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Zine Making and Bookbinding: A Beginner's Guide in 25 Projects
Not yet published
Expected 28 Apr 26Learn to create zines and books with this approachable guide featuring illustrated, step-by-step lessons on making many different book formats. The possibilities are endless!
Channel your passions into zines, create your own notebooks and calendars, and try your hand at impressive pop-up and accordion books. This illustrated guide will empower you to share your ideas with the world in personalized, handcrafted packages. Whether you want to create a poetry chapbook, an illustrated ode to the people on your commute, or a map of your dreams, this book will help you leap from an idea to a physical object. You’ll learn the lingo and where to find materials, but most importantly, you’ll be ready to experiment and have fun.
If you’re an artist seeking a new medium or are just beginning your creative journey, this book welcomes you to level up your DIY, join a community of makers and thinkers, and discover the power of zines and handbound books. Start now and watch your creative confidence grow and thrive.
ZINES ARE Join the zine renaissance! Discover how to bring your passion to life through this amazing DIY art form that offers endless possibilities for creating and sharing. All you need is paper, scissors, glue, and this handbook to set your creativity in motion.
STEP-BY-STEP Educator and artist Lauren Simkin Berke walks you through each handmade book and zine format in straightforward tutorials. This book is perfect for all abilities and experience levels.
WIDE VARIETY OF From beautiful Coptic binding to zines made from a single sheet of printer paper, this book has all your needs covered. You'll soon have a flexible repertoire of skills to bring your ideas to life!
Perfect
Zine makers
Indie writers and artists
Art students, DIY-ers, crafters, and other creatives
Designers looking for exciting new ways to express themselves
Fans and bands who want to share their message with the world
Activists looking for a long-lasting form to share knowledge and build community
Fans of origami and other paper crafts
Channel your passions into zines, create your own notebooks and calendars, and try your hand at impressive pop-up and accordion books. This illustrated guide will empower you to share your ideas with the world in personalized, handcrafted packages. Whether you want to create a poetry chapbook, an illustrated ode to the people on your commute, or a map of your dreams, this book will help you leap from an idea to a physical object. You’ll learn the lingo and where to find materials, but most importantly, you’ll be ready to experiment and have fun.
If you’re an artist seeking a new medium or are just beginning your creative journey, this book welcomes you to level up your DIY, join a community of makers and thinkers, and discover the power of zines and handbound books. Start now and watch your creative confidence grow and thrive.
ZINES ARE Join the zine renaissance! Discover how to bring your passion to life through this amazing DIY art form that offers endless possibilities for creating and sharing. All you need is paper, scissors, glue, and this handbook to set your creativity in motion.
STEP-BY-STEP Educator and artist Lauren Simkin Berke walks you through each handmade book and zine format in straightforward tutorials. This book is perfect for all abilities and experience levels.
WIDE VARIETY OF From beautiful Coptic binding to zines made from a single sheet of printer paper, this book has all your needs covered. You'll soon have a flexible repertoire of skills to bring your ideas to life!
Perfect
Zine makers
Indie writers and artists
Art students, DIY-ers, crafters, and other creatives
Designers looking for exciting new ways to express themselves
Fans and bands who want to share their message with the world
Activists looking for a long-lasting form to share knowledge and build community
Fans of origami and other paper crafts
184 pages, Paperback
Expected publication April 28, 2026
1 person is currently reading
5 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
November 25, 2025
Thanks to Chronicle Books and NetGalley for this ARC, to be published on April 14th, 2026.
This book has interesting projects for people who enjoy crafts or journaling, like me. There are many ideas you’ll find helpful. However, some instructions were difficult to follow due to the color of the illustrations, which were plain white.
This book has interesting projects for people who enjoy crafts or journaling, like me. There are many ideas you’ll find helpful. However, some instructions were difficult to follow due to the color of the illustrations, which were plain white.
Read
November 29, 2025Couldn’t properly review it because the ARC that reviewers get is a temporary digital version with white illustrations where I assume the real ones will be. It’s a shame, since it looks like a book I might have used for our community arts center and recommended for a community art shop a friend runs in a nearby city. The author seems passionate and knowledgeable.
It’s annoying when publishers keep us from being able to properly read and promote their books. Many early reviews are going to be unfair because reviewers will have judged the book by this messed up review version.
It’s annoying when publishers keep us from being able to properly read and promote their books. Many early reviews are going to be unfair because reviewers will have judged the book by this messed up review version.
December 9, 2025
3.75 stars 🌟
a unique craft book for those interested in creating zines and handmade books!
during 2025, i've found myself rediscovering a love for crafting and while i'm not usually big on reading craft books, I have become more interested in zines especially. throughout the year I took the chance to be more creative and even made a few with basics within my home - however while I've watched an occasional tutorial I've never read a book on various zine and book binding styles, so I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone.
