Zinester Dont's

[NicoleIntrovert]

I was thinking we could come up with a collaborative list on what NOT to do as a zinester.


First don't -

Don't store your glue sticks in or around where you store your chapstick.

[Dr. Danny Swank]

I disagree! Self-imposed muting would be a wonderful impetus to write rather than speak. Prolificness, ahoy!!

Hmm, I've been sitting here for upwards of two minutes thinking of what NOT to do, but you know what? I can't think of a single thing. Throw it all out there and see what sticks (sans glue)!

Oh wait, here's one -- don't apologize for the tardiness in releasing your latest zine. Patience is a virtue and good things come to those who wait. Hold on, can I stick another proverbial cliche in that sentence? Nah, I'm good.

Any other no-nos? Inquiring minds want to know!!

[Emma Jane Falconer]

BestAvailable said:

Bwah! I can imagine the tragedy of that. I have accidentally glued my fingers together with super glue. No good.

When I was at school, my friend's little brother managed to accidentally glue his arse to his chair with model aeroplane glue, and had to go to hospital with a chair stuck to him! My friend never let her brother forget that one ...

[Roberto Holanda]

don´t say that didn´t worth to do a zine....

[Hannah Neurotica]

don't past your text all the way at the end of the paper so that when you go to photocopy it nobody can read it! ;)

[Katie]

Don't make a superlong text-heavy zine with no page numbers. It'll hurt your brain trying to put it together!

[NicoleIntrovert]

Don't forget how to count when numbering said text heavy pages. I forgot the number 3 existed in my last issue and had to re-number.

Katie said:

Don't make a superlong text-heavy zine with no page numbers. It'll hurt your brain trying to put it together!

[Krissy PonyBoy Press]

Ha! Hilarious!

[Dan 10things]

-My big pet peeve has already been covered, don't apologize for putting an issue out late. I've read way too many intros full of excuses, you might as well accept that's what often happens when you are publishing as a hobby rather than a job, life gets in the way sometimes.

-Don't forget your contact info! Especially if you are sending it to other zines for review. Name/Pen name, address, post-paid price are all good things you want running with any review so people can order it. :)

-Don't regret publishing a zine or things you wrote. Abby and I talked a little about this at the zine librarians unconference, how it's weird to look back at things you may have written when you were 17 five or ten years later. And when your zine ends up in a library or handed to a new zine reader from a friend, it's fresh to them, even though you may have totally changed or grown up. Don't be embarrassed by that, own your past and your evolution, it's part of you and not something to hide from. Zines can be very therapeutic, putting your thoughts out there for the world to read, don't ever regret taking that step, you were brave and bold to do so and should be happy in that decision, even if it's a bit cringeworthy for you to read today. If you didn't take any chances in life, you would have no regrets, but what kind of a life would one without chance taking be? One devoid of experience, growth, and character building.

[Mab]

Be aware of where you work on zines/store master copies/store supplies if you have pets that roam freely. I've had a few zine pieces and half a dozen art supplies ruined by carelessly leaving them where ferrets, paper-eating birds, and rats can come in contact with them, though I can't really blame them for wanting to be involved! Haha.

Also be aware of the types of supplies you use around your animals and where you leave them. Thank goodness it's never happened to me, but things like glue and paint and whatnot can be toxic to critters. I can't even use Modge Podge or rubber cement in my room anymore 'cause I'm too afraid my bird will be sensitive to the fumes.

[James N. Dawson]

Danny & Dan 10Things: I can see how the obligatory "sorry my zine's late apology" can get pretty repetitive and annoying, and ditto *my* usual "sorry about the the typo's, construction gaffs, omissions...", but I have a really hard time thinking of *any* opening line for my intro---and it seems like there has to be an intro, if there isn't, something's missing---and the apology line is a way of getting myself unstuck.

In a couple zines I put in sort of a "caveats" box down at the bottom that listed all the things that tend to go wrong in any zine I do, including lateness, which was just to sort of "cut off any complaints off at the pass" as it were. So maybe I should start doing that again. I had a single-sheeter that did something similar I called "All About JND Publishing".

Anyway, I'll see if I can't break the "apology" habit, or at least cut down on it, but I can't make any promises

I totally agree about having contact info either on the back cover, the inside front page, or some other "traditional" and easy-to-find location, especially for reviewers. When I reviewed and I had a big thick zine without any page numbers, I had to count them myself. I developed quick methods for this when they were saddle-stapled, the side-stapled ones were more of a nuisance. Page number is important for potential buyers or traders, it's something to factor in in deciding if you want a zine. Also, when doing a really thorough review, it makes it easier to have page numbers to refer to.

In my zines, on the front inside page, I succinctly list reviewer basics like page number, zine size, etc (so I don't have those little reviewer-info-slips Mike Gunderloy---or was it Seth Friedman---insisted on).

I know the dadaists et al may not like these "oppressive conventions" ;), but I don't like wasting time and effort trying hunt down basic and important info when I'm already overloaded ;) ;) ;)

[Girls With Guns]

If you've made a wicked sweet zine try not to jizz or secrete over the pages as they'll stick together.

[Dan 10things]

Girls With Guns said:

If you've made a wicked sweet zine try not to jizz or secrete over the pages as they'll stick together.

Ha ha ha... like the infamous Chocolate Impulse zine.