intercom Verlag is a platform for the design, development and realisation of new, independent publication, teaching and communication formats in the humanities and cultural studies — with a focus on the history of science and technology, science and technology studies (STS), and related fields: from the history of knowledge to media studies and global history to environmental humanities and the history of ideas and culture.
New publics
In recent years, knowledge, science and technology have become highly politicised (again); as far the German-speaking countries are concerned, however, there exist very few substantial channels that mediate between academic and public debate. At intercom, we create new publishing formats that are tailored to different contexts and audiences while actively rethinking publishing as as a cooperative, “scholar-led” endeavour — from the design/production of classic books to websites and public events. When developing content, publishing concepts and communication channels, we try to involve our authors, project-partners and clients as best as we can.
Hybrid publishing
The dearth of channels has a political dimension: the upheavals in academic publishing in recent years — for instance, the massive OA “deals” struck between national research organisations and academic publishers — come in the wake of intensifying economic concentration and monopolisation in the for-profit publishing sector. The consequence: homogenised formats and increasingly uniform, anonymous publication infrastructures, struggling small publishers, and so on. We do not conceive of “open access” as a technical solution for “open science”, but as a space for experimenting at the intersections of digital and print.
Social formats
Publishing is a social process — a process that begins long before the finished manuscript. Our books, book series and other projects are created in dialogue with specific social constellations, trying to rethink them: the “project seminar” (Æther), the “research group” (cache), the “term paper” (Entropie), the “single author” / essay (Mono).
“DIY”
intercom Verlag was founded to reshape publishing according to the needs of scholars and scientists — in collaboration with graphic/book designers and with an eye on experimenting with new, intermediate formats and tools. We’re always happy to receive your project proposals, questions or suggestions!
Since 2018, intercom Verlag has been run by a collective of scientists, designers and developers who met at ETH Zurich and Zurich University of the Arts (ZHdK). It is now based in Zurich, Berlin and Vienna. intercom is: Tina Asmussen, Ines Barner, Bernhard Böhm, Nils Güttler, Loraine Olalia, Niki Rhyner, Janis Perren, Reinhard Schmidt, Niklaus Schneider, Max Stadler, Christina Tuggener, Nadine Wüthrich.
intercom Verlag
Heinrich-Federer-Strasse 34
CH-8038 Zürich
Managing Directors
Nils Güttler, Niki Rhyner
Editorial Team
Ines Barner, Nils Güttler, Niki Rhyner, Max Stadler
Hybrid Design
Loraine Olalia, Reinhard Schmidt, Nadine Wüthrich
Open Access
Tina Asmussen
Outreach
Bernhard Böhm, Nils Güttler
Editorial Support
Niklaus Schneider, Christina Tuggener
Scientific Advisory Board
Estelle Blaschke, Monika Dommann, Anna Echterhölter, Onur Erdur, Beate Fricke, Michael Hagner, Janina Kehr, Jan-Holger Kirsch, Sarah Owens
Distribution EU (excl. Switzerland)
Medien Service Runge (MSR)
Runge Verlagsauslieferung GmbH
Bergstr. 2, 33803 Steinhagen
Team 3
Tel.: +49(0) 5204 998 123
Fax.: +49(0) 5204 998 114
Mail: msr@rungeva.de