While this is quite informational, its also very accessible to newbies like myself who didn't have much knowledge particularly on book binding. There's a glossary, various styles and how-to's, with easy to understand tool + material lists for each type - across Single-shhet zines, Accordion fold, expandable, layered, and a tunnel-shaped zine, alongside various book binding processes the author made each guide approachable. One of my favorite sections was the hardcover binding, I've never tried it before but again the author made it really easy to follow.
Towards the end there's a “General Subject Idea List” for zines was very helpful because although zines have no limit of content, its often a bit overwhelming when just starting out... so I liked being able to read a basic list of topics: People, Places, Story, Poems, Food, or even Imagined/fictional things for instance provided with examples all relating to experiences or things we are interested in. Its a nice starting point.
The writing in some sections could've had expanded on details as to the uses of the particular methods or further detail in general to avoid clunkiness, but overall easily accessible.
Again I'm not the biggest craft book reader, but as the topic is interesting I wanted to give it a try. Left me inspired to try out book binding !📔🖍📚✂
[thanks to the publisher for a digital ARC, my mini review to be posted on my blog]
a unique craft book for those interested in creating zines and handmade books!
during 2025, i've found myself rediscovering a love for crafting and while i'm not usually big on reading craft books, I have become more interested in zines especially. throughout the year I took the chance to be more creative and even made a few with basics within my home - however while I've watched an occasional tutorial I've never read a book on various zine and book binding styles, so I'm glad I went out of my comfort zone.
While this is quite informational, its also very accessible to newbies like myself who didn't have much knowledge particularly on book binding. There's a glossary, various styles and how-to's, with easy to understand tool + material lists for each type - across Single-shhet zines, Accordion fold, expandable, layered, and a tunnel-shaped zine, alongside various book binding processes the author made each guide approachable. One of my favorite sections was the hardcover binding, I've never tried it before but again the author made it really easy to follow.
Towards the end there's a “General Subject Idea List” for zines was very helpful because although zines have no limit of content, its often a bit overwhelming when just starting out... so I liked being able to read a basic list of topics: People, Places, Story, Poems, Food, or even Imagined/fictional things for instance provided with examples all relating to experiences or things we are interested in. Its a nice starting point.
The writing in some sections could've had expanded on details as to the uses of the particular methods or further detail in general to avoid clunkiness, but overall easily accessible.
Again I'm not the biggest craft book reader, but as the topic is interesting I wanted to give it a try. Left me inspired to try out book binding !📔🖍📚✂
[thanks to the publisher for a digital ARC, my mini review to be posted on my blog]
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.
Zine Making and Bookbinding is a good, accessible, beginner friendly collection of tutorials for self-published 'zines and small bound projects curated by Lauren Simkin Berke. Due out 28th April 2026 from Chronicle, it's 184 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The author has an encouraging, very casual vibe, and presupposes no prior knowledge or experience. All the background and techniques are explained clearly and without too much formality. The introduction includes tools and supplies (and how to use them), followed by thematic chapters on bindings, zine/book types, accordion forms, pop-ups, tunnel/layered forms, and includes an abbreviated (but useful) list of resources and links.
There is no photography, the illustrations (see cover art) are simple line drawn in calm/retro colors throughout.
Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, makers' studios, guild libraries, and home library.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
Zine Making and Bookbinding is a good, accessible, beginner friendly collection of tutorials for self-published 'zines and small bound projects curated by Lauren Simkin Berke. Due out 28th April 2026 from Chronicle, it's 184 pages and will be available in paperback and ebook formats.
The author has an encouraging, very casual vibe, and presupposes no prior knowledge or experience. All the background and techniques are explained clearly and without too much formality. The introduction includes tools and supplies (and how to use them), followed by thematic chapters on bindings, zine/book types, accordion forms, pop-ups, tunnel/layered forms, and includes an abbreviated (but useful) list of resources and links.
There is no photography, the illustrations (see cover art) are simple line drawn in calm/retro colors throughout.
Four stars. It would be a good choice for public library acquisition, makers' studios, guild libraries, and home library.
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.
November 28, 2025
This book is an interesting guide on how to make different types of zines and various bookbinding techniques. I found it to be well-written and the step-by-step descriptions to be detailed. Unfortunately, as an ARC reader, I am unable to judge just how effective the book is as the illustrations and diagrams were missing any useful details. I'm pretty certain the book will be printed with the illustrations fully included and I am hopeful that those details help break down the more complex steps for the aspiring book-binder, but as I am unable to perform any of the exercises in the book itself due to this lack of illustrations to help guide me, I cannot say for certain.
