Ori: bringing a print travel magazine to market
I co-founded Ori, a twice-yearly print magazine about travel told from the source, and took on the publisher's job of getting it to readers.
By Josh Malczyk · Published
Starting a print magazine in 2023 sounds like the wrong bet. Ori is the case for why it wasn't, and bringing it to market is some of the work I'm proudest of.
What is Ori?
Ori is an award-winning global art and culture publication, delivered twice a year in print. It calls itself a travel, art and education platform exploring where we come from and where we're going. The name carries that idea in several languages: “rise” or “beginning” in Latin, “opportunity” in Japanese, “light” in Hebrew.
The editorial idea is travel from the source. Instead of a visiting writer parachuting in and out, Ori's stories come from local journalists, storytellers, teachers and restaurant workers. Founding editor Kade Krichko described it to Samir Husni as “an antidote to what we’ve been seeing in the travel industry.”
What was my role?
I'm Ori's co-founder and publisher. Kade leads the journalism; the publisher's side is getting it to readers and making it pay for itself: how the magazine is sold, who it reaches, and the model underneath it.
Why print, and how does it pay for itself?
Ori is print only, a coffee-table object rather than another feed to scroll. That choice shapes the whole business. Readers can join through memberships, single issues, lifetime subscriptions and back issues, alongside Ori apparel.
The part I like most is how subscribers fund new work. A share of subscription revenue goes into the Ori Creative Grant, and subscribers vote on their favorite story to help decide where it goes. The first grant went to Mexican photographer Eunice Adorno and writer Tamara de Anda. The Ori Collective is fiscally sponsored by Shunpike, so contributions are tax-deductible.
How has it been received?
- The first issue reached readers in 13 countries.
- At the 2025 Lowell Thomas Travel Journalism Awards, Ori received an Honorable Mention in the Travel Magazines category, and contributor David Farley won a Bronze Award for “Back to Life: Rebuilding the Czech Republic’s Miracle Village,” from Ori's second issue (announcement).
What did bringing Ori to market teach me?
Launching a product is mostly deciding what it won't be. Ori isn't digital, isn't frequent and isn't written by outsiders, and each of those “isn'ts” is the reason someone buys it. It's the same lesson as any hardgoods launch: the constraint is the positioning.
Questions
- What is Ori magazine?
- Ori is an award-winning print travel, art and culture magazine published twice a year since 2023, telling stories from local journalists and storytellers rather than visiting writers.
- Who founded Ori?
- Ori was founded in 2023. Kade Krichko is its founding editor, and Josh Malczyk is its co-founder and publisher.
- Where can I get Ori?
- Through a membership, a single issue, a lifetime subscription or back issues at ori-mag.com.