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.

 

 

[Craven Rock]

Well, I did read the discussion but it seemed to get a bit convoluted as the thread went on and the first posting wasn't entirely clear. As far as a distro goes, it seems like the seller who wants or has to do the bulk deal should contact the zine writer because they have they the responsibilty while they are holding them. Also, if someone bought a lot of zines in bulk from a distributor for their own distro from another it would probably be pretty embarassing to find out that the author was not paid and was on commission or something and not paid. It seems like the responsibility, though, is more on the behalf of the seller to make sure that the zine maker is aware and satisfied of where their zines are going than whoever would be buying. But may it would be tactful for the buyer to find out? Has anybody here experienced their zines ending up in a place where they didn't want them to go without permission?

Saling Pusa Distro said:

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.

[Ericfishlegs]

Know what'd be kind of funny? Buy a whole bunch of zines wholesale done by people you don't like and call your distro "Zines Done By a Bunch of Fucking Assholes."

[Royce Icon]

This is actually done rather commonly with indie music distros, especially ones set up by people who review music. It's also not very different from people selling old zines on ebay, or selling your cds to a used cd store. Once you have a zine, it's your possession, and you have a right to resell it in my opinion.

Personally i would like to know where it was going if it was my zine, but I don't think it's utterly necessary. I love the idea of a zine of mine passing through as many people's hands as possible. Sure, it might be cool to get my $1, but really, that's not the reason people make zines, and if it is, well, i think they must be delusional.

You may want to not call it a distro though. Instead, maybe calling it a zine store or something would make more sense. And if you are up front about the way you get your zines, there should be no problem.

[ManDuh]

Royce Icon said:

It's also not very different from people selling old zines on ebay, or selling your cds to a used cd store. Once you have a zine, it's your possession, and you have a right to resell it in my opinion.

Like a zine thrift store!

Ericfishlegs said:

Know what'd be kind of funny? Buy a whole bunch of zines wholesale done by people you don't like and call your distro "Zines Done By a Bunch of Fucking Assholes."

...I actually think this would be a really good idea lol.

[Charlotte Lee (Bitch theme)]

i would hate this. i have massive respect for distro owners and the tireless work they do to help people's zines reach a wider audience, but i dont particularly want to be carried by any distro's myself, simply because i quite want to know where my zines go. i might change my mind in the future, but right now i dont like the thought of absolutely anyone being able to read them- maybe this is because my zines are very personal/quite sexually explicit. so if i found out that someone had just taken it upon themselves to distro my zines without any attempt to contact me, i'd be kinda annoyed.

[Rebel Jane Mills]

I completely agree with this:
Royce Icon said:

Personally i would like to know where it was going if it was my zine, but I don't think it's utterly necessary. I love the idea of a zine of mine passing through as many people's hands as possible. Sure, it might be cool to get my $1, but really, that's not the reason people make zines, and if it is, well, i think they must be delusional.

And this is brilliant:
Ericfishlegs said:

Know what'd be kind of funny? Buy a whole bunch of zines wholesale done by people you don't like and call your distro "Zines Done By a Bunch of Fucking Assholes."

:D

[lauramarie]

Recently there was a situation where someone started selling free zines. He ordered them from a free zine distro (Zinemonger) and then sold them for profit at his own distro. When I contact him and asked that he take down my zines, he said the zines were being sold mostly just to cover postage. The "mostly" is important there--he was trying to make a little profit off zines he received for free. I don't mind them being sold off for postage as part of a postage-only grab bag. But I am totally opposed to my zines being sold for someone's profit when they were created as free.

[NicoleIntrovert]

Do you mind disclosing what distro was selling free zines?

lauramarie said:

Recently there was a situation where someone started selling free zines. He ordered them from a free zine distro (Zinemonger) and then sold them for profit at his own distro. When I contact him and asked that he take down my zines, he said the zines were being sold mostly just to cover postage. The "mostly" is important there--he was trying to make a little profit off zines he received for free. I don't mind them being sold off for postage as part of a postage-only grab bag. But I am totally opposed to my zines being sold for someone's profit when they were created as free.