I couldn’t be happier to share something I’ve been puttering away at for a while now: a kit of zines that are their own assembly instructions. I call it The Zinemaking Guide to Making Zines, and it’s eff-ahr-ee-ee FREE for newsletter subscribers. Seriously! You can sign up below to get your download link.
My goal with this kit is to encourage more people to try self-publishing, even if that means making an edition of one. The barrier to entry is far lower than you think. Make zines as quick and cheap and imperfect as you want! Then make another! It’s low risk and high reward. Printing my own material has been really important to my growth as an artist, but it’s also just plain fun.
So, what all is included? I’m glad you asked. The kit includes print-ready files for 4 different zine formats of varying complexity. Simply follow along to assemble each, and you’ll end up with guides to then make your own zines from scratch! Wow!
The first format is a quarter-sheet folded zine (bottom left). It doesn’t require any tools at all. A great place to start! We’ve also got an eighth-sheet folded zine (top right). You’ll need to break out some scissors, a blade, or your neatest tearing skills for this one, but as with the quarter-fold, it doesn’t require any binding. The accordion zine (top left) is one of my favorites (obviously). It’s visually impressive and crazy flexible. And finally, there’s the staple-bound zine (bottom right), a true classic. It might look intimidating, but that’s what this guide is for! It includes an easy-to-follow layout chart ready to be passed on for generations to come.
Did I mention that each only needs a single sheet of paper? I made some myself for 10¢ a pop down at the friendly local library. We’re all about thrift, efficiency, and public services here.
Go on, now! Let’s make some zines!
