Zines, and what to look for

A Carrd put together out of love and frustration.

Contained in this carrd are common warning signs, often called "Red Flags", of a zine that may not be in the best state. The signs in this carrd have been collected from a wide variety of people who have modded a zine, contributed to one, or both. None of these are guarantees that the zine is a scam or otherwise not going to follow through on their obligations: they are observations that have been noted and collected into one place.The Flags are divided into three sections: Red , Yellow, and Green. Red Flags are signs that can be considered the most concerning to observe. Yellow Flags are situational and can be concerning but they may not be. Green Flags are things that are good signs, or otherwise good indicators of a well put together zine.This Carrd was put together by Deviation, with the input of those in the Discord Group "Mod Network", a group of zine moderators from all walks of life. This Carrd may change, be added on to, or further developed depending on feedback.

Red

The following signs are what can be considered the most concerning signs to observe, and should be addressed as soon as possible.

  • Social Media(s) of moderators not listed and/or all socials listed are very new

  • The zine is physical and/or for-profit, and none of the mods have prior experience moderating zines

  • finance mod is below the age of 18(1)

  • Moderators are frequently absent for long periods of time, without prior warning to contributors(2)

  • specs, requirements, rules, and/or conditions change/are added frequently and without explanation. e.g. Merchandise being made into stretch goals instead of main pieces without discussing it with the artists prior.

  • There are no clear back-up plans should the zine not break even.

  • There are no clear means of communicating with the moderators.

  • The Social Medias of the zine are not kept active during critical periods in the zine, particularly directly before and during pre-orders.

  • The Moderators do not follow promised deadlines, and offer no changes to the schedule nor a timeline.

  • Lack of transparency about or during a crisis, including backup plans should the situation change.

  • Moderators repeatedly do not follow through with promised actions. This is especially concerning if the moderators must be cajoled by contributors to act.

  • Lack of transparency regarding finances and budgeting for the zine(3)

  • Moderators do not show the contributors the PDF of the zine; this is especially concerning if it has been asked for/promised and has not been shown.

  • Specs are difficult to find, or otherwise not laid out for the zine or merch items, if applicable. (4)

  • Moderators have unreasonable expectations for the contributors. For example, the number of pieces a contributor can complete within a set time frame or the time it takes to make a zine-ready piece.

1. It is against the TOS of most payment processors to use them if you are under 18.
2. Some moderators do most of their work behind the scenes or otherwise are not active where contributors see. This does not mean they have ghosted the zine.
3. People have different styles of budgeting and financing and different mods will provide varying depths/details of information.
4. Clear instructions should always be provided, especially with merch, as varying manus may have different requirements. A lack of specs may indicate manus have not been picked out.

Yellow

The following signs are what may be concerning, or are otherwise situationally concerning depending on other factors. These factors include, but are not limited to: the number of other "flags" present, the experience of the moderators, and the weight/importance you, personally, put on the subject.

  • The moderators are moderating other zines, but have no zines that can be labeled "complete". This becomes more concerning the more zines the mod(s) is currently part of.

  • The Moderators do not turn off the store after pre-orders close, and physical copies of the zine are still on sale.

  • The Moderators are abrasive, defensive, dismissive, and/or rude in the face of questions/concerns.

  • One or more moderators leaving their positions suddenly and without warning. This becomes a Red Flag if the remainder mods don't explain or otherwise announce the changes in the team.

  • Extremely high or unrealistic expectations on the profit margin of the zine(1)

  • Contributor List and related announcements are not made within a reasonable time of contributors agreeing to be a part of the project(2)

  • Moderators do not use BCC during emails.(3)

  • Moderators do not have clearly defined roles(4)

  • Keeping contributors isolated, or otherwise unable to communicate with each other or see other's works.

1. High expectations are not a flag in themselves; ask for their finance/budgeting plans, as well as back up plans, before deciding if this alarms you.
2. There are different styles of doing things: some zines make announcements at the beginning, others towards the end. Ask the moderators what the schedule is.
3. Mistakes happen! The important thing in this instance is how the moderator team responds after the mistake.
4. Some moderator teams have been working together a long time, or otherwise do best in a more generalized role.

Green

The following are indicators of a well put together zine. They are patterns that have been observed, but even having every one of these does not guarantee the zine will succeed, nor the absence of some of them be an indicator of clear failure. Use your best judgement.

  • A clear schedule is published and is adhered to; if changes are made, contributors are made aware of it as soon as possible.

  • Moderators clearly lay out contingency plans. (1)

  • Communication is open, clear, and easy to establish; responses to contributor questions/concerns are made within a reasonable amount of time.

  • All needed information, such as specifications and templates, are readily available and easily sorted through.

  • Moderators post regular updates during pre-order and production stages, as well as make drafts of the PDF available for review.

  • Receipts of production costs are easily accessed; pictures of arrived products are given; Moderators are clear about what earnings are. (2)

1. Contingency plans vary depending on mod. They can include, but are not limited to: moderators splitting the needed costs, contributors paying production price to receive a copy of the zine, and refunding all investors of the zine.
2. Moderators have different styles of conducting finances and go into varying levels of details.

What Can I Do?

If you've read through this carrd and find yourself growing increasingly concerned, we offer the following suggestions things that may help.

  • Approach fellow contributors to discuss your concerns and approach the moderators as a group. A collected voicing of concerns can ease personal anxieties and lend weight to your point of view.

  • If moderators have previous zines listed, or zines listed happening concurrently to yours, research into how those zines did/are doing.

  • Your works are what make the zine: if repeated attempts at communication with the moderators have failed, obligations broken, and deadlines pass do not be afraid to walk away from the project with your piece.

  • In the event you suspect a scam: keep records of things said by the moderators and approach them with what you've collected. Depending on the results of this, go forward and let people know to request refunds, using the records as proof if need be. You can also approach previous zines and zines the moderators are in concurrently to collect corroborating evidence.

PLEASE NOTE: No person or team is perfect! People make mistakes, get busy, or have events outside their control occur. The first step to take in the event you have a concern is to approach the moderator team, either as a team or by messaging a mod you feel comfortable with.