how long can you really expect to get a trade back ?

[Giz]

I got lists for almost everything. I got weekly to do lists for the thing I need to get done, I got a grocery list I almost never follow and a list of all the mailorder books and things I get. yeah, a lot of them. part of this list, which is most of the time a typewritten one on its own is a list of all the trades I've sent and expecting anything from a thank you note to another zine, or perhaps another bottle of hot pepper powder from japan (best trade ever). on the bottom of that list I have the one the most recently shipped out and at the top, in between my best penpals I would never scribble out are the ones I've been expecting for quite a while.

I've never expected to get zine trades quickly, it's called snailmail for a reason, but how long do you think one should expect to get something back from a sent off trade ?

giz.

[Jenna Freedman]

I hope I'm not the guilty party! Do I still owe you a zine or two?

[Giz]

yes, but our trade is a year younger than the ones I'm talking about here.

[Jenna Freedman]

Oh boy. I'll get some zines out to you presently. Problem is, I am crap about keeping them in print.

[Giz]

No problem, you were working on the next issue of lower east side librarian. did you put it out ?

Yeah, there are trades I've sent out based on this websites over two years ago, some I've sent out after the time I spent in the US in 2010, but I wonder if snail mail is going really slow or if I wont get nothing in return. just to make sure, yes I'm sure it arrived because I've exchanged emails about it with their authors, and no I didn't openly asked them for a trade back which I think is implied and it would be really rude to call them out on not being quick enought.

[Sarah Arr!]

Am I one of them? I feel like I'm just getting my postal legs back. If so, please accept my apologies and let me know where I should mail your zine to. 

[Giz]

sarah, I don't remember us ever trading. maybe we should. does it means any of you ever had long forgotten trades ?

giz

[Vincent Berkey]

I'm pretty shitty with this. Do I owe you one?

[Sarah Arr!]

Haha, maybe, Giz. I actually thought you were a canadian zinester that I forgot about until reading this, but luckily I dug up the zine he sent and (hopefully) made things right. 

[sandy]

Hmm, if correspondence is good, I'll wait ages. If I barely hear from them, I do find it a bit rude.

This totally doesn't apply to people I've exchanged mail with more than a couple times. They get special exception and can take forever cos they're counted as pen-friends. :)

[Giz]

that is what I figured as well. when you're used to trade or exchange mail with someone, it doesn't mean they published something new at the same time you did, but when you trade with someone for the first time and especially if you agreed about it over precedent letters or emails, I think there is a problem. but there is no rush in snail-mail.

sandy said:

Hmm, if correspondence is good, I'll wait ages. If I barely hear from them, I do find it a bit rude.

This totally doesn't apply to people I've exchanged mail with more than a couple times. They get special exception and can take forever cos they're counted as pen-friends. :)