Today we’d like to introduce you to India Johnson.
Hi India, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2022, my partner and I started an imprint called Late Night Copies Press out of our South Minneapolis apartment. We publish zines about LGBTQ archives and DIY culture. We ended up getting our own copier because there just wasn’t a local service that really met the needs of self-publishers. For instance, the library caps how much patrons can print at one time, and for-profit copy shops like FedEx are generally too expensive for DIY publishers (not to mention, they can feel like a conspicuous place to print weird or radical material). We started opening up our apartment on Saturdays to other folks who also needed to print zines. It spread through word of mouth, or people could message us on the internet for the address. Soon, there was a constant stream of people coming over to our apartment to make copies. We dreamed of a brick-and-mortar community print shop, which became possible when Yarborough Print Co (a local screen printer) offered us space in their building, an old brake shop on 50th and Bryant. In early 2025, the Workshop for Independent Publishing opened its doors. WIP is one of just a handful of zine-focused print spaces in the country. In addition to copiers, we also have risograph printing, which is known for its bright ink and analog look. In addition to printing & copying, we also have risograph printers and equipment for cutting and binding, and carry supplies for making DIY stickers and buttons. Our users include plenty of artists and non-artists: anyone who is engaged in the activity of self publishing, though we primarily attract folks making zines, chapbooks, indie comics.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
We’re always trying to figure out how to make WIP as user-friendly as possible, within the constraint of being a grassroots, volunteer-run project. Even though our color printing rate is about half the cost of the public library, sometimes cost is still a barrier for someone printing something that’s pretty urgent, important, radical, or just plain cool. One of our big dreams for WIP is to find a reliable way to fund free printing for those who need it.
I’m also interested in starting a program to to print and mail zines designed by folks who live in outstate Minnesota, who have an even harder time finding affordable local printing than we do here in the metro.
As you know, we’re big fans of Workshop for Independent Publishing. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
WIP is open to the public most Saturdays for “Open Copy,” which is walk-in copy/print/scan. WIP provides free help with file setup, and we’re proud to be the only community print shop in the country that accommodates walk-in printing.
Otherwise, WIP is open to members six to seven days a week, thanks to a team of super awesome volunteers. Because of its community mission, WIP is fiscally-sponsored. That means we can take tax-deductible donations and receive grants.
We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
It’s a big risk to open a brick and mortar, especially when you’re not a traditional business, but more of a community space. Will people want to volunteer and be part of the printshop? Will they be reliable? Will there be enough revenue to keep the doors open? Will people sign up for classes and workshops? We’ve been really lucky to have a warm community response and a lot of great people who are involved. I think besides luck, we are also part of the DIY publishing community we serve, which is helpful when it comes to prioritization and problem solving.
Pricing:
- Riso 101 workshops (includes 3 months of shop membership) – $150
- Riso club memberships – $20/month
- Copy club memberships – $10/month
- Walk-in printing (Saturdays) – no membership required
- black and white copies, 10 cents / color copies, 20 cents
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wipmpls.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wip_mpls/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@WIPMpls
