Demystify the world of artist publishing over this 6-week course.

Publishing is a timeless method used by artists to share their practice. In an ever-shifting landscape, how does one work towards being published or self-publishing, or embark on a collaborative publishing venture?

This course seeks to demystify artist publishing through addressing key topics such as finances and sharing guidance based on the first-hand experience of the course’s tutor, Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck – an artist published internationally and who has run her own artist imprint for a decade.

This course is open to new to established artists who are interested in publishing their work or learning about self-publishing to create their own publications and imprint. It is particularly aimed at those with a visual arts practice, but welcomes those from other art practices, including writing.

Participants will learn how to prepare a body of work towards publication and gain skills, confidence, inspiration, vocabulary and an appreciation for the patience and playfulness this process requires.

This is the fifth iteration of this popular course at Camden Art Centre. For this edition, based on participant feedback, the course has been extended from four to six weeks to include an additional session on paper and a more in-depth session on bookbinding.

As co-creator and co-editor of Journal du Thé, this course offers a unique playlist of herbal teas shared by Johanna across the course. A selection of international books and zines from Johanna’s collection will also available across the course for participants to consult.

Participants must be 18 or over. Maximum class size 15. For concessions (15% discount), please contact us on info@camdenartcentre.org.

Course Modules Course tutor Course images

Course Modules

Welcome and introduction to the history and context of artist publishing.
Introduction to course tutor Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck’s practice.
Introduction to the course and its aims – including an overview of what participants will learn.
Keys to self-publishing i: Planning – Understanding the different types of publications
Group introductions

How to make yourself ‘publish-ready’
Budget for self-publishing
Keys to self-publishing ii: Printers – Selection and print runs
Collaborations
The role of a distributor
How to get published by an established or indie publisher.
How to refine your pitch and portfolio for submission.
How to approach galleries, publishers, and institutions.
Contracts and essential legal considerations.

The role and benefits of having a distributor
About riso printing
Curated list of printers
Curated list of publishers with a focus on zines.
Recommendations for inspiration, including places to visit in London.

Two hours of zine making, including book-binding methods.

Paper in artist publishing

Understanding paper though touch
Materially and terminology
Choosing paper for your print project
Exploring concept and meaning through paper
Paper, ethics and the broader environment
Paper choices – examples from Poetic Pastel Press and others

Financing: Crowdfunding, self-funding, and working with collaborators to raise money.
Marketing: Introduction to how to market a self-published book.
How to take part in indie book fairs.
Lithography
Final Q&A and wrap up with a reflections.

Course tutor

Johanna Tagada Hoffbeck (b. 1990, France) is a transdisciplinary artist based in rural Oxfordshire. Her practice, rooted in ecological awareness, spans painting, sculpture, photography, publishing, horticulture, and participatory projects.

Johanna founded the independent, artist-led imprint Poetic Pastel Press in 2015, perhaps best known for its printed publication series Journal du Thé: Contemporary Tea Culture, which she co-founded in 2018. The deep ecology movement influences the imprint, with works printed in England using vegetable-based inks and distributed in over thirty countries. Poetic Pastel Press has participated in notable international book fairs, including Offprint in London and the Tokyo Art Book Fair. Johanna has also led and participated in talks on artists in publishing at venues such as BOAN Books in Seoul.

Johanna’s work has been released by international imprints, including: InOtherWords (UK), Chose Commune (FR), Nieves (CH), Hato Press (UK), Jane & Jeremy (UK), Editions Ulmer (FR), Ao-hata (JP), Pon Ding (TW) and Tombolo Presses (FR).

Johanna’s work expresses care and tenderness, reflecting on the fragility and beauty of life. Recent solo exhibitions include Soft Soft at Mutty, Castiglione delle Stiviere (2025) and (ALMOST) IKEBANA & RELATED EXPLORATIONS at the London Centre for Book Arts (2026). Group exhibitions include Drawing Biennial at Drawing Room, London (2026), On Paper at Hashimoto Contemporary, New York (2026), Soil at Somerset House, London (2025), The Equal Right to Live and Blossom at Kate MacGarry, London (2024) and Edge Effects at Whitechapel Gallery, London (2024).

In addition, Johanna founded the collaborative initiative The Gardening Drawing Club. She has organised and facilitated workshops and learning programs for adults and children at multiple British and international art institutions and independent cultural venues, including Camden Art Centre.

Portrait by Petrò e Gilberti, for Mutty, 2025.

Creatives in Publishing: Binding a Path to Being Published and Self-Publishing

Demystify the world of artist publishing over this 6-week course.

Course Modules

Course tutor