BirlZine!

Hi there!
So my friend just gave me a couple of issues of the Birlzine (issues one and two) and I loved them, so I googled you guys and it took me here. Is the zine still going?

Hey, Birls!

I hope you’re all well!

I have to decide what to do with BirlZine. I haven’t had an issue out in over a year, and the domain expires at the end of this month. I love the zine, but I just ran out of time, money, and energy to keep it going. I’d love to be involved with it, but with a full-time job, two ongoing freelance gigs, night classes, and volunteer work, there’s only so much I can do. I’m looking for a team of people to keep the zine going because I can’t, but don’t want to just let it go. I looked back on the first four issues, and they’re such good resources, and the idea still has so much potential.

I’m looking for people who want to put in at least a little consistent time and energy to keep this project going. I need people to look for and read contributions, research resources, brainstorm for ideas, provide content, work on layouts, proofread, etc. If I can’t find a full, dedicated staff of volunteers, I’m going to have to let the project go. Please let me know if you’re interested. You can send a line to tanrazz-at-yahoo.com.

Cheers,
Julie
www.birlzine.com

This one's done:


So I can start work on this one:


I need help from drag kings! BirlZine 5 will be all about Drag King Culture. I need enough awesome content to fill the zine. I'm looking for stuff like venues and troupes so I can build a comprehensive directory, the history of drag kings/important drag kings from history, personal stories, critical essays, resources (online message boards, Web sites, communities, books, movies, how-to guides--especially how to become a drag king, start a troupe, find a venue, design and practice shows, pick fashion and music, etc.) , black-and-white art and photos (especially for a cover, since the one I have is only a test cover), poetry, etc. I'll be surfing the Internet as I have time to find content. If any of you drag kings would be up for an online interview, please let me know! If you have photos of yourself that you'd like to contribute, please send them in! I'm looking for all types of content. I'd love to make this a valuable online and print resource. There is no deadline--when I have enough content, I'll format the zine and make it available as a PDF file online and as a printed zine that I can mail out.

If you have any questions, suggestions, or submissions, please send them to julie-at-birlzine-dot-com or visit birlzine.com.
Thank you so much in advance!!! =)

This one really is done this time! I pwomise! The ever-awesome Dara threw down a copyedit, I plugged in some final graphics, filled in some blanks, and ran a test proof. Now all I have to do is take this to the printers, fold, staple, and they're off. My schedule is crampy, though--I won't be able to hit the printers until Friday at the soonest. I'll send copies out to contributors first, then to anyone else who wants a copy.

Here's a poll, though ...

Poll #649597 BirlZine! stuff ...
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All

In what format do you want to see future BirlZines? When I first came up with BirlZine, it was integral that it remain a print publication. I guess that's part of its charm. It also becomes a product that easy to pass around, especially to zine distributors who can reach people who aren't in the LJ community, and gender-related conferences who are just now starting to distribute zines. Not just that, but an online format risked removing some of the contributors' anonymity, which might dissuade them from contributing. It makes their work more available, but it also increases risk of theft from people browsing. So with all that in mind ...

I'd definitely appreciate any input. =)

Some of you may have noticed that I took BirlZine off its deadlines. My freelance schedule, regular work schedule, and social schedule are taking up more of my time than I would've imagined when I started the zines. I'm going to work as steadfastly as I can, but I hate to break promises in the form of deadlines, so this is how it's going to have to be unless I can increase my meager-yet-completely amazing staff (Dara the Copy Editor and Nik the Website Designer). I'm really looking forward to starting in on the Drag King Culture issue, though, so if you or anyone you know might be able to bring me some content, I'd love it! As of now, Issue 5, Drag King Culture, is scheduled to come out as soon as I have enough content to fill it, can format and edit it, and can fold the suckers in half to fit in the envelopes!

Hope all is well with you! =D

BirlZine! is painfully behind schedule, I know, and for the moment, my plate is clear, so hopefully I'll be able to finish up Issue 4 and get it out by the end of December! Sorry, folks, for reals. I'm going to slate #5 to come out for January, but I'm wondering if I should stop trying to set deadlines when I'm not sure if I can make them or not.

I have to push the deadline back a week! I haven't had time to finish the layout, much less hit the copy machines. Work's still a drag. =( I'm hoping to get stuff ready to go by Monday, for reals this time. Damn--I've been getting the other issues out weeks early--guess I had to eventually run into one that took forever to get out. Sorry for the delay!!!

Oy! I'm way behind. I've been bringing work home from the office every day for the past three weeks, and I thought it would let up this week. No such luck! =( BZ4 looks like it will be delayed by about a week. I'm sorry, everyone! On another note, though, someone asked to interview me for a zine project they're working on, and I thought some of you might get a kick out of my answers for the pre-interview questions.

