Custom Zine

Custom zine (or custom fanzine) is when a fan alters the original format of a print zine or creates a print zine out of online fanworks.
==Collecting Installments==
Sometimes a fan collected installments in a long-running series and combined them in an easier to read format. In 1988, a fan wrote: "For a few years now, I've been buying two copies of NOME each year for the express purpose of being able to take one apart and put all of the story together in a separate book. After spending scads of cash on back issues that were out of print and that I've obtained by outbidding others at auctions, I have finally succeeded in having all the installments together. And I've read and reread it several times." from a LoC in Nome #11
==Collecting Favorites==
Another fan in 1988 told other fans that when she came across a story she enjoyed, she made it easier to access, not unlike a modern-day online bookmarking system: "I have copied her story to put in my special book of favorite Trek stories. I know that I'll read it several more times. Trekking can always give me a lift when I'm down." from a LoC in Nome #11 
A fan in 2011 wrote: "I've had a kind of hobby for a long time now, after I tired of buying fanzines and being disappointed with the contents, of creating my own "zines" out of stories I really like, adding pictures & coverart, & comb binding them with my own supplies/comb binding machine. It was a lot cheaper than "commercial" fanzines, and ensured that I liked all the content!" Burned out on Harry Potter, until the next movie, at least!, comment by ynathesrith, May 14, 2011 
In 2014, a fan describes making a cover for a custom Pros zine, one for The Tangled Web: "I quite often print out lengthier stories and make them into zines for myself. This is the only one I've done a proper cover for though." , see other fans' comments 
==Hard Copies to Read Offline==
The term is used more recently when it is applied to the old fan fiction practice that was introduced as more and more fan fiction became available online in the mid to late 1990s. 
Many fans would print online fan fiction in hard copy to read offline. Most copies were for temporary use and then disposed of or given away.See comments to "Labeling Your Fan Fic", Morgan Dawn's blog dated July 17, 2010. A few copies were put into three hole punch binders. An even smaller subset was comb bound with color covers. (See images above and full gallery below).
==Unique Bindings==
Some fans and publishers created very unique physical covers while preserving the original content. See Unique Bindings. 
==Selling Custom Zines==
While the majority of fans support printing for offline reading, many fans become defensive when those copies are then 'sold'. Some argue that you should only charge for printing and mailing costs so that no 'profit' is made from the freely offered fan fiction. Others feel that since the fiction was offered for free you should not charge for printing, but only for distribution (mailing) costs. And others feel that since the fiction was shared freely, you should not seek any reimbursement. This is interestingly contrasted with the circuit library in the Professionals fandom where it was routine to charge for both copying and printing costs and of course with published fanzines themselves where all publication costs are sought for and received.See "Labeling Your Fan Fic", Morgan Dawn's blog dated July 17, 2010. 
Zinelist discussions and fan recollections, as described in Morgan Dawn's notes:
:"I recall the days of the "circuit stories" in Professional fandom, in which copies of single stories were distributed by mail and you made your own photocopies of those you wanted to keep. These copies might show up later in sales, usually for cost. I sometimes see printed out 'net fiction in sales the same way--for cost."Fanzines and Fan Fiction Are Not Crimes, July 26, 2009].
Some creators of custom zines add notes or labels to their creations signaling that the custom zine should not be resold.
==Publishing Without Permission==
When fans would place fan fiction into a more formal zine format (comb bound with color covers or, more recently in perfect bound paperback formats) the custom zine could often become indistinguishable from published fanzines leading to some sellers to accuse their fellow fans of 'stealing fan fiction and publishing without permission.' 
===Culture Clash===
In 2009, a copy of a custom zine found its way for sale on eBay which then led to some fans to argue that all fanzines were a violation of copyright law and were 'putting fandom in peril' by introducing profit to fan fiction.
Excerpts from the July 2009 "PSA to Fanfic Writers": 
The fact that fan fiction had existed solely in fanzine format prior to the Internet and that reimbursement printing costs was necessary in order for the fan fiction to be shared was conveniently overlooked. It was as if Internet fans were throwing away 30 years of fannish traditions in their desire to protect the rights of fan writers to control the distribution of their fan works. 
===Control===
The belief that fan writers should have absolute control over their publicly shared work is not new to fandom, however it was historically most often tangled up with the rights of fanzine publisher's to control the distribution of their fanzines. But even after the fanzine publisher's interests have been removed from the debate, some fans have been very blunt in their assessment of the 'absolute control' argument:
:I believe that if the authors did not want someone to download these stories and print them out for ease of reading, they should not have put them online. Disclaimer from 'Lauriezine 8', a custom zine, see gallery.
 
