As zines are traditionally a DIY medium the creators are completely in charge of what they put in, there is no real commercial need to please and for that reason a large number of zines cover topics relating to subcultures, the lesser represented and niche topics. They cover subjects you might not see often in mainstream publishing such as Queer stories, disability representation and discussions on mental and physical health
Zine Libraries are a great resource to explore, discover and enjoy zines, and for the above mentioned reason I think it would be a great place for me to submit my work. So as part of my dissemination I've begun to research zine libraries; I want to find those that are local, and further afield and learn more about what they do, why they do it, and, if submissions are open, send in my own work to be part of the collection.
Here is a selection of a few of the libraries I researched:
Salford Zine Library
About: Salford Zine Library is a unique archive of self published materials. There are currently around 4500 zines in the collection, all of which have been donated by zine makers and collectors
Website: salfordzinelibrary.co.uk
Where: Clifford Whitworth Library, Salford University.
Accepting submissions: Yes!
If yes, submission process: All info here - salfordzinelibrary.co.uk/submissions/
Would my work make sense here: Yes!
Glasgow Zine Library
About: Glasgow Zine Library is a community archive and zine library based in Govanhill, Glasgow, established in 2018. It has a growing international collection of over 1000 zines
Website: www.glasgowzinelibrary.com
Where: 636 Cathcart Rd, Glasgow
Accepting submissions: Yes!
If yes, submission process: Info here - glasgowzinelibrary.com/zine-collection
Would my work make sense here: YES!
My intention is to send in my Birthday Flowers zine, and create something new which is more auto-biographical and longer.