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Ask Marney Column by Marney Makridakis What is the best way of going about publishing a ‘zine? I’ve noticed that many do not have ISBN numbers or copyrights. Is this not necessary? What is the difference between a zine and a magazine? Dear Reader: A zine (pronounced "zeen", like "magazine" without the "maga"), or ‘zine, is an independently created publication that generally has a very focused niche, theme, or audience. It is often created by any means necessary and/or available, created out of passion for a subject rather than for intended commercial success. Zines can be created with word processors, layout and imaging software, or good ole scissors and glue. They can be photocopied, professionally printed, or created entirely by hand. The beauty of self-publishing is that you can really do whatever you want. You can create a book out of a matchbox and call it a zine. You can draw doodles on post-in notes and call it a Journal. You can paint on paper towels and call it a newspaper. You can staple pages of drawings together and call it Charlie. :-) Some self-publishers would disagree with my approach, but I think of Artella being both a 'zine and a magazine: it’s a 'zine because it is indepdently published and focuses on a specific niche (words and art), but because it is full-size, full-color, professionally printed, and is printed in high quantities, it also can fall under the category of "magazine". In terms of "official" stuff like ISBN numbers and copyrights, it really depends on what your goals are. If you want to create a 'zine that you will sell through your own Web site, you don’t need an ISBN number. If you want to sell your zine wholesale to stores and other venues, the requirements vary. Some stores require that you have an ISBN number on the cover. Others require that the price and date of the issue are clearly marked on the cover. And some stores don’t require either. As for copyrights, you should always protect yourself by stating that the contents of your publication are copyrighted in the current year. If you publish the work of others, it is up to you whether the contributors will retain copyright, or if by being in your publication, you will assume their copyright. In the example of Artella, all contributors keep their own copyrights and may publish and print the works published in Artella in any other way they would like. However, each issue, in its entirety, is copyright by Artella. -Marney back to Index |