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Epic Magazine. First issue, fresh from the photocopier, Jan 2009.

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At 1:59pm on November 25, 2008, Wes White said…: Yay! Good luck.

At 3:10pm on November 24, 2008, Wes White said…: Oh that's cool! You know there was hardly anybody at that Cube gig, but it kind of feels like its reached out beyond itself, I've had people contacting me from London and Totnes telling me people had gone back saying how good it was! Sorry you couldn't make it on the night (hope you're better now?) but hopefully they'll let us back there again sometime next year. On January 28th we're putting something very close to the same lineup on at Cafe OTO in London... you know, just in case you happen to be passing...

FOUND looks awesome, I bought my brother their book for his birthday and almost wouldn't let him leave the house with it.

What you're saying about knowing other creative people is exactly what got Attack!!!! started. Okay you made me think of some more tips, hang on...

1. Don't be afraid to ask people if they want to join in. If you think their stuff looks just right for you, there's half a chance they'll think the same thing. People are very rarely put out by being told you like their stuff.

2. If someone sends you something you don't want, be honest. This is the biggest problem I had with the first couple of issues, that I printed things I should have worked on with people and was too scared to tell people if I didn't want them at all. It's possible to tell someone you don't want to use their stuff and not be a horrible person. By the time I actually printed issue 2 I'd worked this out - but by that time I'd been agonising over stuff for about 18 months. Don't do that.

3. It can be harder than I realised at the beginning to get people to actually buy the thing. This is getting better little by little, now, thank goodness, but just be prepared for that and don't get disheartened.
Oh also send review copies anywhere you think might mention it - it can be slow but every so often someone says something lovely that other people see and it helps a lot.

4. Finally, don't be surprised if people you're totally expecting to contribute, don't. The really enthusiastic people are often (not always) the very same people who don't manage to get things done, because they're running around saying yes to everything! Always ask at least twice as many people as you actually want to feature.

5. Don't listen to me, I haven't got a clue ; )

Good luck! Let me know when you're done!

Oh wait also

6. Avoid serialised things like long stories where the reader's understanding relies too much on knowing things from previous issues. Unless the writer's absolutely brilliant, hardly anyone will get it.

Here ends me pretending to know what I'm doing : p

At 1:48pm on November 24, 2008, Wes White said…: Hey Natalie, glad you like the zine - where've you seen us?

Re: tips... huh. One thing I've learned this year: take your zines to zine-y gatherings when you can. I went to London Zine Symposium, Manchester Zine Fest, and the Books Fayre at Ffotogallery in Penarth this year and thoroughly enjoyed them all. Though I'm not sure I actually made my train fares back in sales, overall.

There's a shop called Here gallery on Stokes Croft that specialises in zines.... *however* they've only ever taken single copies off me so let me know if you have any luck with that..!

What sort of thing are you planning on making?