Info regarding where to find materials, further resources and ideas of what to make for a zine were all interesting. I think this book is worth checking out if you are interested in book binding and would like to try out some techniques for the first time. I certainly plan to buy a copy for myself once it is in print. If the illustrations are as helpful as I hope they are, then I will definitely come back and revise my review to reflect that.
Info regarding where to find materials, further resources and ideas of what to make for a zine were all interesting. I think this book is worth checking out if you are interested in book binding and would like to try out some techniques for the first time. I certainly plan to buy a copy for myself once it is in print. If the illustrations are as helpful as I hope they are, then I will definitely come back and revise my review to reflect that.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I think the book said it best right at the beginning that this is a good place to start.
The explanation of the materials needed was very helpful.
Some of the illustrations on assembling sewn books were so overly simplified that it made it difficult to see what actually needed to be done. I think these sections were a good introduction to the process. You will learn the vocabulary involved in book binding that will make more sense when you maybe watch an online tutorial.
The Zine section on the other hand is a much simpler concept and I did feel like the instructions were sufficient to complete a project. The illustrations made sense and I felt like I could understand the folding/cutting process.
The pop-up forms were well developed and provided a nice jumping off point for creatives. The section on layered scenes was very inspirational. I hadn’t considered making anything like that before, but I’m now I’m intrigued.
This book will having you hopping up to grab a piece of paper and get started creating.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC review copy.
The explanation of the materials needed was very helpful.
Some of the illustrations on assembling sewn books were so overly simplified that it made it difficult to see what actually needed to be done. I think these sections were a good introduction to the process. You will learn the vocabulary involved in book binding that will make more sense when you maybe watch an online tutorial.
The Zine section on the other hand is a much simpler concept and I did feel like the instructions were sufficient to complete a project. The illustrations made sense and I felt like I could understand the folding/cutting process.
The pop-up forms were well developed and provided a nice jumping off point for creatives. The section on layered scenes was very inspirational. I hadn’t considered making anything like that before, but I’m now I’m intrigued.
This book will having you hopping up to grab a piece of paper and get started creating.
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC review copy.
November 21, 2025
This book has the cute and collage feeling of making things by hand. The fonts and TBD graphics are in a similar style but precise enough to make sense as an instructional diagram. I think that these projects are a bit more than beginner so more akin to enthusiastic upper beginner. A glossary of professional terms sets you up for success and then dives into a super fast run down of book binding.
Zine's to me are smaller and don't require sewinging or hard covers. So, that was confusing to me since I expected to see different methods of making folded zine's in different layouts.
The book is still a cool guide for publishing, copying, and creating your own books! The questions is, what to fill them with. :D Don't worry, there is an inspirational list of ideas at the very end.
Zine's to me are smaller and don't require sewinging or hard covers. So, that was confusing to me since I expected to see different methods of making folded zine's in different layouts.
The book is still a cool guide for publishing, copying, and creating your own books! The questions is, what to fill them with. :D Don't worry, there is an inspirational list of ideas at the very end.
December 2, 2025
This book is perfect for anyone who wants to get into bookbinding! It's easy to read, includes detailed step by step instructions, cute illustrations, it even shows you all the different stitches you can use! I think this book is good for beginners. As a beginner myself, I love it!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
Thank you NetGalley for the arc!
December 27, 2025
⭐ Craft & How-To | Educational | Creative
Thank you to Chronicle Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Zine Making and Bookbinding is a practical and visual guide that walks readers through the basics of tools, terminology, and various binding methods. If you have any background in graphic design or book arts, much of the foundational information will feel familiar.
The book features hand-drawn illustrations of supplies and step-by-step techniques. Despite being text-dense in places, the typography varies nicely, making the material easier to navigate and preventing it from feeling overwhelming. Most of the instructional images are hand-drawn, with some rendered in white on a teal background and others illustrated with simple black outlines on teal background. There is a consistent color pallete used throughout the book.
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Thank you to Chronicle Books for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!
Zine Making and Bookbinding is a practical and visual guide that walks readers through the basics of tools, terminology, and various binding methods. If you have any background in graphic design or book arts, much of the foundational information will feel familiar.
The book features hand-drawn illustrations of supplies and step-by-step techniques. Despite being text-dense in places, the typography varies nicely, making the material easier to navigate and preventing it from feeling overwhelming. Most of the instructional images are hand-drawn, with some rendered in white on a teal background and others illustrated with simple black outlines on teal background. There is a consistent color pallete used throughout the book.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews