Missing
We had a great time making the first issue. It was a lot of fun, even if we didn't get things done in such a timely matter as we would have liked. That's okay, you learn. But there's one thing we're missing:
YOU!
We started this zine out of naivete. Sure, flyers would appear around a few local cities, e-mails would circulate, and the buzz would take care of itself. Right?
Well...not exactly. In the first month, we received less than ten submissions. Our friends were all enthusiastic, many of them promising to submit something. That, too, fell through.
In the coming months, we received fewer and fewer submissions. A couple of contributors backed out. We conducted business like the amateurs we wished we were not. Maybe it wasn't them; maybe it's us.
"If I submit something, will you publish it?" One friend asked.
"If it's good enough for publication and we have a place for it, then maybe," I responded.
"Ohhh," she sighed, retreating into her shell.
Well, maybe it is just us. But being heard, in any capacity, takes action. Disabuse yourself of the fantasy of discovery; you can't be found if you're hiding well enough. Maybe Zotapine isn't your style; maybe something else is. Whatever it is, give it a try.
October 2006