Zine Content Causing Problems for Work?

[Adrian Fynch]

I was just thinking about this 'out loud' on my online journal, but I decided to post it here in a zine-specific context.

I'm currently writing the next issue of my zine where I talk about more risque issues, if you will, and I want to include a brief introduction to BDSM, among other things, but I'm hesitant because I'm also pursuing a future career in working with children and I'm afraid that if a parent or employer gets wind of this stuff, it will stunt or end my career, possibly even before it takes off.

I'm not usually worried about people finding my stuff online or otherwise, and I hosted a workshop for kids even after I showed the organizer a copy of my [albeit less graphic] zine, but I fear conservative parents thinking that I'm going to corrupt their children or something.

Now, the chances of anyone actually getting wind of my zine and its content are pretty small, I think, but I have an etsy shop where virtually anyone could order a copy and if you google the zine's name my profile on this site comes up, which has a description of all the zines I make.

The simple thing to do would be to not put certain things in my zines, but that kind of defies the point of making them for me and goes against my very nature. I could tone everything down, but that defies the whole point of this zine in particular.

I'm really tired right now and I'm not going to ramble on and on about all the different possibilities, because I could do that for days, and I'm interested to hear what you guys think.

Do any of you censor your work because of job/school/whathaveyou? How do you deal with/get around it?

[NicoleIntrovert]

Use a pen name and a PO Box.

[CocoaPuss Zine]

i've thought about this too, because before i really started going by my pen name i had my stuff reviewed online with my real name. i'm going for a career in public health so maybe my zine could be relevant but it's a perzine, so i don't know.

i hope you are able to find the career you want and still have creative freedom.

[sandy]

yes, i censor. for instance, i wouldn't bitch viciously about my job in my blog or zines because not only is it unprofessional and immature to be viciously one-sided, but it sets a bad example for junior team-mates, and could exacerbate any tense relations with colleagues if they happen to rate a mention in bad text.

i think you just need to sort out your priorities and what you're willing to give up for them. what do you want to get out of writing the zine? what are the things you know you should do in order to have a successful career with children? do you really need widespread recognition that "Adrian Finch" is the writer of "BDSM zine"? that kind of thing. :)

unravel all the aspects tangled up in this issue and order them by importance - you might have an easier time then deciding how to play this. :) good luck hey. it's really tricky being responsible.

[kit feral]

and this would be why I use a penname, don't put a very obviously me photo on this site (though it's the same as my facebook picture, so I guess that could be figured out fairly quickly) and generally keep things of controversy away from friends and family. I also don't put an address on my zine, and I have a seperate email address for it.

then again, I'm in university where I'm an artsy kid that keeps to myself, and I'm unemployed, with only a chance of getting a retail job. so honestly, I don't try to censor myself or stay that hidden. though I don't name names. you just never know.

[KellyRose-Pulse Zine]

i agree that you should use a pen name and never publish anything with your last name on it. it's just not a good idea to do that in general. i wouldn't worry about what you write in your zines. in my opinion one of the greatest things about zines is that they are very underground and removed from the rest of the world. most people don't even know what one is or where to look for one so there is little chance of someone you know in every day life coming across your zine. a zine is a place for you to be yourself without any limitations. censoring yourself would defeat the purpose of this like someone mentioned...even if someone in your professional life googled your name or something i think the chances of your zine coming up are very slim.

[Adrian Fynch]

Thanks guys. I used to use a pen name when I first started writing zines, looks like I'll be adopting it again.