Zines are short pieces of printed literature that can be made at home using printer paper that is then folded into a little booklet. You can put anything you want in a zine as long as you can put it on paper. Think pamphlets or small booklets you find at art shows or in museums that give information about different programs and art curators. Those aren’t zines necessarily but the idea is the same. It doesn’t even have to be printed by a machine if you don’t want. Your zine can be completely hand-written if that suits you. The freedom and simplicity of a zine are what make them accessible to everyone, and what makes them perfect for writers or artists who want to have a body of work but don’t want to approach the publishing industry.
Some things you can have in zines are short stories, poetry, doodles, full illustrations, tattoo or sticker ideas and anything else your mind can create. There are also templates for how everything should be laid out on the paper so that when it’s folded it reads like a book. These templates are free online and are simple to use.
Anywhere you can find zines, you can probably offer your own to be advertised the same way, because that is the nature of zine-making. It’s supposed to be free, easy-to-make-and-access media. Some ideas for places to look are libraries, bookstores, art stores, coffee shops and anywhere else with a media section. So if there’s anything on your mind that you want to share with the world without going through a publishing company, without spending an arm and a leg to create and without charging people to consume, consider making a zine and offering it to your local library.
