The Santa Monican · A Community Journal & Cultural Anthology

Our Vision

Here at The Santa Monican, we aim to capture the perspectives, culture, and dreams of our home. Through this curated community journal, our mission is to empower our readers to embrace the beautiful absurdities of Santa Monica together. With so much of modern life reduced to screen time, we felt a town as timeless as ours deserves something just as timeless: a magazine. As we honor our history, make the most of today, and design the future we want, we hope to unite the city through a coordinated initiative to take pride in the difference we, as Santa Monicans, can make.

Who we are

A magazine by Santa Monica

We're making a print magazine. In 2026. On purpose. Because a town this good deserves something you can actually hold, and because the internet already has plenty of your attention. The Santa Monican is a free quarterly of local writing and art, made by the people who live here.

"So much of modern life is reduced to screen time. This is the opposite of that."

no paywall, no app, no login, just paper ✷

Issues / Year

Quarterly

25+

Pickup Spots

all over town

Free

To Pick Up

yes, really

2026

Volume One

Launching September

What's inside

A few ways in

Fiction

Short stories set here, or haunted by here. The city as backdrop, character, or alibi.

Poetry

Verse from people who actually walk these streets: overheard, misremembered, invented.

Essays

True stories about this place: its corners, its characters, its slow-motion changes.

Visual Art

Photography and illustration: the city through the eyes of the people stuck in it (lovingly).

...and plenty of ways we haven't thought of yet. If it's cool, send it.

Got a story to tell?

Made by the community it serves

We want your Santa Monica: the weird, the tender, the overheard. Writers, photographers, illustrators: send it over. You keep the rights; we put it on paper.

See Submission Guidelines →

Want it in your hands?

Get Issue One delivered

It's free around town, but the good spots clear out fast. Reserve a copy and we'll ping you the second it's printed and still smells like ink.

Reserve a Copy

Where to find it

Grab one around town

The Santa Monican lives where you linger. 25+ spots across the city, free to pick up, while they last.

Cafés & Coffee

Your morning read at the independent coffee shops where you already linger.

Restaurants & Bars

Neighborhood tables and the late-night haunts that feel like home.

Salons & Studios

Hair, nails, pilates, yoga. Somewhere you actually have time to read.

Hotels & Lobbies

For visitors looking to discover the real Santa Monica.

Bookshops & Galleries

Right where the people who already love print tend to gather.

Offices & Waiting Rooms

The one good thing about a waiting room.

...and probably your favorite spot, too ✶

Stock us at your place →

Good questions

The stuff everyone asks

Is it really free?

To pick up, yes. Grab one around town and it costs you nothing. If you want it mailed to your door, that part isn't free, but the reading always is.

How do I get my work in it?

Head to Contribute and tell us what you've got. We read every submission and reply within two weeks.

Do I have to be from Santa Monica?

Nope. If you live here, work here, grew up here, or just love it here, your story counts. We want every angle on this place.

When does it launch?

Issue One lands September 2026. Sign up below and we'll ping you the day it hits the streets.

Where do I find a copy?

25+ spots around town: cafés, salons, hotels, bookshops, and more. Peek at the "where to find it" section above.

How do I advertise?

The Advertise page has the full rate card, or just email kane@thesantamonican.com and we'll talk.