill out the professional partnerships form here.