a place for zinesters - writers and readers

Does anyone else offer an online & print version of their zine?

Sorry if there is already a post like this; I've been a bit out of the loop in the zine communities for awhile.

as most of you probably know, the postal rates are going up again in May (*bangs her head off a wall*) and that directly affects us as zinesters. I've always preferred zine trades to just getting money for my zines, but my current lack of employment is making money scarce, so I haven't even been promoting the more recent issues of my zine because I know it's going to be impossible for me to send them out the way I want to.

That brings me to my question: Does anyone offer a free version of their zine online? I've never made money off my zines and I never expect to. The only thing I've ever asked people to cover was the cost to mail it. And I thought, if that's all I'm doing, why shouldn't I offer a print version and a PDF version. People could print it off and staple it themselves. I still won't be trading for other people's zines, but at least I'd be getting mine read. Do you think this increases the risk of it being plagarized?

What are your thoughts?

▶ Reply to This

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by R.John Xerxes on February 26, 2009 at 11:48pm

Yes. I am have at least two zines up on the love bunni site - destroy all monsters and 5ifth grade.
I am planning on doing more. Soon. I think its a poor substitute for the print, but yeah, sure download it if you want. Why shouldn't you?

fifth grade
http://www.lovebunnipress.com/gloo/Fifth_Grade_small.pdf

Destroy All Monsters
http://www.lovebunnipress.com/gloo/destal/dam.html

▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Wes White on February 27, 2009 at 5:39am

I put scans of some of mine online, but not until they're sold out, so I guess that doesn't really apply to your question.

I have to admit it hadn't occurred to me that people might try to print them out and reconstitute their own copy - I just thought people would read it off the screen!

http://www.ecartilage.co.uk/attack0101.htm
http://www.ecartilage.co.uk/attack0201.htm
http://www.ecartilage.co.uk/attack0301.htm

Just thinking, also that's exactly what I did with the first part of the Two Heads project. This one is up online and simultaneously available to buy in a numbered edition:

http://www.ecartilage.co.uk/twoheadsjanuary.htm