I'm begging you guys, please be wary of zines. Look at the mods, ask for their experience, go to old zine social media pages. Look for red flags (which I'll detail below in the thread). It is so crucial to know the team behind the zine because it could make or break it.

I've noticed a lot more people deciding to make fanzines. That's great! The more content, the merrier, right?

That is, if it's executed well.

Making a zine seems extremely easy from an outsider's perspective. You've probably thought to yourself, "Gee, I could make a zine!"

But the truth is that it takes a lot of effort, a lot of work, and a lot of time to get something good. You don't only need a graphic mod, a quality mod, a communications mod, a finance mod, etc. You also need people who know the role and have experience.

You need a PayPal/Stripe/etc. You need sheets for information & data. Write down everything. Keep receipts. Make a schedule & STICK TO IT. Keep your contributors updated & don't leave questions unanswered. Make sure your contributors have a clear idea of what they're doing.

Now, for the red flags. You should look out for these things as a buyer and potential contributor alike:

1. Budget seems completely up in the air.
If a zine is producing a lot of merch or physical items, but doesn't seem to be getting a lot of attention, run the other direction.

(Cont.) The sales of an item have to offset the price of production, so if you think someone is biting off more than they can chew, you're probably right.

2. They didn't get enough responses for the interest check, but are doing the project anyway.
Interest checks are the sole way of knowing whether or not sales will be good. If a zine doesn't get enough attention, but the mods carry through, they're too ambitious.

3. There's no posted schedule, even approximates.
Things happen, people get busy, things stop working. All a part of life. But if there's no update to a schedule to reflect lateness (and a new approx date), or god forbid no schedule at all, don't trust the mods.

4. The mods have never run a zine before (do NOT count as contributors, that means nothing).
While everyone deserves a place to start, if a mod doesn't have adequate background to make up for their lack of experience (say, being in an administrative role), run.

5. It seems unorganized even on the surface level (few and far between social media posts, a poorly hashed out idea, etc.)
While you may be excited about an idea someone has for a zine, take off the rose colored lens. Is it actually being done well? Or does it seem haphazard?

If you find yourself a buyer of one of these zines, and it's been months since you've had any update, hound them. Message them, send them asks, demand updates. I can guarantee you that the contributors of the zine are just as mad by the silence.

I say all this as a person who has run 2 zines as a quality, finance, and production mod, and has contributed to 6 zines. I'm currently in 3 that haven't updated us in months.

Keep mods accountable. Know what you're paying for. Don't waste your valuable time needlessly.