( They're really lengthy, though, so enter at your own risk. )

Okay, oy, I'm behind schedule because of non-zine activities, but if I do things right and work and stuff don't get stupid, I can have this ready to ship out on schedule at the end of September. (Any locals up for a stapling/folding party???) I just need to finalize the layout, plug in some last-minute content, and then pass out. I'm not too sure about the cover, but it was the best I could whip up. =( For the last issue, postage donor's who sent in $1.20 got a free birls button. For this issue, they'll get a free gender subversion poster w/mini coloring book printed on the back by crimethinc. They rock, and I can't wait to get them out!!! I'll post this in the birls community as soon as I have time to write a proper something and get these images uploaded into my regular Web site server (because I can't host them from where they are now and link them to the birls community). I won't be able to do that until I get home later tonight, though.

This interview features interviews with Skye, Carly, Trish, Kayden, and Liza. Thank you all for participating!!! You're all awesome. I was short on art this issue, but I'm hoping to turn that around for the next issues.



Don't forget! This winter's issue will be the Drag King Culture Issue!!! I'm looking for contributors to contribute anything and everything dk-related!!!!

Write to me at julie@birlzine.com or leave a comment. You can also find out more info on the (not-yet-updated) www.birlzine.com. Thanks, all, for your help with this issue! Now I gotta get back to work. =)

Something like this, maybe ... It's not really cut off at the bottom like this. The cover's kinda generic, but it's really all I've had time to put together. The interviews are all put together, and I'm going through my inbox and placing everything that was sent in after the last call for submissions. I'm waaaaay behind on all my projects. Oy vey! =( If you have anything to submit, please please please send it in, but I have a feeling I'll be scraping together some content off the Internet and scraping together what I can because I haven't had time to ask folks for stuff. I think I have enough holdover work from other birls for this issue, though.

Are there any stencillers out there in BirlZine! land? Please leave a comment or hit me backchannel!

I did a mock-up of the cover for the drag king issue and set up an interview and photo shoot with my king friend. Woot!

Nick, are you still up for doing the cover for number four--the second installment of the interview issue? If so, please let me know. I'm sure you're busy, but you know I'll always love to have your art on BirlZine!'s covers!

Ha! Having survived one of the most horrible, or at least busiest, months of my twenty-nine years, I’m ready to get my shite back together. Woot!

BirlZine #4 will be the second half of the interview series, so I have a good chunk of the content and layout already done, but I do need more material, especially visual and nonfiction content. Send me your gender-related book reports! Send me your family photos with you in a tie! I’d go on, but you get the idea.

Send stuff, questions, comments, etc. to julie-at-birlzine-dot-com, and there’s more info at birlzine.com.

AH! Some of you HAVE Sent stuff during this past month, and you may not have heard back from me. If I can get figure out why the Internet connection at my new place is kinda shoddy and then fix it, I should be able to get back to you this week, but please send me a note telling me that you have already sent something in.

Thanks!

Okay, I'm halfway through moving across town, but I haven't forgotten that I get to open up submissions for BirlZine! #4 on August 1! I have a lot of content already, especially because this is the second half of the interview issue, but I would like to have more art and articles! Have anything that might fit the criteria? Please let me now. August will be almost as busy for me as July, but I'm hoping to put in more time to the project as time allows.

Hope all is well with all of you!

I photocopied 75 copies today based on preorders. I got a few stapled, so I'll finish the rest tomorrow, and then I have to tape in an insert I made, and then I can start addressing envelopes and sending them out. My goal is to get all preorders out by Friday. I found out that Phoenix has an OUT Arts Alliance, so I joined it and introduced myself. It would be awesome if I could increase my contributors' pool using locals!

I need mailing addresses for the following contributors: Jessica Phelps, Harpreet Kaur, Jayden, Nicole, and Ythan.

Seattle was amazing!

And since I've been back, I've been a bit preoccupied with an amazing new lady.

But now, it's time to get back to business. The final master copy is finished, so now I just need to make photocopies. If you were a contributor and you didn't get your preview copy, please send your mailing address to julie-at-birlzine-dot-com, and I'll make sure you get it!

I did a lot of brainstorming while I was in Seattle and got to visit the Zine Archives and Publishing Project, but I'll throw ideas out there later. BirlZine really is a one of a kind project. There were a few gender-based zines, but nothing like ours!

On another good note, I found more distro for our zine with Eye Candy Zines, and they placed the biggest order to date. Sweet! (Eye candy, sweet, get it? Get it?!)

That said, I'm going to get back to work. My goal is to get all existing zine orders out by Friday. Cross your fingers!

I printed contributors' copies tonight. I'll drop them in the mail tomorrow. If you don't know for sure that I have your mailing address, please e-mail them it me. Otherwise, you'll have to wait until I get back from Seattle later next week. Oy!

PS--They look pretty damned good!

x-posted to birls

Proof: The new BirlZine! Web site
Check it out!

