FAQ

So... how does this work again?

You make zines, or want to make zines. You also want to recieve cool zines in the mail and share your zines with other people. That's where this swap comes in! When submissions open, you can register and be matched with a couple other zinesters to send your work to. You will have 3 weeks to create a brand new zine & ship it out. After everyone has sent out their zines, I'm going to share them on our site so we can marvel at all the cool stuff me made!!

Is it like a pen pal sort of thing?

Not exactly–think of it more as a secret santa! When you receive your addresses, those same people might not be sending zines back to you. This way you get to interact with a wider number of people!

Can I add a note or other goodies when I send out my zine?

Of course! Please include a short note and feel free to include your socials so you can contact each other. If you’re really feeling it, you can absolutely send stickers or extra zines, but that’s not required!

I live outside of the U.S. Can I still participate?

Absolutely! Since most zines can be shipped in a regular envelope, the cost of shipping is low, even internationally. I would love people form all over to feel free to participate virtually or by snail mail!

I love emails AND letters. Can I do a virtual & snail mail zine?

Yes! If you would like to swap both virtual & snail mail zines, please fill out both match forms. However, we would love it if you made a separate zine to mail and a separate zine to email.

Can I send someone an old zine I made?

This zine swap is a celebration of zinemaking, so we would prefer you to create a new zine for the event!

Do I have to send out the master copy?

Nope! In fact, we encourage you to hang onto the master copy in case you want to access it later!

You just used the term Master Copy. What is that?

The master copy is the complete original copy of the zine you made! If you made this by hand, this is the copy that you’re going to scan for distribution.

Do I retain ownership of my zine?

Absolutely. Sending your zine to someone is not giving them permission to print it on their own, it’s like sharing a work of art.

Can I post or sell my zine after this?

Yes, of course! You retain all rights to your work, you can do whatever you want with it!

Do I need to give you my address?

If you would like to send/receive zines by mail, then yes! Addresses will only be shared with me and your matches for the swap. If you aren’t comfortable with this, consider shipping to a P.O. box or participating in the digital swap.

Why should I trust you with my address?

Great question! Giving a stranger on the internet your address is usually ill-advised, but I consider myself the trustworthy type. Additionally, I’ve run a small business for two years with over 2000 sales & I completed a large Kickstarter campaign in 2021 where I handled over 300 addresses.

Is this a one time thing?

If all goes well, I would love to get this running multiple times a year. However, we have to see how this one goes first! Participating in this swap doesn't require to be in later swaps, there will be new sign up sheets.

Whose the man behind the curtain here?

Me! I am! You can find me on tumblr, instagram, or etsy @theartofmadeline. I also run the garden of madeline on neocities where I go by webmaster m.