However, in recent years more and more fan writers are arguing that even if their fan fiction is freely available to be read online, printing it for offline reading or converting it in a pdf or eBook format for offline reading without permission is a breach of fannish ethics.See ebook discussion in comments to "Labeling Your Fan Fic", Morgan Dawn's blog dated July 17, 2010. 
:"speaking of odd, did you know, there seems to be some sort of small groups of fan, who thinks, its wrong to save online fics to your harddrive!"comment in Fanzines and Fan Fiction Are Not Crimes, Morgan Dawn's blog dated July 26, 2009.
===Restrictive Copyright Practices===
In many ways, some might argue that fandom is increasingly folding some of the more restrictive copyright practices of the book publishing and entertainment industries into their culture. Common misperceptions as to the legality of fan fiction overall often lead to a chilling effect dissuading fans from participating in fanzine publications.
Compare these discussions about the legality of fanzines: and
 
with the fair use and legal discussion in 'Interesting copyright infringement issue', Fandom Lawyers, dated July 29, 2009. Reference link. It is not surprising then that this leads to the following negative attitudes towards fanzines in general:
===Self-publishing===
With easier ways to self-publish, custom zines nowadays can look like real books. In April 2013, someone printed a "best of" anthology of Steve/Tony comics fic, promised to give away five copies and make more available on a print on demand site, sold at cost.muccamukk. In case you're wondering what just happened..., 10 April 2013. (Accessed 30 May 2013); reference link
People were excited, but then the authors found out and the majority of them had not given permission, nor had they been contacted. 
It soon turned out that the OP was a teenager who wasn't aware that what she was doing would anger the authors she admired and she took the whole thing down. She apologizedI want to apologize to everyone, 11 April 2013 reference link. (Accessed 30 May 2013) and people calmed down again.
The reactions were mostly wary about the for profit aspects of self-publishing through commercial channels and in favor of more traditional zine ethics.
==Example Custom Zines==
*Waiting to Fall, a The Professionals slash novel by Rob (1989)
*Buxom Football Players - anthology of round-robin stories (1997)
*While You Sleep, a Harry Potter slash story by jade22882 (2003)
==Cover Gallery==
File:Sndfront.jpg|a 2016 custom zine cover for the X-Files fic SN 1572
Image:cabbandkings.jpg|a Stargate: Atlantis, created at a convention party: contents: Sleep is for the Weak (16 pages), Epidemic (20 pages), A Bee in the Bonnet (47 pages), Goonus Americanus (20 pages), Ice Planet (32 pages), The Tournament (20 pages), War of Wills (24 pages), The Once and Future Goon (9 pages), Blasted (16 pages), Paradigm (96 pages), The Trench (38 pages), Another Day in Paradise (31 pages)
File:Solaceoz.jpg|a custom Oz zine, 24 pages long, includes the story "Solace" and "“Gift: A Solace Interlude”, some content is here at Archive of Our Own
File:Phantompain.jpg|a custom Sentinel zine, 145 pages, combines three parts of a story, Phantom Pain, that had a appeared in Warriors
Image:Highlandereuropean.jpg| a custom Highlander zine, 199 pages (1999)
Image:Highlanderslash.jpg| a custom slash Highlander zine, 289 pages (1999)
Image:Highlanderslashzine2.jpg| a custom slash Highlander zine, 270 pages (1999)
Image:320 4971656.jpg|Collected Works For Gayle, a Supernatural custom zine, 465 pages, digest-sized & perfect bound (2008)
Image:Bestoftheduesoutharchivessmall.jpg‎| The Best of the Due South Archive, a Due South zine, 293 pages
Image:Lauriezinegmen.jpg|an X-Files custom zine, cover by The Theban Band
Image:Mczine1-1.jpg|McZine 1.1, a Highlander custom zine
Image:Prayyousit.jpg|custom zine, unknown fandom
Image:Sentinel band of brothers custom zine.jpeg|Band of Brothers by Dreamweaver and Talefeathers, Sentinel/Hardy Boys crossover custom zine
Image:Sentinel stories by lex custom zine.jpeg|Stories by Lex, a Sentinel custom zine (2000)
Image:Sh snuff custom zine.jpeg|Snuff by Momo and TLR, a Starsky & Hutch custom zine 56 pages
Image:Sh secrets custom zine.jpeg|Secrets by Momo and TLR, a Starsky & Hutch custom zine, 115 pages
Image:shadowsscript.jpg|a different sort of custom zine: a fan has made a copy of a Dead Zone script for the episode "Shadows," added photos, a cast list, description of the set, and an outline (59 pages, dated around 2004)
Image:Lauriezinecrossover.jpg|Lauriezine: Highlander and Cross-over, cover of a more formal custom zine
Image:storybook1.jpg|cover of a Highlander CZ 
Image:storybook2.jpg|cover of a Highlander CZ 
Image:startrekcustomzine.jpg|cover of a Star Trek custom zine of unknown content
Image:Customzinexfiles.jpg|zine from a convention library. No Immunity by Rose Campion This custom zine labeled "Bascon Zine Library" contains printed internet fan fiction. The net fic was bound by convention organizers and offered as loans to fans to read during the convention. This was helpful since not all attendees had internet access. By 2010, almost every fan was online, so the Bascon zine library was disbanded and the collection dispersed. From Morgan Dawn's notes, December 3, 2010.
Image:unknowncz-1.jpg|unknown Star Trek custom zine
Image:unknowncz-2.jpg|unknown Star Trek custom zine 
Image:wiseguymaterial.jpg|a 100-page zine of articles, photos, and other background material 
Image:wiseguycollected.jpg|a 100-page zine of slash Wiseguy stories copied from multi-media zines
 
==References==
Category:Zine Glossary