Our story

Back in 2014, three friends and colleagues were working for one of the biggest publishing companies. But we believed there was a better way to create and publish magazines – where the readers were as important as the advertisers, where the paper quality and design were valued and where the words and pictures weren’t always trying to sell stuff, didn’t portray perfection, didn’t tell people what to do and made them feel better, not worse.

So we gave up our jobs, ploughed in our savings and borrowed the rest to set up our own publishing company – Iceberg Press – and buy The Simple Things. We opened an online newsstand, Pics & Ink, to sell other publishers’ independent, beautiful and useful print magazines too. And we have recently launched Free Range Mags, a choose-a-stream curated subscription service where you receive a different magazine each time. It’s been hard work but the smell of every fresh-printed issue in our hands is a note to self to savour the good times.

Our magazine

The Simple Things is published monthly in print and digitally and is all about taking time to live well.

We celebrate slowing down, enjoying what you have and making the most of where you live. We like to share good food with friends and family, grow some of our own vegetables, visit local markets, rummage for vintage finds, and decorate our home with the plunder. We love being outdoors, microadventures, forgotten wisdom and the satisfaction that comes with a job well done. 

And we like to think that the small things we do will make a difference in the long run – whether that’s making, upcycling, growing, cooking, escaping or relaxing. 

Find out more about subscribing to our print or digital editions.
Or you can buy the latest and back issues in our shop

We also make and sell other things we think our readers will like – anthologies of the best ideas and inspiration from our first three years, a second slow seasonal collection and now an everyday companion to dawn, day, dusk and dark; Sew-on happiness patches celebrating the everyday actions that enrich our lives; and postcard packs of our back cover chalkboards. There are also handmade letterpress prints of our manifesto and favourite magical creatures from our series in the magazine.

You can explore our blog for original features and our favourite recipes and projects, plus lots of stuff you never knew you were interested in. Subscribe to our newsletter, full of recipes, projects and good ideas every fortnight. And listen to our playlists, new each month. We’ve also launched a seasonal podcast, Small Ways to Live Well.

If you want to get in touch, ping an email to thesimplethings@icebergpress.co.uk, say hello on our Facebook page or comment and tag us on Instagram. You can give us a call during office hours (or leave a message anytime) on 020 3950 1835. If you’d like to work with us, click here to find out what we’re looking for.