Me-Zines

[out_there]

I’m thinking of printing up Not Homophobic and Like Sailing and Home Runs as little booklets (think of them as mini-zines for me). I was going to put them into one booklet, but then that booklet would be about 140 pages long (60 for LSHR and 80 for NH), which might be a bit long for a basic A4-bound document.

I was going to do it for me as a bit of a pride thing, as a physical example of what I can accomplish, but it occurred to me that if I’m going to the hassle of printing out pages and binding and photocopying, I might as well check if anyone else wants a copy.

It feels really, *really* self-promoting to be asking, but does anyone else want a copy? I would expect repayment of costs (no, I currently have no idea how much photocopying/binding will cost, but even if I can cover that, I certainly can’t afford to pay for international postage) but I wouldn’t be making a profit.

Basically, this is a post to see if anyone else would be interested. (If not, I’ll just go ahead and make mine.) Leave me a comment saying which story you’d want and the region I’d have to post it to. Then I can figure out costs, let you know, and you can decide if you definitely want it and the best way to repay me.

ETA: And in case you are curious, I'm planning on the most-basic-of-the-basic production values: Times New Roman, black and white, no images.

Comments

[snoopypez.livejournal.com]

I would definitely want Not Homophobic. :D And I'm on the west coast of the US.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*nods* cool. Okay, I'm goinjg to have to do some actual organising on this.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Just making sure you know: the order poll (http://out-there.livejournal.com/817866.html) is up.

[justabi.livejournal.com]

Oh! Not Homophobic is one of my favorite stories! *pet it* Sadly, I wouldn't be able to pay for like, postage. *woe* I shall just have to keep it on my computer and read it when I feel bad.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Generally, I have no trouble with the whole "reading it online" thing, it's just that... honestly, I don't have as much online time as I used to and I'd really like to sit down and read something I can physically touch. And, yeah, that sounds beyond stupid but I know what I mean.

[scribewraith.livejournal.com]

definitely count me in - i keep wanting to do a zine but then i think what the point of distributing in australia would be (i think we could do a kick ass sga from down under zine cause we know enough people, and enough of us aussies are in teh fandom *grin*)

Let me know how much you want for printing postage etc!

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Ooohhh!!! I've entertained thoughts as well, but the one or 2 I've made so far to send off to friends for their birthdays have been quite a bit of work, hence the thought of mass producing, especially with other people's fic, is rather daunting! Though if it's a team effort, it might turn out to be fun. :D

[scribewraith.livejournal.com]

Well I edited and put out (with a couple of other people) a monthly zine on the brisbane goth scene for about 2 years, so much sympathy on the production side

what worries me is the distribution - i'd be happy to do the main editting/managing and outsource some of the design work etc as long as we could get help with distribution - but then there are options like some of the POD presses (print-on-demand) like cafe press/lulu etc.

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Oh yeah, distribution... Never had that problem before since it's just to that ONE person I was making it for. ;) Print on demand does sounds like the way to go, but that also kinda increases the production costs since you can't get bulk printing discounts that printers give out.

There's always the option of 'Only available in Australia', which could probably cut down the audience by... oh, 90%? LOL!

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Cool, will do.

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Well, I did a book version of my Voy/SW xover to send it off as a bday gift with A5 paper and they came out to about 125 pages with your normal card type paper for back and front cover, which bounded fine. The binding costs me about $5 to $6, but it's A5, not A4, though I'm thinking the length wouldn't really matter. As for photocopying, depending on how many pages you need some places might be able to do bulk discount for 5c per page. My old work place does that. :)

Since I still haven't got off my arse and read those 2 fics (Rodney and John distracted me), I'm in, and depending on when it comes out, might just pick it up from you or something. ;)

And hey, you need a cover image at least! :P

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Nah, can't be bothered stuffing around with images. I don't actually want a booklet that screams "oh my god, fandom!" I want a nice, staid looking all-text booklet that can sit there inconspicuously while I know it has smut.

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Not even have to have fandom images, I was thinking something along the lines of like a book cover. :)

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Well, I just checked at OfficeWorks and came to a total cost of $23 per pair of stories. (Not counting postage.) You've made/bought a couple of zines -- does that sound like a reasonable cost rate?

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Officework... how much for per page copying? And binding? I thought it should be around $15 - $18 or so for 140 pages (assuming 8c to 9c per page copying), with around $3 - $5 for the most basic binding. Because you do get bulk discount for photocopying, and really, you can do the photocopying yourself. Print it out, and put it through the feeder, and you're done.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

$15-18? Then I'm doing well at $23 for two booklets (one of 85 pages double sided and one of 65 pages double sided). Since it'd be over two thousand pages, I'd be at their 6c a page cost.

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Oh, you mean you're splitting it into 2 books and a total of 23 for the two and not put the 2 into one and $23 for that? Then that's cool. :D

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Putting the two books into one would be 150 double sided pages, and would be about 3cm thick (on A4 paper). That's a bit too daunting for me to read easily.

