How to Start Up a Zine

[Orange Juche]

I have great interest in journalistic activity and getting new ideas out there. I am interested in starting a zine.

Can anyone recommend any ideas on how to start one up? I will have some money to put into this, but not a great amount. And what would be some good methods of distributing it?

[apathy maybe]

First get some ideas and write some articles. Get some of the web (ask permission first if possible or if you care). Get old stuff (100 year old stuff).

Make them into a document. Have some funky cover art. Have contact details if people want newer copies or to contribute articles.

Try and go for two pages to an A4 (letter or something fucked in the USA, GO METRIC PEOPLE! IT IS EASIER) sheet. Landscape it. If an article is more then one page, go over to another page.

Have funny quotes or something on the bottom of the page if the article doesn't fit the full page.

Then just print it out. Photocopy it double sided like. Staple it together.

Have it online too. (If you use OpenOffice.org you can print to PDF which is a really nice feature that you won't find in most other office suits (unless you pay money or use a Mac)).

Hand it out at events. Leave it around leftist places. Have fun.

[Idola Mentis]

Get more people than just you in on it. Agree on a publication schedule (ex: bimonthly; once slushpile reaches a set number of words; once there's cash for printing). Agree on who does what of the editorial, writing and distribution work. Do some research on what sort of grants and publication support you may be eligible for.

go to groups.google.com's usenet archive, and search around alt.zines. Get a cheap/abandonware/freeware or just liberate a layout program, and a pdf burner. Go to art sites, such as conceptart.org or deviantart.com, and ask people nicely for permission to feature their art; promise credit and two free issues. If you can afford it, pay for front page art. Google for Copyleft and All Rites Reversed - you'll have to wade trough a lot of absurdist/morrealist weirdness, but it's worth it for the occasional gold you'll eventually strike.