Distro FAQ & Submissions

Basics

What is a distro?
A distro (short for "distributor") is basically a place that gives away or sells zines, usually from a variety of creators.

Are you up for trade? Yes! Every zine in the distro is up for trade as well as sale. Please contact me with a list of the zines you're interested in! Honestly I'll take just about anything in trade (zines, non-zine art, haircut vouchers, professions of undying love), so don't worry about not having "enough"!

Do you accept submissions?
Yes! Submissions are always open, and I accept physical or digital submissions! More info on submissions below.


Shipping/Orders

How does shipping work?  
I usually ship once a week on Mondays. If it's close to a holiday or something, I might ship sooner, but I need this schedule for my own sanity. Generally, I ship in a manilla envelope (please let me know if you need something discreet). For US orders, you can choose "stamps" for cheap shipping and no tracking number, or "first class" for still-pretty-cheap shipping and a tracking number will be emailed to you. For international orders... I'm sorry international shipping sucks, I'm doing the best I can. But I will try to ship anywhere!

Missing order, missing item?
I'm super sorry if this happened! I usually can't do refunds for stuff lost in the mail (this venture doesn't make any money so my margins are nonexistent). But please email me and I can send a replacement or we'll figure something out.

Can I order wholesale?
For zines I have created or zines I have permission to send wholesale, absolutely! I'm happy to send a bunch of copies of zines at once at 50% of cover price.
For zines I haven't created, unfortunately I can't send wholesale. But I will absolutely help get you in touch with the creator so you can order directly from them!

Can I get a discount for my library/classroom/coven?  Fuck yes! Email me if you want; I can often do discounts and/or zine donations. Need a PO, invoice, or anything like that? Not a problem, just let me know!

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Submissions


First things first (in case you're new to zine distros), know that I'm not buying the "rights" to your work or anything. You are completely free to sell or share your work however you want and at whatever price you want even after I've bought copies. The copies I've bought from you will be available on the distro site and/or at local or online zine events I attend (if you want me to keep it offline or online-only, please let me know).

I accept physical (mail me a printed zine) or digital (email me a PDF) copies for submission. Once I've read your zine (if I think it's a good fit), I'll purchase some copies from you, usually around 10-15 to start, for 60% of the cover (retail) price plus the cost of shipping it to me, and/or 100% of the cover price in trade/distro credit!

Alternatively (if printing and shipping is inaccessible or just a hassle for you), I can print copies of your zine myself. I pay the same rate as usual--60% in money and/or 100% in distro credit--minus print costs. The print costs for regular paper are usually 5 cents for B&W per 8.5" x 11" (or A4) sheet per side, or 12 cents for color.

I can pay through PayPal, Venmo, or we can work out another thing. If you want some/all in distro credit, I basically make a gift card coupon for you which you can use at this site!

Please contact me at [email protected] for more info if you're interested in submitting your zine to the distro, and check out the submission guidelines below for a sense of what I love best.


Submission Guidelines


I have very few Rules about what zines I will or won't distribute. I will read any submission you send and probably get some copies! That said, here's a few guidelines to keep in mind:
  • To keep things accessible, your zine should ideally retail for $10 or less, unless it's really hefty or fancy.
  • I always prefer Content over production quality. I'd generally rather get a $5 zine on cheap paper than a $10 zine on expensive paper.
  • I love first-timers! Zinesters who are new to the scene, new to distributing their work, etc. But I love the zine veterans too, so either way don't be shy about submitting!
  • This is really the only Rule: no bullshit, okay? That means no racism, transphobia, ableism, facism, or right-wing nazi trash.

The following list is non-exclusive! But as far as content goes, I definitely want you to submit if your zine is about:
  • Any occult topic. This includes magic, witchcraft, astrology, alchemy, tarot, folklore, occult history, supernatural creatures, ghosts, ghouls, and spookiness of all kinds.
  • Queerness, gender, and other shapeshifting
  • Being goth, punk, new wave, emo, riot grrrl, or otherwise an edgy misanthrope
  • Animals, nature, and all that hippie green witch stuff
  • Perzines, poetry, and art zines are also welcome! (I just say that in particular because some distros don't accept those).

Email me at [email protected] with any questions at all or to submit a zine! I can't wait to see your stuff!