After all the discussion about on-line stories and zines and their relative costs to different people, I'm now confused. I'm very new to all this, and started writing B7 fiction a few months ago after the series was reshown here, before I even realised there was any out there. I'm close to finishing "Vila Restal's E-mails". I'm planning to put them on-line, and was going to put my other stories there too as I finish them.
However, now I'm wondering if this is the best option. So I have some questions:
1) Which gives the widest readership - web pages or zines?
2) What are the pros and cons of each for writers?
3) Which do readers prefer? It's cheaper for me to read stories on-line but I do find hard copies much more pleasant to read from. However I suppose this will differ by country because of relative costs.
Nico
On Wed, Dec 26, 2001 at 11:23:01AM +1300, Nico Mody-Nikoloff wrote:
- Which gives the widest readership - web pages or zines?
Hard question to answer, really. Zines will get a readership that web-pages can't get you -- those without net-access -- as well as those with net-access. On the other hand, web pages are more accessible to those who *do* have net-access, because if your page is well-linked-to, then your fiction is theoretically easier to find. But, again, if someone is a con-goer, then there's a concentration of zine-interested people who go to cons like MediaWest and Eclecticon...
(shrug)
- What are the pros and cons of each for writers?
As someone who does both, I think I can answer that happily. Zine pros: - 'tribber's copy -- free zine with other good stories in it! - nicely laid out hardcopy with pretty pictures makes your story look even better - a good editor can help make your story better Zine cons: - generally, you get zero feedback from readers - don't get to revise a story once it's in print (usually) Web pros: - a lot more feedback from readers than zines give - can post revised versions (usually) - a good beta-reader can help make your story better Web cons: - lack of all the nice things you get with zines
Another factor is that not all "web versions" are alike. The amount of control one has over the content and layout of your story depends on whether you can archive it yourself, or whether you have to submit it to someone else's archive -- and the trade-off which can arise if the biggest archive for your favoured fandom allows one to submit a link to your story (so that it can be listed, but you can control it) or whether they require the entire text to be submitted to them.
- Which do readers prefer? It's cheaper for me to read stories on-line but
I do find hard copies much more pleasant to read from. However I suppose this will differ by country because of relative costs.
Well, it's sorta pointless asking *this* question on an electronic mailing list, since you won't be getting input from those who don't have net-access...
Me, I'm one of these people who always prints out web-stories... I do prefer a nice, pretty zine, but it's more of a risk buying a zine, if one doesn't know enough about it to be sure one is going to like it.
Kathryn Andersen -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Jenna: I don't think he likes you somehow. Avon: I think I may have to reprogram this machine. Jenna: Still won't make you likeable. (Blake's 7: Cygnus Alpha [A3])
"Nico" == Nico Mody-Nikoloff nico@farsight.co.nz writes:
- Which gives the widest readership - web pages or zines?
Hard to say -- but if your part of the world is anything like mine, the number of people entirely without web access is shrinking at a furious pace.
- What are the pros and cons of each for writers?
* If you put it on a web page of your own, you don't have to wait months or years for somebody else to finish working on a zine.
* With a web page, you won't get as much active editing (unless you really work at getting it).
- Which do readers prefer? It's cheaper for me to read stories on-line but
I do find hard copies much more pleasant to read from.
Personally, I vastly prefer web-based. Even if I was still using an old 28.8kbps modem it'd have to be an insanely long story with a lot of illustrations before the phone connection charges even approached the costs of international postage.
As for hardcopy, most browsers have a "Print" button. If you care about layout you can always offer a PDF version (as Kathryn has done with _Staked Blake_).
Thank you very much, all the people who replied to my post about where to publish.
I've decided to go on-line as I'm a new and unknown writer, but if any zine editors like my work, I'll be delighted to write stories for them. When my web page (my first) is up, I'll let you all know.
Thanks, Nico
This has been a fascinating discussion. To tack another thought on to it, as a newbie to the fandom (and to fandom in general, at least as an active participant):
I'd love to see a fic of mine in a zine--seeing something actually on paper and knowing it was considered (by someone, somewhere) as good enough to be put together with other stories would be a thrill.
How does one go about finding a zine? One of the B7 Writer's Resource pages has a list of zines looking for stories, but at the moment the list consists, I think, of one or two only. Is there a better list out there, or is the field just that sparse right now? And what are the odds that a story I write would fit a zine theme?
Jen McGee
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Calle Dybedahl -
Jen McGee -
Kathryn Andersen -
Nico Mody-Nikoloff