1. Pick something you’re interested in. Make sure it isn’t something stupid, like punk rock.
2. Find some friends and assign them roles.
3. After most of them drop out, find some more friends.
4. Get access to a program such as InDesign, Microsoft Publisher, GIMP, or even Google Docs. Remember, the key here is to be as cost-efficient as possible.
5. Decide what your content will be. Art, interviews, opinion pieces, whatever. There aren’t any rules to this.
6. Choose a name for your zine.
7. Spend way too much time contemplating the name of your zine.
8. After you find out that your brilliant name is taken, find another one.
9. Look at other zines, posters, and publication-related stuff. There’s no shame in taking inspiration from other people. Just don’t be a dick and copy/steal their work.
10. Begin creating your content. There’s no real limit on when it has to be done, but keeping yourself to a certain time frame ensures that your idea becomes a real thing.
11. Start plotting out your content. Make sure it makes sense to the reader. I suggest designing each page in sets of two, compared to one, as that’s what your reader will probably see, which’ll let you keep it interesting from a design perspective.
12. Once your zine is finalized, maximize the number of zines you can print. If you can get away with not spending your own money, do so. Try to get an online version too, because that’s always convenient.
13. Distribute them. Café, music shops, libraries, wherever. It may take more labor, but it is what it is. Promotion is everything. But have fun!
14. You did it. Good job.
THAT PUNK ZINE 