Adzine
From Fan History Wiki
Adzine or zine listing is the term used to describe a fanzine that is composed of brief advertisements soliciting contributions for a zine to be produced or promoting sales of zines that have been completed.
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[edit] Historical Definitions
From at least 1983, and probably long before that, the adzines were fanzines that told fanzine readers what was available or would be available for sale, and advised contributors what fanzines were accepting fan fiction submissions for publication.
[edit] History
An adzine listed zines that were in print or proposed, and might also print reviews of fanzines, personal statements, convention listings, notices from people searching for special items, or people who have fannish items other than zines to sell. The benefit of using an adzine was that it contained a large and varied number of listings, including international zines, giving the reader a better idea of things that were out there and things yet to come than one could ever get from a handful of flyers on a convention table.
There were usually no more than two or three large adzines in existence at any given time--for example, the largest two were Datazine and The Communications Console. Adzines were usually available for subscription or single issue prices through mail order, although they were often also available at some of the larger conventions. The frequency of issues ranged from monthly, to bi-monthly, to quarterly, to whenever they get it out. For fan fiction readers, the arrival of the adzine in the mail box meant an evening curled up on the sofa with a hot/cold beverage, a pen, and a checkbook.
For the fan writer or fan artist, the adzine provided a list of fanzines that were for sale (and for which they could shortly expect a trib copy in the mail if they had material in the fanzine) and a list of proposed fanzines to which they could send their fanfiction or artwork or – in the case of artists – contact editors to find out if a cover or interior illustrations would be needed.
[edit] The Adzine Listing
Most adzines allowed zine listings at no charge, but permitted personal statements and/or sale listings for items other than zines only from subscribers. In addition, adzines may have had a certain form or format that for submissions.
Most adzines had a section listing zines that were in print, proposed but not yet in print, or a section just for letterzines or adult and slash zines.
The listing itself may have been preceded or followed by a code identifying the media or series the zine contains. ST, for example, usually meant Star Trek, while STNG usually meant Star Trek-The Next Generation. The code changed from adzine to adzine, but were usually listed on the first or contents page of the adzine for easy reference. Some codes were virtually universal-- 'M' stood for media or multi-media, which would mean there were many different shows involved, that the series the zine is about is a relatively small fandom, or that the zine is about a series that is non-science fiction in nature.
Slash was listed as '/', usually with some indication of the series involved. K/S referred to Kirk and Spock, while S/H referred to Starsky and Hutch. Sometimes slash zines were listed only with the '/' symbol and with no series identification. In addition, a slash symbol or a zine listed as adult often required that a reader send a statement saying that they were over eighteen years of age and could legally purchase the material--this was called an age statement.
The listing would also include the title of the zine, a brief description of the zine, and a name and address of the press or publisher. Many adzines would state on their first or informational page how they list check payees in their publication.
If reader had questions about how a check should be made out or if they were interested in ordering, it was wise to send an inquiry letter first, with an SASE for the editor's answer. Editors sent listings to adzines months or sometimes years in advance of publication. The price listed might no longer have been accurate because of a change in the zine or postal increase, or the zine may be out of print and no longer available, or even may not have been printed.
Often, adzines would print personal statements from editors, contributors, or readers. Personal statements notified fandom at large of something they may need to know--a change of address, an important delay in zine production, a change in production...or any information that wouldn't be better served by the placement of a normal zine listing. In extreme cases, the statement might have been the final recourse for a consumer or contributor problem--an authorized use of a story, artwork, or name; a warning about bootleggers, etc.
A personal statement was not an appropriate forum for personal grudges, name-calling, or fannish feuds, nor was it a place for self-promotion or advertisement.
[edit] Affect on Fanzines
If fandom had a mail order marketplace, it was in the form of adzines. An adzine was only as good as its listings; a current, accurate adzine was worth its weight in gold.
Adzines enabled fanzine readers – often in different states or different countries – a chance to keep abreast of new material being produced in their fandom, as well as an eye toward what fandoms were up-and-coming. It provided a means of connecting fans with other fans not only through fanfiction zines, but letterzines.
Adzines were crucial for fanzine publishers, who needed to be certain that they would have enough material to fill a proposed fanzine (especially for a small fandom) or would have enough readers to make the production of a zine financially viable.
[edit] Examples
- Datazine
- The Handy Dandy Adzine Calendar and Address Guide
- Pop Stand Express
- The Communications Console
- The Monthly
- Universal Translator
- Fan Guide
- The Communicator
- For Your Information Zine
- Media Monitor
- The Zine Connection
- Zine Scene
