Zines are DIY booklets made with the intention of sharing information without barriers you would find in mainstream publishing, such as submission fees or legal clearance. How important social media is now that it has become the primary communication tool? Have the fundamentals of zine-making changed due to this shift to a completely digital platform?
Z for Gen Z
Rather than simply focusing on profit, zines are curated to reflect the editor's creative vision or point of view. A new wave of digital and print publications is adopting cues from the past, and is a breath of fresh air of indie publishing. The fully digital zine is one of a rising number of Gen Z-led publications that are rejecting traditional journals' fixed spreads and polish in favor of using social media as more than a promotional tool. (Mendez, 2020) The zine community was once a “relatively closed underground culture” with limited circulation [and access] and thus small audiences are now more open, and accessible, than ever before (Duncombe, 1997, p.230).
Social media & Zinemaking
The rise of social media brought along both bad and good news for the zine community. Although, arguably, digital form loses the limited edition aspect, publishing zines online helped reach a much broader range of audience. Such enhanced availability is especially beneficial for anti-racism zines like The Continuist, as many of their campaigns have been launched to regain attention to cultural diversity and in support of recent race-related issues in the US (i.e. #BlackLivesMatter). For zine-makers, digital publishing within a virtual community is a new phenomenon. Executive editors must make a solid commitment to building online confidence in order for the virtual community to take hold and be fully realized. Social media has bridged the gap between generations by a click on an Instagram infographic and call-to-action buttons. (The Panther, 2020). With this, executive editors can empower their writers by providing artists control over how they are portrayed since the content is not generated to serve the interests of others: zinesters are not required to bow to, or tap into, market trends and pressures. (Harris, 2003)
The Working Process
Typically, a paper's journey from submission to publication went through several stages. First and foremost, editors-in-chief(s) establish the concepts of the zine before calling for submission. Once submissions are closed, they are organized by mediums and pass them off to editors to review. A lot of this process also depends on the theme and purpose of the specific zine publication. Then submissions are peer-reviewed and double-checked by executive editors, and are handed to graphic designers to work on designing the zine pages while they prepare the launch and help with social media campaigns. The peer-review process is a process by which the editorial board evaluates scholarly works, and its objective is to ensure a high quality of published science. (Editage Insights, 2013). Research found that on average, 21% of submissions are rejected during the initial review by journal editors across disciplines (Reuters, 2011). However, rejections on submissions are rarely seen in college zines, as long as they fit the spectrum of the zine. “Creativity is subjective”, Addo stated. In addition, zines are often the first forum to encourage and promote areas of culture that are emerging. (Bold, 2017).