Thanks, Nik!!!

http://www.livejournal.com/community/birls/2496362.html

Okay--it was hard as hell to decide whose interviews to include in issue 3. I wanted to mix it up as well as possible, so I went with Steffi, Tyler, Merissa, Laura, and Ryan. That means Skye, Kayden, and Trish will appear in issue 4 at the end of September. I have about four more interviews out, but I can only assume that they're not coming back, so I need two more interviews to fill the gap. Oy!

I plan to send out PDFs to Dara and Marian tomorrow night (unless work gets really busy and I don't have time to work on it). As soon as it's copyedited, I can print a printing master and run with it! I ran a test master, and it looks awesome. It makes me a little nervous about making more covers as good as Nik's after this, though. ;D (You rock, Nik. A lot. THANK YOU.) This issue kinda laid itself out, and number four seems to be starting to do the same!

In the meantime, Keren sent a lot of material for the Drag King Culture issue. I went to my first drag king show this past Sunday, and I plan to write on that. I got some great pictures of my friend Neeley(as Ashton Cootner), and plan on doing an interview with him. The material is piling up, and I'm really excited to start layouts.

Now all I have to do is decide on a theme for #6.

Okay, pending approval from Nik and hopefully one last photo, the cover is just about done! The layout is also just about done--I just need to place the art I received as a result of the latest call for submissions and copyedit everything (any volunteers to help with that?), and hopefully next week, I'll be able to print out a master copy!

It was really hard deciding whose interview to include in #3. I wanted to make each set as varied as possible. In this issue, I'm including interviews from Laura, Jaime/Ryan, Steffi, Merissa, and Tyler. Kayden, Trish, and Skye will go in #4. I need two more interviews for that issue, though! If any of you want to volunteer, let me know, and I'll send you the questions! I have until the end of August to find people, so there's no huge rush.

My friend, Cass, is getting read to attend the Queering Feminism Conference in Seattle this weekend. If you're going, seek him out--he'll be hosting the open mic poetry event! He and our friend, Shaye, will be handing out issues of "BirlZine! small" issues 0 and 1! Issue 0 is available in PDF format on the Web site at www.birlzine.com. Speaking of PDFs, a few pages from each of the first two issues will also soon be available on the Web site!

I plan to start taking orders for #3 at the beginning of June--probably June 1 so I can start getting an idea of how many to print. Because it's free but postage donations rock, I'm going to offer 1" birls buttons (design courtesy of Nik, who rocks hard) to people who donate to the postage fund. They look pretty sweet!

I'm also trying to brainstorm ideas to make the zine more interactive. I think I want to do essay, art, and photo contests and maybe give away birls t-shirs to the winner. I ordered one from cafepress, and they're pretty sweet. The logo on the shirt is the same as the logo on the button, except there's no star on the button--just a field of green. Thank you, Nik!!!



One of our biggest supporters, Assimilate This! zine and button distro, has a new Web site. You should go check it out. They're already willing to distro #3 when it comes out, and they told me that they were almost sold out of the first two issues. Also, I'm all out of the second reprints of #1! The beauty of that is I've barely started actively trying to get the zine out there--it's getting itself out there!

Final note--Phoenix is finally trying to get a drag king troupe together. They're doing a premiere show on Sunday, and I'll be there to check it out and write it up for December's Drag King Culture issue. Z, I'll be getting in touch with you to do that interview!

That's all for now. Have a great weekend!

If next week is slow at work, I might be able to complete a layout. I do wish I had more art, but on a good note, I did get an essay in today. I'm also planning on writing up a few reviews. This issue should be right on schedule, but I don't know if it will be early because I'll be roadtripping from Phoenix to Seattle during the second week of June. Woot!

Have a great weekend!

This is so f-ing cool ... we're in a card catalog: CLIO at Barnard College. Just type in "birlzine," and there we are!

I've got eight of the interviews back so far, which is incredibly awesome. I've also got art, poetry, and news stories in reserve, and ideas for zine and music reviews, so technically, I could get BirlZine! 3 together in a week or so ... but I do want to wait and see if I get the last few interviews in. I want to make sure each issue has a good variety. Plus, I'm hoping for more art and creative writing/essay submissions. If you've got anything like that, send it in!

The more I think about it, the more I wish I could do an audio addition with music and spoken word and a CD sampler. The logistics would be nearly impossible, though, because CD samplers are big bucks, and a no-CD version of the same zine might fall short. It might be cool for a supplement, though.

I'm still trying to figure out an interactive aspect for the zine. I want to do writing and art contests and give out prizes for it. Prizes are in the works. Maybe for the third issue, I'll do a survey in the community and post results in the zine and on the Web site. If anybody has ideas on that, I'd love to hear them.

I think I'm going to build my 24 Hour Zine this weekend. Wish me luck!