Afterform Cooperative is the experimental and cooperative publishing arm of Nomad Earth Catalog. It exists to support the co-creation, co-ownership, and collective release of original works, from digital zines to editorial projects to hybrid forms.
We typically use Metalabel as a platform for distribution, where created value aligns with ownership and profit: each contributor to a release (whether writer, designer, researcher, developer, editor, or otherwise) holds shared authorship and receives a direct share of the profit, the split determined by the contributors.
This is creation shaped by collaboration, sovereignty, and a long view of value.
Why it exists
Nomad Earth Catalog is committed to slow, collaborative, and relational creative work. But most existing models of creating are built around hierarchy, ownership, and extraction. These models often devalue the labor behind a thing and sever works from their co-makers.
Afterform was created to try something else:
- To create collectively, not just individually
- To experiment with tools like Metalabel as forms of cultural and economic infrastructure
- To test a future in which creating is cooperative by default
How it works
Each release that is co-created will have its contributors determine:
- the shape and format of the project
- the pricing model
- and the profit split
Profit split is typically dependent on value created, capital invested upfront (if any), and value of a person or brand's readership/audience to drive uptake of the released work.
We'd like to eventually set up Afterform Cooperative as its own entity, and reserve 20% of profits on a release for the Afterform Cooperative Treasury, meant to fund future works, with co-creator members democratically governing how funds are allocated.
We are inspired by the economics of The Dark Forest Collective and the push for A-Corps, artist corporations.
"A-Corps will let creative people build wealth, pool resources, and maintain control of their work."
Ownership is collective, profit split is publicly transparent, and attribution is permanent.
What we’re looking for
Our desired collaborations are as broad as the questions we write about. We’d recommend exploring our Nomadics essays section to get a sense of our interests. But truly, we’re just looking to create cool things with cool people.
We’re open to any form: essays, hybrid works, digital products, films, and other experiments.
Zines remain close to our heart, and we’re especially interested in co-creating with graphic designers and visual artists on these.
We’re also eager to co-create with developers on building digital tools for nomads that are specific, intentional, and non-extractive.
We'd love to start a dialogue with potential co-creators to explore what type of project might be of mutual interest.
Furthermore, collaborations need not be limited to just two people. As Afterform Cooperative grows, our vision is to have an open channel between regular, occasional, and first-time collaborators, where anyone can pitch ideas and projects, and people can organically convene around them as they wish.
What we bring
Behind The Catalog is a decade of experience in digital product design and technology building, coupled with The Catalog’s own readership, photography, and editorial craft. We hold deep practice in slow publishing, experimental forms, and collaborative worldmaking.
Together, these threads form what we can offer into any project: design and technical fluency, a curious readership, and a parallel publishing practice that values care and critique.
Start a conversation
We’re always looking to collaborate with aligned contributors, including:
- Writers, artists, designers, filmmakers, developers, photographers, researchers, musicians, and other creative practitioners
- Anyone whose work lives at the intersection of infrastructure, culture, and imagination
- People interested in building tools, proposing futures, or reclaiming the creation process as something shared and non-extractive
If you’re curious to work together on a release, an idea, a tool, anything—please reach out below. We'd genuinely love to hear from you.
