We like it here on the lunatic fringe of the lunatic fringe, but think well before you start a printed zine unless like us you have no choice. People not only expect more from print, they think you must be a bit upstage, and you can't be controversial because you publish seldom enough to be attacked with impunity. Besides, handsetting is hard work, and reviewers tend to voice this profound thought instead of casting about for something nice to say: the implication is that of Johnston's remark about the woman preaching, 'Sir, it is like a dog walking on its hind legs. It is not done well, but you are surprise- to see it done at all.' Another thing is that handsetting tends to make your style terse and cryptic. This is bad, because the only people who read fanzines carefully are rival editors and BNFs looking for their own names.
Well, whether your zine is mimeoed, printed, handwritten, or carved on lumps of stone, you'd better have some stories or something to keep the cover from getting torn in the mails. You could ask people who write for other zines I suppose. (Being unsure of the ethics of this I have never done it myself, except for European authors in American zines whom I consider fair game.) But it's long odds they will come up with something rejected by another fanzine. Fanzine rejects can be pretty bad; and if you return material, however nicely, it is a law of nature that the author will never speak to you again. So better write the entire first issue yourself. This is customary, but don't make it too blatant. And don't worry if it's not all good. Every zine may contain one really bad item to encourage the authors. This can be overdone, but bear in mind the immortal words of 'The American Courier.' 'The Courier is forced to admit that it prints in each issue poems that should never see print, yet they do serve a purpose in that they make readers appreciate the really good poems with which each issue is sprinkled.' Poignant, isn't it, Mr. M?
After your first issues you will probably be delighted with letters like this: 'Dear Sir thank you for your fanzine I thought it was very good, much better than X, all the stories were very good especially Y, Z was good too but I think I read something like it before, the illustrations were very good I dont know how he does it with just a razor blade I'm sure I'd never have the patience.' In time even this heady stuff begins to pall, and the law of diminishing returns applies strictly to fanmags: so unless you improve you will attract less and less attention until you fold your mag and silently steal away. Tamam Shud.
Data entry by Judy Bemis
Updated June 23, 2001. If you have a comment about these web pages please send a note to the Fanac Webmaster. Thank you.