What to Put in a Zine
Choose material that belongs together, then give readers enough context to follow it.
A zine can contain writing, images or a mixture of both. The useful question is what each piece adds to this particular issue.
Barnard's guide to zine genres includes art, personal writing, fiction, practical instructions and collaborative publications. You can combine forms, but a clear connection between them helps the reader understand why they share a booklet.
Start with one main piece
Choose the material that makes you want to create the zine. It might be a short essay, a group of photographs, a comic, an interview or a set of instructions.
Build around that piece. If the zine is about learning to repair a jacket, useful additions might include photographs of the damage, a materials list, a drawing of a stitch and notes about what went wrong.
A favourite song list could belong too, but explain the connection if it would otherwise seem random.
Use different forms for different jobs
A paragraph can explain a decision. A diagram can show where something goes. A photograph can record a particular moment. A list can make several related observations easy to compare.
For example, a zine about a train journey might use a map to establish the route, photographs to show what you saw, and a short account of one conversation. Each piece gives the reader something the others do not.
You do not need variety for its own sake. Six photographs may serve the idea better than a mixture of every form you can think of.
Include the context a stranger needs
Names, places and inside jokes can make sense to you while leaving a reader lost. Give a short explanation when you introduce something unfamiliar.
Captions are useful for identifying a place, date or person. They can also say why you included an image. Avoid making the caption simply repeat what is obvious in the picture.
If a page contains researched information, keep a source reference nearby or provide an easy way to find it at the back.
Leave room for practical details
A title, your chosen name and a date help readers identify the zine later. Credit collaborators and any material used with permission. If you want replies, include a contact method you are comfortable making public.
A contents page is useful only if the reader needs help navigating. In a very short zine, it may take space that would be better used for the work itself.
Remove what does not belong yet
Save material you cut in a separate folder. It may become another issue.
Finish by reading the zine in order and asking what changes between its first page and its last. The reader might learn something, see a place more closely or understand your experience. That gives you a clearer test than whether every page is full.
For help choosing a smaller focus, read How to Choose a Zine Topic.