Once you have a "printer ready" copy of your zine, you need to decide what you want to print it on. I did the first issue of my zine on multicolored paper. It was pretty expensive, so I switched to color front and back page with basic white paper in the middle for issue #2. You can use cheap bond stock or laser printer "brights" - but you should strongly consider at least printing the cover on colored paper - you want your zine to be eye catching.
The next step is making copies. Your options are:
1) "Borrow" a copier where you work. Is there a nice copier where you work that you could use after hours? That's what Keffo with Temp Slave did when he worked various temp jobs (http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/Office/1... ).
2) Get a friend with access to a copier to run some off for you.
3) Take it to Kinko's or another local copy shop. It's more expensive than free, but they can usually give you reasonable rates if you cut corners (i.e. collate and staple it yourself).
Cost: One of the things to take into consideration when deciding on how to make copies is the cost. Are you going to sell your zine or give it away? How much will you charge for a subscription or single issue? Your first issue probably won't bring a windfall of dollars, but by the second you may be able to recoup some of the printing costs.
My zine is $1 or three 33 cent stamps. This only covers the cost of mailing, so I also offer subscriptions for $5 for 4 issues. Yes, $5 is more than $1 for 4 issues, but I let subscribers know that their money is supporting the zine revolution and is considered "donations."
Distribution: I distribute Jelly Jar locally for free, so I will likely never make enough to cover printing cost, unless I accept advertising. I can't really accept advertising, though, until my distribution is over 5,000 copies. Kind of a catch 22, isn't it?
Where to distribute:
Local libraries. Most libraries have a rack or a table for public information.Coffee shops are very zine culture-friendly and most will let you leave your zines on the counter (not Starbucks though).
Local colleges have libraries and common areas. This is a great way to get your zine to a lot of people.
Mailing list. If you can get your zine reviewed on the net or in a publication like Factsheet Five, then you will likely get a lot of requests for copies. Make sure you keep a mailing list. For my first issue, I sent 2 zines to anyone who requested them and asked them to pass the second one on to a friend.
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