Zine Guidelines

Individual Articles Guidelines

--Articles need to be created on 8.5 x 11 paper.

--You can cut and tape text, title, pictures and drawings to a blank sheet of 8.5 x 11 paper (old-school) or scan items in the computer and print it as one complete piece.

--If you don't have a printer, text and photos can be emailed to Denise and she can print them out.

--These individual articles are very short and meant to be fun. They don't take a lot of time to write. Have fun with it, play around, get creative, don't take it too seriously--your child will learn a lot.

--For speedy kids, a one-page article will take roughly one hour from start to finish. For methodical kids, a one-pager can be divided into two or three evenings, so they are not overwhelmed.

--The easiest way for the kids to write:  have your child to speak to you and then simply type what he/she says on the computer. Later your child will be inspired to type.

--All articles should have your child's voice, not yours. The sentences might sound and look funny, but that's the charm. 

--If you feel like you need to make edits to your child's writing, include your child in the editing process and explain why you are changing a sentence structure. It becomes educational.

--Make sure your child uses correct capitalization for titles. Have your child get creative with the title and try creative and new handwriting--nothing sloppy. Shades of penciled-in gray look nice and makes a title stand out.

--Bylines are first-name only--no last names.

--Drawings and titles must be inked. You can use a variety of markers and pens for different thicknesses. Erase all pencil marks after everything is inked--it makes a drawing/title pop (photocopying will diminish the quality of the drawing, so it needs to look crisp beforehand).

--Make sure you have at least a 1/2" border of blank space around your article. The photocopying process can cut off your child's work if it's too close to the edge of the paper. 

--If you use photos in your article, less is more. The photos need to be quite large in order for the details to be visible--the photocopying process greatly diminishes their quality. Since the zine is printed in black and white, the clearest photos have been revised on the computer by increasing the contrast and brightness. If you don't know how to do this, email Denise your photos and she can work on them for you.
--Have your child decorate his/her article with doodles (stars, lines, hearts, etc; a handwritten joke along the margin--but not too close to the edge--is fun). Get really creative with it! 

--Above all else, have fun!!! and the learning will follow.



Group Articles Guidelines

--Group articles take the longest amount of time to execute: the playdate/field trip needs to be scheduled, the body of the work needs to occur during the get-together, lots of little details need to be wrapped-up after the kids have left (your own child ends up completing all of those forgotten details).

--Plan for at least one day for the playdate/field trip and two evenings to finish all the small details with your child.

--You decide how many participants you want to handle. You can "close" an article after the first four kids have signed up (for example) or you can keep it open for everyone to join in.

--Review the above individual article guidelines.


Comics/Cartoons Guidelines

--Artwork needs to be created on 8.5 x 11 paper.

--Your child can handwrite the text for his/her artwork, however if it's difficult to read, it's better to type the text.

--Ensure that your child's artwork is appropriate (we are representing our school). Comics and cartoons have a tendency to get violent and scatological. While this might not personally bother you, the school staff does not like it. It's one thing to have your child to re-write a sentence or remove a paragraph, but it's an entirely different thing to have your child re-draw an entire scene. Your child invests a lot of time and energy in a drawing. It's not fun for him/her to have to do over.

--Review the above individual article guidelines.


Front Cover Guidelines

--Have your child look at covers of the past issues to see what he/she likes/dislikes. 

--The covers tend to stand out more if there's some gray penciled in them, however that's your child's choice.

--Make sure there's a 1-inch margin of space all around the 8.5x11 cover (photocopying can partially cut off images if they're too close to the edge).

The cover must include:
--Season and year in the upper right-hand corner
--Volume and Issue numbers in the upper right-hand corner
--The equation:  Fried Chicken + Eagle = Fried Eagle
--A blank box that states, In this issue: (the box will be filled later)
--A seasonally-themed drawing of an eagle and possibly a piece of fried chicken

--We have various thicknesses of markers for inking--you probably have some at home. Erasing the pencil marks after inking makes the drawing stand out. Most likely, parents need to ink the cover. No kid has ever done it (yet). 

--The artist needs to have his/her photo taken (while holding up the completed front cover) by Denise during a meeting.


Editor Guidelines

Editors are responsible for writing and signing the Letter from the Editors. Editors decide on the theme of the staff self-portraits. Editors need to have their photo taken (Denise will take their picture during a meeting). Editors also present the completed zine to the principal.