The LOC Connection

The LOC Connection (also referred to as TLC) was a print slash K/S letterzine published by Regina Moore.
 
At its peak, the number of subscribers was 100. When the editor did a survey, she discovered that each issue was read by an average of 2.5 people. This number was certainly much higher in reality, as there were many fans who did not admit to reading a letterzine they'd not contributed to with either tribs and/or money. This statistic was typical of zines, as fans often lent out their zines to many other fans.
When this letterzine was first proposed, letters were printed anonymously. This generated much fan reaction, a policy that (after much discourse) lasted only four issues, after which peoples' names were listed.
While its audience was certainly fans who wanted to know about the content and quality of stories, "The LOC Connection" was very much geared towards authors. From issue #19: "A monthly service providing K/S authors with comments on their stories." This distinction was important, as it was up-front about its place in fancrit and feedback, something that was, and still is, an ever-moving target fraught with many community minefields. 
The letterzine even listed the names of authors who subscribed to it, so that fans had a hint about which ones might be reading their reviews. The editor was careful to give fans updates about new subscribers who were authors. From issue #19: "Since there is no room for the List of Authors [this month], I'd like to alert everyone to three writers who have recently joined us: [list of names]. Welcome aboard."
These updates and lists, of course, weren't foolproof, as these publications were freely shared with others and their fan friends. 
The comments submitted by readers, knowing they had an author's eyes and ears, could not help but have been affected by this knowledge, both positive and negative. It was a complicated dance!
==An Amazing Run!==
The letterzine ran for over five years. 
This editor should get a the gold star for putting out the most issues of a zine in a consistent manner; she never missed a monthly deadline and published sixty issues over five years.
==Detailed Descriptions of the Issues Themselves==
<splist
 parent=The_LOC_Connection
 showparent=no
 sort=asc
 sortby=title
 liststyle=bar
 showpath=no
 kidsonly=no
 debug=0
/>
==Other K/S Letterzines==
 
* Not Tonight Spock! (June 1984-Winter 1987)
* On the Double (November 1986-January 1996)
* The LOC Connection (January 1989-December 1993)
* Come Together (January 1994-August 1996)
* The K/S Press (September 1996-present day)
For other letterzines, see List of Letterzines.
==This Letterzine Had Varying Subtitles==
* "(A monthly service providing K/S authors with comments on their stories.") (issues #1-#19)
* no subtitle (issues #20-#27)
* "The Letterzine of K/S Fandom" (issues #28-#60)
==Its Audience==
Moore, in the 2007 interview in The Legacy of K/S in Letterzines: The LOC Connection: 1989 to 1993 answers the question of why she decided to publish this zine:
==General Fan Comments== 
===1993===
===1999===
 
==A Change in Content==
The first twenty-one issues were just simply LoCs, comments on the stories themselves. 
From The Legacy of K/S in Letterzines: The LOC Connection: 1989 to 1993:
From the editorial from issue #19: 
 
==The Booth==
Starting in issue #33, the zine had a feature, a section called "The Booth." Authors/artists volunteer to be "in the booth," and fans comment on their entire body of work regarding trends, improvements, styles, and such.
==Only Positive Comments Regarding Poems and Art==
In issue #21, the editor wrote that she would only print comments on poetry and art that were primarily positive in nature. She addresses this policy later:
==Edited Letters?==
In the Legacy interview, Moore responded to the question of whether she edited submissions:
==Comments by the Creator==
In 2005, Moore, using the pseud she used for writing fiction, posted about the letterzine in her Livejournal. An edited version was also reprinted in The Celebration Zine, the 100th issue of the The K/S Press: 
==Reactions Regarding Anonymity==
When it was first proposed, letters were to be anonymous. This generated much fan reaction. The policy of publishing the LoCs anonymously lasted four issues. 
==End of the Run==
Moore's original 1993 announcement: 
Moore's comments in 2007: 
===Fan Comments===
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Slash Zines
Category:Star Trek TOS Non-fiction Zines
Category:1989 Zines
Category:1990s