Guide to Applying for Zines and Building your Portfolio - Antigravity Zine edition
Hello everyone! As applications are opening next week, the Antigravity Mod Team decided to write a post about how to build your portfolio and apply to zines, so you guys are ready to apply for ours. We’ve all wondered at some point what we should do to make our application stand out, so here we’re going to explain some tricks and rules you should follow, should you want to apply.
I’ve already written some examples of how to apply here, and here (I love rambling about zines), but I figured I could put them together for you all! And remember, most of these guidelines are suggestions, though, so don’t be afraid if you skipped some!
Now, let’s focus on applications!
Before applying
Read the FAQ and guidelines carefully
The FAQ is the heart of the zine. It usually displays the theme of the zine, the number of participants they’re going to accept and, in case you’re a writer, the maximum word count. This will give you an overall view of what apps will be looking for.
In our case, the Antigravity Zine focuses on Uraraka Ochako. The zine will be divided in past, present, and future, and artists and writers will be distributed in each category depending on what they wish to work in.
Compare the zine’s schedule with yours
Make sure that, in case you’re selected to be part of the team, that you’ll be able to keep up with the schedule. It’s okay if you suddenly get busy in the middle of the event (life happens), but for the mod’s sake, please be mindful of your own availability.
Applying
Answer all the questions as clearly as possible
Zines usually have some general questions on the first page of applications; these questions are important in order to get in touch with you guys. Then, there will be questions related to your application, and the answer to those will be what will help mods decide who to choose.
Make sure you read all questions (and possible explanations underneath) carefully before submitting your app. Don’t worry if you have to take a while (even days) to write a proper answer, or if you need to ask the mod team about clarifications for some questions – Mods will gladly answer any doubt you might have.
Portfolio
Now it comes one of the most difficult parts of the zine: selecting your samples and building up your portfolio.
Portfolios are vastly different between artist and writer applicants. Ideally, a portfolio would be built up for each application, but we’re not going to ask this for you, not at all! However, there are some certain rules that will make your portfolio look good.
Artists
An artist’s portfolio should be a google drive folder or a similar webpage that has at least 7+ works that demonstrate the full range of your skills. Drop as many different styles as you want, but make sure your pieces are all finished. A portfolio full of sketches isn’t professional, and it won’t show your capabilities at all.
Some additional tips that your portfolio should follow:
– Some of your pieces should have backgrounds. Zines usually ask for full pieces with backgrounds, so you should show the mods that you’re capable of drawing them.
– Most of the works should be fully coloured.
– Include different subjects and styles, and different poses
– In case you’re applying to be a Merch Artist, include 1+ works with merch designs.
Of course, you can use your art tag as a portfolio, but remember that you won’t be showing your best work like this, and the mods will have to dig within the tag to catch a glimpse of your work (which frankly takes a lot of time and sometimes it’s fruitless).
So our recommendation is that you take some time building up a good portfolio!
Writers
In case of writers apps for zines, portfolio rules are a bit laxer. Usually, an AO3 link or similar is fine, but if you really want to show only your best works, there are some considerations you can follow:
– 5+ works showing what you consider Zine-quality skills. These can include the samples you’re using to apply.
– The pieces you include should have a defined start and end, and a good development in-between. Excerpts are allowed as they follow these rules and you leave a link to the complete piece.
– Include a variety of subjects and genres, and a variety of writing styles (f. e., a more lyrical tone for drama, a more comical tone for rom-coms). Make sure you include a variety of types of narration (dialogue-heavy scenes vs. scenery building, action scenes, etc.)
– Make sure that all the pieces have been edited for grammar and spelling.
Samples
Zines normally ask for an X number of samples following certain rules. These will help the mods judge the style you’re applying with to the zine, and if you’re able to meet all requirements/rules of the zine pieces. Make sure you read the requirements and follow them; Mods will be less willing to give you a high score if your sample word count goes 1k over the word count, you know?
