Taking It to the Next Level: Writing for Aboveground Publications Without Selling your Soul

8/14/2019 Taking It to the Next Level: Writing for Aboveground Publications Without Selling your Soul

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WRITING FOR ABOVEGROUND PUBLICATIONS

WITHOUT SELLING YOUR

SOUL

BY TIM W. BROWN

PHILLY ZINE FEST 2008

Taking it to the Next Level



Is it Time?

You know you can write. You know you can edit. Is ittime to take your writing and publishing efforts to thenext level?

Nobody says you have to, of course. Zines are theultimate form of unfettered self-expression. The lack of limits to opinion and imagination is a very powerfulattraction.

However, for those who may want to write for moreaboveground publications, there are venues possible

where you don’t have to compromise your principles.



Think About Your Audience

To begin, think about your audience. Who is reading yourzine? Why are they reading it?

Some zinesters never think about audience. Writing for

an audience is tantamount to self-censorship. It’ssomething that some crabby high-school English teacherharped on.

But, because writing is a form of communication, it’s by definition a two-way relationship. The only writers whodon’t have some audience are diarists. And even they’re

writing for an audience: themselves.



Additional Audience Questions

Ask yourself another question: can my audience beexpanded in some way?

And another: do I want it to expand?

If your answer to these questions is “Yes,” then youhave some choices available to expand youraudience.



Options to Expand Your Audience: One

Try submitting your work to other zines if you don’t already do this.

Some zines are the product of one mind and are completely writtenand published by one writer. Others are open to work from theirfellow zinesters.

Some knowledge of the publication’s editorial preferences isnecessary. Research the possibilities.

Review zines, particularly, are open to reviews of other zines, plusmusic, movies, games, books, etc.

Classic example: Factsheet 5.



Options to Expand Your Audience: Two

If you’re a creative writer – fiction writer, poet or creativenonfiction writer, try submitting your work to literary

journals. Many are pretty square, admittedly, but others are more

daring editorially and are open to fresh approaches to thefiction, poetry and nonfiction genres.

Again, do your research – writers’ guides such as the

International Directory of Little Magazines & Small Presses

are essential and usually available in public libraries.

Example: Me.



Options to Expand Your Audience: Three

Consider approaching community and alternativenewspapers in your city.

Apply your interests and talents in writing music, movie,

theater, game or book reviews.

As you get more skilled and the editor’s confidence in yougrows, your assignments may be upgraded.

Example: Jeff Koyen, former editor of Crank, eventually became editor of New York Press.



Options to Expand Your Audience: Four

If you’re up to the task, you may wish to author an entire book.

Leverage your knowledge of the topics in which your zine specializesand expand upon it.

Write a collection of short stories or a novel; pen a memoir basedon your experiences in the underground; analyze your politicalopinions and write an essay collection; collate all you’ve writtenabout popular culture into a book.

How to produce a zine is a popular, perennial topic for books by zinesters.

Examples: Pagan Kennedy, Jim Goad, Joe Meno.



Book Publishing Caveats

Caution: Book publishing is a tricky, dysfunctional business.

Getting published by a trade publisher is extremely

difficult – and rare.

Agents are required; selling-out your principles may benecessary; profit for the publisher and agent is the

bottom-line.

Not to mention trade publishing is virtually the oppositeof what you’re doing. It seeks an undistinguished, lowest-common-denominator, mass audience.



Options to Expand Your Audience: Five

Small and independent press publishing is a more viableoption than trade publishing, although still competitive.

The editors often came from the same world you do and

sympathize with your situation. They sometimes werezinesters themselves. They understand you and are muchmore open to nontraditional topics than trade publishers.

No agent is necessary. Passion, energy and talent are the

key factors.

Examples: Akashic Books, Soft Skull Press.



Options to Expand Your Audience: Six

Self-publishing is yet another option. You control the process from beginning to end. You own the product.

Drawback: unfairly or not you’re looked upon as a vanity publisher.

However, a self-published book can succeed if you have a decent-sized, existing audience – despite its probable lack of distributionand review attention.

Pre-printing 500-1,000 books requires a considerable capital outlay. You have to be sure you can sell a majority of copies to break even.

Example: Peeing in Peace: Tales and Tips for Type A Moms by BethFeldman and Yvette Corporon.



Options to Expand Your Audience: Seven

Print-on-Demand (POD) is an economical method for publishing a book. Editing and formatting are largely up to you. Only copiesordered are printed.

Most POD publishers list their titles online, i.e., at amazon.com and

bn.com, making them available for order worldwide.

Same problem with self-published books: being taken seriously by readers and reviewers; getting the word out.

Still, the model works well when applied by experienced zinesters.The network you’ve built up is your audience. Your experience withprint production is very useful.

Examples: Lulu, iUniverse, Xlibris.

Taking It to the Next Level: Writing for Aboveground Publications Without Selling your Soul

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