Raise the Brag Flag. HOW Magazine did an article about the zine. Read it here! And HOWiezine artwork was selected for inclusion in Fingerprints, Chen Design's book on design solutions that feature handmade elements (published by HOW Books). With that in mind, save your files for a possible press run somewhere down the road.

UPCOMING THEMES & DEADLINES through 2010
Sign up early and work ahead of schedule.
HZ-12 - Nightmares & Dreamscapes Closed and almost ready for assembly
HZ-13 - Phobias Due 07/18/08 - Final Dropout Date 6/27/08
HZ-14 - Positive/Negative Due 10/18/08 - Final Dropout Date 10/4/08
HZ-15 - True Colors (work in one color) Due 01/23/09
HZ-16 - Puzzles Due 04/23/09
HZ-17 - Vacation Guide Due 07/23/09
HZ-18 - Postcards to or from Home Due 10/23/09
HZ-19 - theme to be determined. Due 01/10/10: It's not a palindrome, but the due date couldn't be resisted.

Please read the rules below before signing up in the HOW Design forum lounge. Newbs are requested to prepay the fee to signify commitment. Sign-up cap is 55 players (= max 60 pages to produce, avg zine is 40).

1. OVERVIEW

Communication about the zines generally takes place on the HOW Design Forum. Sign up takes place approx. 2 mos. before an edition's deadline for delivery of pages. Retreads who were in the previous two consecutive editions will get priority seating. Sign-ups will close at 60 people. Each player prints/produces one 2-sided page per player. We know from previous HOWiezines that the total # of players (= # of two-sided pages to produce) will be around 35 but could go as high as 60; that means you will produce 35 or more two-sided pages. NOTE: Feel free to work ahead, just be sure to get to the sign-up thread when sign-up for that edition opens. Players fee is $10; $11 if international PayPal payment is used. Pages are assembled into handemade books and each player receives a copy approximately 3 weeks after the deadline. Any unused monies are reserved in a "scholarship fund" and used only for unplanned zine-related expenses and assistance, or additional zine mailings, at my discretion. COVERS: If you wish to do the covers, the requirement is 2 outside, 2 inside. Ask for them when you sign up and absolutely do not miss delivery.

2. DEADLINE

Artwork is due on or before by the deadline. NO EXCEPTIONS. There is plenty of time for concepting and execution. Anyone who does not drop out by the drop date (see below) is expected to deliver pages on time. Plan ahead, work ahead, save often, ship early.

3. DROP OUT DATE

Dropout date is 3 weeks before deadline. No dropouts after the dropout date, please, as everyone needs to know how many copies of their pages to produce. If you find you cannot afford to produce the # of pages required, please drop out by the drop date to save others from overspending on ink, paper and shipping.

4. SPECS

Medium for artwork is your choice. Method of duping is your choice. Substrate is your choice. It just has to be hole-punchable material so it can be bound into books. No body fluids or food materials.

Pages can have fairly flat embellishments, die cuts, pull tabs, multiple folds, fold-outs, CDs, whatever works for your art. Any medium is allowed as long as it fits into the book physically and can be reproduced multiple times.

Bleed artwork into the binding area (download a page template) but don't put anything important there. Each edition is bound differently, depending on what kind of artwork comes in, and the binding allowance may or may not show.

***Please sign your artwork.*** Can be your actual name, screen name, by hand or machine, with or without contact info, as much or as little detail as you like. Identifying your work helps with collating and creation of table of contents.

5. PRODUCTION

Pages are submitted trimmed to 7" square (that's 7" square). Binding styles vary from zine to zine, so bleed artwork into the binding allowance in case it will show but don't put anything important there in case it doesn't. If your page is square and does not include the binding edge, understand that some live area will get lost in binding. FYI: Kinko's, etc., can trim your pages, not expensive.

All dupes must be finished, fronts and backs together and ready to be bound. Use whatever means you want to make your 2-sided page: print on both sides, spray-mount 2pp together, print on oversize paper and fold. A folded sheet can be glued together or not. Download the page template.

MAKE A JPEG OF YOUR PAGES so we can compile a PDF of the edition and put it online.

SAVE YOUR FILES. You never know what you might need them for in the future - HOW Magazine showed off the work of several designers in the Oct/05 issue and we recently sent all the zines to a book editor's call for entries.

6. PLAYERS FEE

$10 US, payable by PayPal (+ $1), check, cash, or M.O. International players are encouraged to use PayPal ($ will vary; $12-14 is avg). The fee is used for return delivery and binding materials. Any leftover monies are reserved for future HOWiezine needs and have been used in the past to cover unexpected production costs like ink and additional mailing as zines have been awarded to other HOWies or submitted for consideration in a graphic design publication.

Newbies are asked to prepay the players fee upon sign-up to ensure that the final head count will be as accurate as possible.

7. SIGN UP

If you wish to join in, look for the sign-up thread in the HOW Forum lounge. **First-time players - please send an email to howiezine@gmail.com. Include your HOWie forum handle, your real name, and your mailing address (preferrably work address for FedEx). Retreads may sign up and pay the fee at the time pages are mailed, via PayPal or include it in their shipment.

By signing up, you are agreeing to make the commitment to your fellow designers that you will deliver your pages on time or drop out on or before the drop date.

8. FIVE THINGS TO SEND BY DEADLINE, and where to send.
Also where to write with questions. Please make your subject line specific, to differentiate it from junk mail. Thank you!