Context
When I joined, Underground Journal had no marketing function at all. Submissions were averaging around 50 an issue, and the journal was surviving on whoever happened to hear about it. I built the marketing team from the ground up and used it to turn a passive submission process into an active growth channel.
Strategy & Execution
Growth came from stacking channels, not one big idea. I ran direct outreach across 200+ classes to reach 2,000+ students, made submitting as low-friction as possible, and kept reminding people it was free and that their work had a real shot. I paired that with 15+ events, including release parties that drew 300+ people, to turn submitters and readers into repeat contributors. On the business side, I wrote grants, sold and produced ads, and secured sponsorships and institutional partnerships to fund it. I also rebuilt the journal's SEO from nothing, cleaning up on-page structure and using Search Console to track and fix indexing issues, which grew organic search traffic and put the journal's issues in front of students who weren't already in our network. I also led all the visual identity work: art acquisition, graphic design across every issue, and the logos and covers that gave each launch its own identity.
Team & Leadership
I built and led a marketing team of 10 across campaign strategy, budget, and partnerships, essentially running it like a growth team inside a student org: recruiting people, giving them ownership over a channel, and holding the whole thing to a submissions number every semester.
Results
Submissions grew 507%, from roughly 50 a semester to 250 to 300. The events series consistently pulled 300+ attendees, and the partner and sponsorship network grew alongside it. I stepped away after four semesters when the role stopped having room to grow further.
The Three Launches
Launch 1: Issue 15.1
The first launch under a marketing team that hadn't existed before. Focus was building the outreach infrastructure: classroom visits, flyering, and the first release event.
Launch 2: Issue 15.2
Scaled the outreach playbook from launch 1 and added paid and sponsored support. Submissions and event turnout both grew significantly on the back of it.
Read on itch.io →
Launch 3: Issue 16.1
Took over the journal's full visual identity for this launch, designing the "Underground" masthead treatment and the back cover, alongside the biggest release party of the run.
Read on itch.io →
