Can you just distro?

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

I was just wondering, to add stuff into your distro, do you have to let the zinester know? Or if you have read a zine that you liked a lot, can you just buy a whole lot of it and stock to be distroed? Or can you distro zines you got from trades?

 

I guess since distroes kind of "filter" zines they stock (i.e. zines that coincide with their distro's vision, theme, etc), is it possible that there are certain zinesters that choose particularly which sorts of distros they want to carry their zines? or maybe zinesters want control over who carry their work?

 

CLARIFICATION: this isn't a discussion about copyright and/or having your zine illegally photocopied. :) just saying.

 

 

[Mae Undead]

The zinester usually sends the zine over to you and you determine whether or not you carry it on your distro. They have a wholesale/retail price and then you buy your copies accordingly. If you find a zine that you are interested in, simply just contact the writer and then work something out.

I find that a submission guideline for the distro works wonders so the person can know whether or not their zine fits into your distro's theme. Of course, there are those people that don't read those guidelines and you end up with a zine that you don't want to carry, at that point, I usually just donate the zine to a zine library or give it to a friend that might be interested in it.

[Stephanos]

i don't think you have to let the zinester know, but most zinesters would be happy to hear if you do stock it. I've never heard of a zinester not wanting their zine stocked in a distro as there are other zines not of their own genre, though I think some thought may go into it if other zines you carry are "dodgy"

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

well i understand the whole thing about disto guidelines for submissions as that is usually how it goes. but are there rare instances where a distro carries zines they didnt directly get from the zinester? i.e. when distros exchange stock, mass trades, or if a closing distro sell their stock in bulk.

i guess i was just wondering if the zinesters like knowing where their zines go, who stocks them, or full control over their zines.

Mae Undead said:

The zinester usually sends the zine over to you and you determine whether or not you carry it on your distro. They have a wholesale/retail price and then you buy your copies accordingly. If you find a zine that you are interested in, simply just contact the writer and then work something out.

I find that a submission guideline for the distro works wonders so the person can know whether or not their zine fits into your distro's theme. Of course, there are those people that don't read those guidelines and you end up with a zine that you don't want to carry, at that point, I usually just donate the zine to a zine library or give it to a friend that might be interested in it.

[Mae Undead]

Ah! I understand now. In that case, from my experience, usually the person who is running the closing distro, either asks or lets the writer know where their zines are heading.

Saling Pusa (I Am) said:

well i understand the whole thing about disto guidelines for submissions as that is usually how it goes. but are there rare instances where a distro carries zines they didnt directly get from the zinester? i.e. when distros exchange stock, mass trades, or if a closing distro sell their stock in bulk.

i guess i was just wondering if the zinesters like knowing where their zines go, who stocks them, or full control over their zines.

[NicoleIntrovert]

You should not be RE-selling zines. This means ones you received for trade or you purchased a copy of for your own personal use. Some distros (like Microcosm) do wholesale. You would not have to contact the zinester if you bought it from a wholesaler - but it may be nice to.

[lizzy / marching stars distro]

If a zinester sells their zine through wholesalers you can presume that they don't really mind who ends up selling it.

I think it's completely wrong to distro zines when you don't have 'permission' to do so (except in the above example or if it explicitly states in the zine that you can copy and distribute).

Two main reasons spring to mind:
1) Many zinester do like to know where their zines are being sold (for numerous reasons... I've been asked not to sell certain zines to certain people for example, which is only a possibility if zinesters maintain some control over where their zines are sold).
2) Some zinesters would not want to be stocked in a distro with a bad reputation... as it looks as though they have agreed to be stocked there.

[Dan C]

I think it's generally okay to resell things you buy or trade (except for a few circumstances, like if your best friend gives you a copy of their zine 'cause they really want you to have it, or someone gives you a copy with a hand-written note to you in the front).

I think the problem with selling them through your distro, though, is that it makes it look like you have a different relationship with the product than you really do. So I guess I'd feel like it was okay if the real relationship was clear. Like perhaps if there was a category of your site, set aside, clearly marked as "resales from my personal collection."

[Stephanos]

Zinesters cant be obsessive about hwere their zines end up though, even if not sold in a distro it may be passed around/traded so that someone who theydidn't want to read it may get hold of it. Similarly if a copy ends up ina zine library. I think people just have to live with the fact thatif they release a zine into the world someone may end up with it who they wouldn't want to have it.

lizzy / marching stars distro said:

If a zinester sells their zine through wholesalers you can presume that they don't really mind who ends up selling it.

I think it's completely wrong to distro zines when you don't have 'permission' to do so (except in the above example or if it explicitly states in the zine that you can copy and distribute).

Two main reasons spring to mind:
1) Many zinester do like to know where their zines are being sold (for numerous reasons... I've been asked not to sell certain zines to certain people for example, which is only a possibility if zinesters maintain some control over where their zines are sold).
2) Some zinesters would not want to be stocked in a distro with a bad reputation... as it looks as though they have agreed to be stocked there.

[Kira Swales]

i dont mind who ends up with my zine- i wouldnt even mind if someone photocopied it for a friend (as long as its a one off and not en masse) However, personally, I wouldnt like to trade zines with someone and then find out they are selling that zine that ive traded for their own profit - especially whilst its available to buy from me. Mostly this is because usually I lose a lot of money on trades, and barely even break even with sales, so if someone else has made £s from my zine whereas i have LOST money, i would be a little disappointed. However, I wouldnt mind if my zine was put into unwanted trade zine grab-bag trades...

[Ericfishlegs]

Kira Swales said:

i dont mind who ends up with my zine- i wouldnt even mind if someone photocopied it for a friend (as long as its a one off and not en masse) However, personally, I wouldnt like to trade zines with someone and then find out they are selling that zine that ive traded for their own profit - especially whilst its available to buy from me. Mostly this is because usually I lose a lot of money on trades, and barely even break even with sales, so if someone else has made £s from my zine whereas i have LOST money, i would be a little disappointed. However, I wouldnt mind if my zine was put into unwanted trade zine grab-bag trades...

Kira is right. I don't even know how you'd get zines to distro w/o the zinesters permission unless you're xeroxing multiple copies off of the one copy you bought and are selling those which I don't think anyone would argue was the right thing to do. But if I don't contact you about being carried by your distro or you don't ask me if you can have copies of my zine for your distro then it's a pretty safe bet I don't want to be carried by your distro.

[Craven Rock]

I would be really pissed off if I found out someone had made copies of my zine and was selling them, for any reason, without my permission while I'm still alive. But it's not like, I'm Garth Brooks saying you can't sell used CD's, your copy is your copy and what you do with it is your business. But copying, distroing and taking all the money for somebody's hard werk without permission is kinda creepy.

[Saling Pusa Distro/closed]

i just want to point out that this isn't about copying zines without permission or anything like that. if you'd read the discussion, i did give some scenarios like buying from other distros or whatever in bulk, or if you read on... i gave the example of another distro closing and selling their stock in bulk.