My Favorite Tried and True Books about Zines, DIY, & Self-Publishing

The Zine-O-Sphere #003

As much as I enjoy reading, buying, and making individual zines, there is something really special about zinesters and writers sharing their passion for zines in print books, especially those published by small presses.

Here are a few of my favorites :)

Some stellar reads!

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Zine Making:

• Whatcha Mean, What's a Zine?: The Art of Making Zines and Minicomics by Esther Pearl Watson and Mark Todd (The GOAT)

• Make A Zine: by Joe Biel with Bill Brent

Zine Culture & Subcultures:

• Stolen Sharpie Revolution: a DIY Resource for Zines and Zine Culture by Alex Wrekk

• Notes from Underground: Zines and the Politics of Alternative Culture by Stephen Duncombe

• Ripped, Torn and Cut: Pop, Politics and Punk Fanzines from 1976 by the Subcultures Network (Editor)

• Punk, Fanzines and DIY Cultures in a Global World: Fast, Furious and Xerox by Paula Guerra & Pedro Quintela

• Cut & Paste: The American Hardcore Fanzine Book by Tribal Publishing

• Girl Zines: Making Media, Doing Feminism by Alison Piepmeier

• 'Zine: How I Spent Six Years of My Life in the Underground and Finally...found Myself...i...think. by Pagan Kennedy

Zine Collections & Anthologies

• The Riot Grrrl Collection by Lisa Darms, Kathleen Hanna, et al.

• Copy Machine Manifestos: Artists Who Make Zines by Branden W. Joseph (Author) & Drew Sawyer

• Punkzines: British Fanzine Culture from the Punk Scene 1976-1983 by Eddie Pillar & Steve Rowland

• When Language Runs Dry: An Anthology of Stories From People with Chronic Pain by Various Authors

• Shotgun Seamstress: The Complete Collection by Osa Atoe

• From A to Zine: Building a Winning Zine Collection in Your Library by Julie Bartel

• The Archival Turn in Feminism by Kate Eichhorn

Note: Remember to look for all of these titles amongst friends and in your local library before you buy them! Then, if you REALLY like them, buy them :D

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Upcoming Zine Workshops and Fests

1. Index Space is hosting a 6-8 week zine intensive this Spring! If you’re in NYC, you can find the registration link here.

2. Wasted Ink Distro is hosting a free virtual event on Zoom! It’s called “Voices of Dissent.” Join Wasted Ink to learn how to layout an 8-page zine and where to put it for free anti-copyright distribution. Register/Pay What You Can here.

3. The Secret Riso Club is hosting a workshop in how to apply for zine fairs on February 20th, 2025, TIME TBA. RSVP here.

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‘Til Next Time!

I hope this selected list of books is helpful and piques your interest in learning more about zine history and culture! In the next issue of The Zine-O-Sphere, I’ll discuss my own personal zine ethos and background, as well as include a few photos of my own zines.

Happy Zine Making!

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The Zine-O-Sphere is your hub for all things zines, including books, libraries, digital collections, festivals, distros, workshops, and of course, individual zinesters and their incredible work. My hope is that by sharing these resources more widely, more folks will find their way to the wonderful world of zines.

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