Due to the high demand for specifications regarding portfolios & art samples required for applications, we decided to put together a guide, aimed to serve as an aid for potential contributors. You can find it below the Read More, or optionally access it via our carrd.

This is a short look into what the mod team will be judging when it comes to writer applications for the zine.  Writer apps open February 1 and we will be accepting 6 writers with a working space of ~2.5k words/5 pages.

We will be judging primarily based on the samples you provide us with, but may delve into provided portfolios and social media links for further works.  We will be trusting applicants to not have partaken in harassment, abuse, or other such black marks.  We will not be judging anyone based on their fandoms, character/ship preferences, or other such personal details.

All applicants will be judged based on their writing only, desired characters and pitches will not affect the judging process.

Flow

How well does the writing read?  We want a good variety of sentence structure and something that we can get through easily.  The writing should fit with the type of story you’re telling and create an appropriate atmosphere.

Grammar/Spelling

Basic rules of grammar and spelling will apply. That said, we will not worry about differences caused by geography (color versus colour, for example).

Characterization

Characterization varies between people, we understand that, but we’ll look for a consensus among mods that the situation and characterization are plausible. We’ll be curious to see how much characters “feel” like themselves and make sense for their setting (especially important for AUs).

If you have any other questions or concerns about the mod applications, feel free to drop a message!  We will update this post as needed.

Writer Application Guidelines

Hello! We’ve gotten a fair amount of responses on our interest survey and since applications open on the 18th, we wanted to go ahead and tell you what to expect! Applications for both writers and artists will be open from November 18th to December 18th. 

For writers, we’ll be asking for 2-3 pieces of writing, totaling no more than 4,000 words. Each individual piece should be at least 500 words.  Lord of the Rings pieces are not required but are appreciated. 

Preferred submission is through one Google doc with all of your pieces included in that one document. Make sure to have the correct viewing permissions on so we can see it. Please mark where one piece starts and another ends, and give us whatever information you think is relevant to that piece (title, if it’s an excerpt from another piece, if its a one-shot, et cetera).

This is a short look into what the mod team will be judging when it comes to artist applications for the zine.  Artist apps open January 25 and we will be accepting 36 zine artists who will illustrate one page each.

We will be judging primarily based on the portfolio you provide us with, but may delve into provided social media links for further works.  We will be trusting applicants to not have partaken in harassment, abuse, or other such black marks.  We will not be judging anyone based on their fandoms, character/ship preferences, or other such personal details.

All applicants will be judged based on their art only, desired characters and pitches will not affect the judging process.

ZINE ARTISTS

Anatomy

Anatomy is basic proportions and whatnot, but also the flow of the body.  Does it look natural?  Even if it’s stylised, good flow and sense of shape will be preferred over perfectly correct but stiff and awkward.

Colours

Colours are the usual basic colour theory of compliments, triads, etc. as well as, in general, do their colours catch your eye or is it simple black shadowing. Colours are super important in how drawn people are to the art and we want people to really be pulled in with a zine because the longer they spend looking at the art, the more fulfilling their purchase is.

Background

More than how complicated a background is, does it add to the piece?  Do you get more out of the art from the background or is it too distracting?  Of course we want it well drawn, but you can’t just slap in anything and everything into a background.

Composition/Cohesiveness

Composition is important in making an interesting piece, but also in how well does it all fit together?  Is it complete and nice to look at?  A lot of people don’t have styles that match even if they have the technical skill and everything they drew is “right”.  If it doesn’t fit together well it becomes awkward and not enjoyable to view.

MERCH ARTISTS

Merch artists will be judged primarily via their colours and composition.  We will be taking 5 merch artists who will produce two charms, two sticker sheets, and two prints.  Merch artists may also be asked to design an enamel pin.

This will be a short introduction into what I will be looking for in terms of co-mods for the zine.  To start off, I will be accepting three positions:

Graphic mod

General manager

Mod intern (x2)

This will round out the group to five people total with three mods and two interns.  As I will be handling finances and shipping primarily, I will only be judging your previous experience and/or what skills applicants have to offer as well as how I judge you will work with me in a group.  I will be trusting applicants to not have partaken in harassment, abuse, or other such black marks.  I will not be judging anyone based on their fandoms, character/ship preferences, or other such personal details.

All Mods

As a part of this team, all mods and interns will be responsible for helping with the blog/twitter upkeep and answering questions as they arise.  You will bring your views to discussion and help bring the zine to its final decided form.  Everyone is expected to be polite, professional, and held accountable for their actions as part of the mod team.

Graphic Mod

The graphic mod for this zine will be primarily in charge of announcement graphics and formatting the zine itself.  Intermediate to advanced knowledge of a suitable design program (InDesign, Illustrator, etc.) will be required or previous experience with graphics and formatting.  Templates and other graphic necessities will be left in their hands for the most part.

General Manager

A general manager will be brought on board to help keep the whole process smooth and organised.  They will primarily be in charge of organising applications and spreadsheets, keeping track of participants, and evaluating the schedule.  Your job will consist of a lot of miscellaneous items, but important to getting everything together.  The general manager will be someone I can trust to keep things running during any time I am unavailable.

Mod Intern

Mod interns will be given tasks by the main mods to help them learn the process of producing a zine.  They will be a part of the discussion as much as the other mods and the main mods will answer their questions to help educate them.  Interns will have some limitations such as needing confirmation before posting things on the accounts.