[in-the-bottle.livejournal.com]

Heck, it could be even cheaper if you can find a place that does 5c photocopying. My old work place does. Well, not normally, but mention my name, and they'll give it to you. ;)

[sangerin.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested. Those are two of my favourite fics of all time.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Cool.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Just making sure you know: the order poll (http://out-there.livejournal.com/817866.html) is up.

[dzurlady.livejournal.com]

I am tempted, yet it would mean explaining my mail to my parents. *sigh*

[out-there.livejournal.com]

If it's the mail thing, I could make you up one and give it to you the next time I see you (since you're a melbourne-gal and all).

Or, um, if that was a polite way of saying "not interested" or "my parents would snoop through my room, so no way in hell" just ignore that suggestion.

[shehasathree]

or have two sent to meeeee. i think my parents are too scared to ask about my mail anymore. heh. uh, hi!

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*laughs* I'll take that as a sign that you definitely want a copy of each?

[shehasathree]

:D yes please.
:bounce:

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Cool. That brings it up to ten copies that I need to make. (1 for me, 9 for everyone else.

[shehasathree]

exxxcellent.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Okay, the official poll is up on my LJ.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Just making sure you know: the order poll (http://out-there.livejournal.com/817866.html) is up. I'm going to use that to figure out how many copies I need, so if you definitely want one, it's a simple case of clicking a few radio boxes.

what if i want more than one?

[shehasathree]

(i'm thinking of getting extra as presents. still umming and ahhhing over how many exactly though.)

*complicates*

Re: what if i want more than one?

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Actually, hmmm. That poll only allows you to select one copy. I guess... hmmm. Fill out the poll for the one copy, and mention in your comment (because you'll have to comment with an email address for me to arrange payment) that you want to order extra copies. I can email you after Friday the 19th to get the definite number.

(Also, phew. I was a little worried that my costing estimations wouldn't work due to low numbers -- ie I assumed over 7 copies, so I based the photocopying rate on that -- but now it will.)

[utterfrivolity.livejournal.com]

Like Sailing and Home Runs is amazing- I actually thought when I read it that it's a shame that you weren't making a profit off it, considering the amount of work that must have gone into it, and the fact that there are authors that make good money off much less. I'd love to have a copy of both. I live in New York.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Well, this won't make a profit (since profit and fandom together make me feel all dirty and unscrupled) but there's something really, really nice about curling up with actual printed paper to read.

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

So, like a zine, then ...

I gave up zines when the net happened. And yet, and yet, it'd be nice to have hard copies to read in bed. (I have hard printout of all my own stuff. And I reread it quite often. I am so conceited, I shall surely die and go to hell, but fuckit.)

Figure out what the postage would be to the UK ... if it's do-able, I'd be interested.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

And yet, and yet, it'd be nice to have hard copies to read in bed.

I'm the same. It'd be nice to read it in actual printed form, where I could be cosy and stretched out. I think... I think I'll need to print up a trial version to figure out the weight, and then figure out the postage from there.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

I need to talk to the post office. If i have to send them as a parcel, economy air is $14 and normal air mail is $16.50. if I can send them as a letter (it'll depend on their weight and if I tie them, them may just be under the 2cm thickness limit), it'll be $11 by air mail and get to you within two weeks. I'm assuming that it's under 500g, but that's another thing I should ask about and check.

but if the weight turns out okay, you're looking at about 6 pounds, plus photocopying/binding costs. (I'm working on those right now.)

[out-there.livejournal.com]

and judging by the costs I've just figured for photocopying and binding, you'd be looking at about 16-18 pound for the pair. Is that way out of budget for you?

[phoebesmum.livejournal.com]

It is, really (sorry). Finances are not too good here and, apart from the odd splurge (I really should not have bought that last weeJosh movie ... but it's one of only three I didn't have, and I'd been looking for it for three years!), I can't really have nice things right now. Rats!

[out-there.livejournal.com]

*pets you* Trust me, I completely understand. Tight finances are never any fun.

[celli]

Over here! *waves hands wildly* I can even take a shipment and hand-deliver to anyone else in the Chicagoland area, which would cut down the postage costs.

[out-there.livejournal.com]

Ooooh. Good idea.

(And I'd already factored in a copy for you. I had a sneaking suspicion you'd be interested.)

[utterfrivolity.livejournal.com]

Oh, that's a really generous offer! In that case I might have my friend who's interning this summer in Chicago get it, and then give it to me next school year; it depends on the cost, though. I need to weigh the cost of shipping v. the cost of a friend reading my slash.

Of course, she likes herself some Sports Night...maybe she wouldn't be completely disturbed...

[out-there.livejournal.com]

And if it makes you feel any better, between the two of them, they're 140,000 words long and I'd be amazed if even 10,000 words of that was explicit. She'd have to be really curious or really bored to read through them.