#i hope this even remotely makes sense aldskfjadlsk

[transannabeth]

Do you have any advice on being accepted into zines? I feel like I've tried so hard and put my best work forward but I haven't had much luck and it's starting to make me feel down.

i'm sorry you haven't had any luck with zines so far :((( i'll try my best, but i can't promise anything as every zine team is different and has different requirements for their applicants

but before i start i want to say that a lot of times, a lot of really really incredible creators have to be cut because of numbers. if 100 people apply, and there are only 30 slots, 2/3 of those people will get rejected and mods usually have to decide between creators whose work they really like. i'm really proud of you for putting yourself out there and applying!! even when you did get rejected! it can be really scary, so be proud of that!

and now some tips:

make sure to read the applicant guidelines, and what this particular project is looking for

you want to make sure that you're actually following the guidelines. if that means you need at least one piece with a background in your samples, you should make sure you have that. if you're unsure of what that project means by a background, make sure you ask!

some mods will be willing to look through a portfolio and/or your linked social media to find examples of the work you're looking for, but many will not

making sure you read everything carefully and have what they require can help make sure you don't lose any points for missing requirements or misreading information (some projects have passwords hidden in guidelines for this very reason)

if they ask for trigger / content warnings make sure that you give them, as not providing them could be an immediate disqualifier for some projects

for writers: this is where it's important to make sure your word count for your samples is within their requirements. many mods will take points for going over!

try to only submit finished pieces for your samples

unless explicitly asked for doodles or wips, your best bet is to use the sample sections to show off your best work

for writers, make sure to edit your pieces for grammar, and even get a beta to look over them if you can! i sure don't always have an editor for my fics on ao3, but you want to try to polish your work for zine quality, so at least run the piece through a spelling and grammar check to make sure you're good on that front!

mods are trying to imagine what kind of piece you might submit for the zine when done, so you want to show off your most polished and complete work!

tailor your samples to the project

if the project is going to be human-focused, then you want to make sure the majority of your samples are of humans. if the project is for animals, same there! mods want to make sure that you are able to draw the subject of the project, so submitting lots of pokemon art for a human ship zine may make them more nervous about accepting you

if you know a project is going to be very fashion-heavy (ie a fashion zine or a period zine), then show off how you draw clothing! if the project is nature-inspired, show off your nature backgrounds!

for writers, if a zine says they're going to have non-traditional pieces (ie. articles, interviews, quizzes, or other writing that isn't just prose), then if you have a non-traditional piece, it can really help you out to submit it!

if something is "highly suggested" or "recommended", you want to try to do it

some projects will recommend or suggest that you apply with a piece for the specific fandom or theme that the zine is centered around. obviously we don't always have time to create a new piece, but if you have one that you're happy with and think is your good work or you have time to make one, do it!

usually, there will also be a note that this is not required, but i've found that it only helps you to submit something they're looking for if you can swing it. it may help them choose between you and another applicant if it comes down to it

(if it's required, then definitely have that fandom/theme or you could lose points or be outright disqualified)

weed and update your portfolio every few months

first of all, you don't really want to have more than 15 pieces in your portfolio at a time. around 10 is usually the max

unless you think a piece is very strong, you don't want to keep it in your portfolio for over 2 years (even that may be too long)! your art changes as you grow, make sure your pieces are accurate to your style now!

try not to have too many wips in your portfolio. think of this as an extension of your samples. show off your colors, your composition, different poses, backgrounds, etc. if your entire portfolio is busts, it won't be as exciting, so make sure you choose a variety of pieces that show off your different skills

also ask some friends! people might be happy to do a quick portfolio review for you!

important: if you have applications out when you weed your portfolio do not remove the pieces you've submitted as samples! or always use external links to somewhere else when applying. if your samples are in the trash, they can't be judged!

(for writers, submitting an ao3 page is totally cool, but your samples have much more weight than your portfolio in comparison to artists since mods don't always have time to look through more writing. you don't have to weed ao3!)

just make some zine ready pieces!

if you aren't used to making full illustrations that zines require, then you may not even really have many to fill your portfolio with. so make some!

if you really liked a zine idea but didn't get in, just draw the piece anyway if you're motivated!! you'll get to work on all the things zines look for, and also have a cool piece to add to your portfolio in the end

same goes for writers, write an entire story under the word count and polish it up. have someone read it over and beta it for you. you'll have content to share and a piece to use as a sample next time!

one of the things i personally have found applying to zines is that using my old zine pieces as samples usually has some more success, so you can see the circle people get stuck in

finally: try applying to different projects

if a project has very limited slots, it is going to be a lot harder to get in. that doesn't mean that you shouldn't try, but it's good to remember! amazingly talented people get cut from those all the time

digital projects are sometimes seen as lesser, but they're definitely not and they tend to have higher numbers that they accept. some are even open call, meaning that everyone who applies gets in!

that can be a great place to start with zines, because it's sometimes easier to get in, but you'll still have the community there of artists and writers who can give feedback on your work

and then you have a zine piece ready for other applications like i mentioned in the previous bullet!

keep making content and don't give up

zines are really hard! like any sort of anthology, they can be difficult to get into and rejection is brutal. believe me i have cried more than once over a zine rejection

but that doesn't mean your work isn't good and it doesn't mean you'll never get into a project! if you're mentally in a spot that allows you to keep applying, do it! if not, just focus on improving your craft and getting to a better spot mentally, there's no shame in saying that you need to take a break from or even stop applying because the rejections are too upsetting

the best thing you can do to get into projects is just keep drawing or writing. every time you create you do get better, even if you can't see it immediately

there is an amount of luck and chance in getting into zines—it depends on how many people apply, what the mods are looking for, and their personal tastes, but focusing on your own work and improving that is the best thing you can do to both improve your chances and better yourself as a creator

i hope something in here helps!! feel free to ask me more about zines at any time, and i wish you the best if you apply to another project!