In Antigravity Zine, we will be asking for three samples from artist and writers. For artists, it is suggested that at least one piece has a background. For writers, we ask that no piece goes over 2.5k (excerpts are allowed). For merch artists, we recommend that at least one piece is a merch design.
A very important note! To all artists who also apply as a merch artist, please don’t apply with the same samples you used for your artist application. It shows a lack of care and it might hinder the mods’ opinion on you.
As for general requirements, we ask that at least one piece is set in the BNHA universe. A piece showing Ochako is preferrable, but it’s not obligatory.
Make sure your work is easily accessible
Make sure the mods will have no issues viewing your samples when they start reviewing them. Your samples shouldn’t:
– Be restricted only to your followers (in case you’re linking posted works). Make sure you check your account’s privacy settings before submitting.
– In case you’re using a google drive link, make sure the link allows people to view the piece. In case you don’t know how to get a link to share, there are really easy guidelines out there.
– Make sure the link is still active until the end of the applications period. Please, don’t move your works to the trash before apps results are sent, at least.
– Make sure you’re sending the correct link. Don’t link works you didn’t mean to link.
(Sadly, we have encountered all these in other applications)
Remember: Mods can’t give you a score if they can’t see your work.
Does your application fit the theme?
Now, this is not a requirement (at least not for this zine), but it is always good to select samples that are relatively related to the zine’s theme.
Think of it as a job application; you wouldn’t apply to a work related to philology with a physics doctorate, would you? Well, the same goes with zines. Use optimistic pieces to apply to optimistic zines (rom-coms, family zines, platonic relationships, etc), and dramatic pieces to apply to more angst-themed ones (tragedy, drama, horror, etc.).
Keep it SFW if it’s a SFW zine, and add NSFW pieces for your NSFW zines.
As for Antigravity zine, we don’t have strict themes required for samples, and the mod team has decided that NSFW won’t be allowed, as some mods of the team aren’t comfortable with those.
Pitches
The weight of pitches in zines is different in each case. Some ask for 1/several pitches that determine what you’re going to create for the zine, while in other cases, the pitches are only orientative and let the mods see your ideas. In case you’re applying to a zine that follows the first case, you will need to sit down and think of your idea carefully, as it’ll affect your application.
In Antigravity zine’s case, pitches will be orientative, and will not affect your chances to get into the zine.
After applying
Don’t hesitate to get in touch with the mod team if you need to change your app
Sometimes we are too eager to apply and make mistakes, or we finish a piece after applying that we consider it’s better than the ones we used to apply.
In this case, don’t hesitate to get in touch with the mod team and ask if you can change your application. More times than not, the mod team will be happy to change whatever needs to be changed, and they will evaluate the new pieces accordingly.
Remember, though, that you need to ask for changes before the applications period ends!
Don’t be discouraged if you get rejected
More times than not, zines get too many applications and have very limited contributors spots, more so if that zine is physical. Mods see themselves in a situation where they have to choose between several really good applications and discuss for hours to see who they accept and who they reject.
Usually, they are forced to choose between people who have the exact same score.
Being rejected doesn’t mean you’re bad; sometimes, someone else’s application fits the theme better, they explained themselves better, or they were just very lucky and were chosen over you. So, please, don’t let a rejection email let you down and keep trying!
Most of the people who have participated in a zine sometime have been rejected heaps of time before. I have been rejected dozens of times before (at this point it’s part of the zine experience). However, if you keep working hard and learn from your mistakes, it’s only a matter of time until you get into one yourself.
You won’t get in if you don’t try.
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And this is more or less what you should know before applying to zines! If you guys have any questions, please don’t hesitate to hit our ask box, and we will get back to you shortly!
Hello everyone! Here you have some stats we’ve managed to obtain from all your applications while we reviewed them. It was really interesting to see what you guys are more interested in!
Thank you very much for showing so much interest in the zine. We love you all!
