APATALK frequency asked questions (FAQ) Version 0.1 (prepublication). Last revised: 5/20/95. The following information file has been prepared for the APATALK mailing list. Feel free to distribute it, as long as you present it without alterations. Contributors to this FAQ are listed at the end of the document. Here's a rundown of the topics covered: * What is APATALK? * What is an APA? * What is the NEW MOON DIRECTORY? * What is a Central Mailer? * What is an apazine? * What are mailing comments? * What is the copy count? * What is minac? * What is the waitlist? * How can I find APAs to join? * How long have APAs been around? * Are all APAs fandom-related? * APAs in literature * Are pros involved in APAs? * How do I join an APA? Membership information is given for A WOMAN'S APA, ANZAPA, APA-AV, CAPA-ALPHA, CAPRA, CHEFF, DAPPER, FIRST DRAFT, LIVING LARGE, NYAPA, PIECES OF EIGHT, SHOPTALK, STIPPLE-APA and X-APA * Are there APAs on the Internet? Information is given for DARGONZINE and SUPERGUY. * Contributors to this FAQ * What is APATALK? APATALK is an unmoderated mailing list for the discussion of APAs. To subscribe, send e-mail to majordomo@lists.csn.net with the following line in the text of your letter: SUBSCRIBE APATALK You don't need to include your name -- the Majordomo program does not require it. * What is an APA? APA is an abbreviation for amateur press association. In FACTSHEET FIVE, the fanzine about fanzines, Editor Mike Gunderloy described APAs as follows: "Think of them as cocktail parties in print. Each APA has a central person who does the assembling and mailing of each issue. Members write whatever they want, make an agreed-upon number of copies and send them to this person who then collates the individual submissions into sets which form the final APA. Costs are covered by each member paying for their own printing and postage. Many APAs will send you a sample copy, so you can get a feel for their flavor and interests, but the bottom line is that this is participatory publishing, so if you aren't interested in contributing, don't bother to get in touch." Another way of thinking about APAs is that they are a printed precursor to a mailing list. Rather than using software to take in all contributions and e-mail them to people, in an APA, someone takes in all printed contributions, compiles them together and mails them to people. Mailing and photocopy costs are covered by the members. * What is THE NEW MOON DIRECTORY? THE NEW MOON DIRECTORY is the primary source of information about APAs -- it lists more than 250 APAs to join, APAs that have folded and includes a glossary of APA terminology. People who are interested in this subject should definitely order the latest copy from Editor Eric L. Watts. See the section, "How Do I Find APAs to Join?" for contact information. * What is a Central Mailer? This is one of many terms used to describe the person (or people) in charge of collecting APA contributions, compiling them and mailing the material out to members. The Central Mailer often handles the group's treasury as well. It is an elected position in most known APAs. There are several other synonymous terms for Central Mailer, which is abbreviated as CM. Some of the ones listed in the NEW MOON DIRECTORY for 1993 include Official Editor (OE), Official Collator, Coordinator, Editor, Administrator and APA Manager. * What is an apazine? Also called a fanzine or zine, this is an APA member's individual contribution to an APA. In many of the fandom- oriented APAs, members give their apazines individual titles as if they were a separate publication of their own. * What are mailing comments? Mailing comments are material in an APA that is in response to past issues of the APA. Different APAs have different approaches to mailing comments, but as a whole they're regarded as an important part of the APA membership experience. It's the direct line of communication between members. * What is the copy count? Many APAs require that members photocopy their own fanzines before sending them to the Central Mailer. The copy count is the number of photocopies that need to be sent, in order to provide enough for all members and for a few extras. * What is minac? Minac is an abbreviation for "minimum activity requirement." This is the amount of participation a member has to have in order to remain in the APA. Many, if not all, APAs require members to participate in order to stay in the group. * What is the waitlist? The waitlist is the people who have indicated their interest in joining an APA, and are waiting for a member to drop out so they can get in. Some waitlists are handled on a first-come, first-served basis, so that the first person to leave the waitlist and become a member is the one who signed up earliest. Others let people off the waitlist based on their participation in the APA while they were not members. APAs have different policies on whether or not people on the waitlist, also called waitlisters, can send fanzines to be included in an APA mailing. * How can I find APAs to join? The first step is to subscribe to APATALK and talk to APA members about your interests. Current subscribers to the mailing list belong to more than a dozen different APAs, and can probably point you to a group that suits you. For the most comprehensive listing of APAs in the known universe, you should order THE NEW MOON DIRECTORY from Eric L. Watts. Watts compiles and publishes a yearly directory, and the comprehensive work he does has to be seen to be believed. The 1993 directory included 257 APAs and 12 advertisements. For ordering information, contact Watts at e.watts@genie.geis.com or write to 346 Carpenter Drive #51, Atlanta, GA 30328-5030. The most recent issue cost $4.25. * How long have APAs been around? APAs were a 19th-century invention of hobbyist printers, who were apparently trying to save postage while distributing samples of their work. Science fiction and fantasy fans adopted the idea in 1937 with the formation of Fantasy Amateur Press Association, an APA that is still going strong today. * Are all APAs fandom-related? Fandom remains one of the most popular themes for APAs, but there are many which draw in people around other interests. Politics, sexuality and religion are among the topics covered in non-fandom APAs. These groups are often known as a postal network or many-to-many (M2M) rather than an APA, though they resemble each other in function and operation. The term many-to-many comes from the fact that these groups feature many-to-many communication as opposed to one-to-one. * APAs in literature In BIMBOS OF THE DEATH SUN, one of two funny, fandom-inspired mysteries by Sharyn McCrumb, the author mentions APAs. Here's an excerpt, copyright 1995 Sharyn McCrumb, in which protagonist Jay Omega is trying to find out about them: "What is this stuff?" asked Jay Omega, still staring at the page of non-sequitors. "Apas are soap boxes for people who can't get anyone to publish them," murmured Diefenbaker. "These are messages to individual subscribers." Jay Omega blinked. "Then why don't they just write personal letters to each other?" "Would you like to keep that copy?" Bernard persisted. "I was saving it for Walter Diefenbacker, but I can't find him anywhere." "Perhaps he'll turn up later," Dief assured him, grasping Jay Omega firmly by the elbows. "We have to dash." When they had put several clumps of warriors and slave girls between them and Bernard Buchanan, Jay Omega looked again at the grubby print-out. "I don't understand what this is." "Think of it as a chain letter for disturbed children," said Diefenbacker soothingly. * Are pros involved in APAs? A number of pros in science fiction, fantasy, comics and other fields have belonged to APAs, either before they "turned pro" or during their careers. Among them: Robert Silverberg, Mary Gentle, Lisa Tuttle, Charles Stross, Carol Severance, Simon Ings, Jenny Jones, Dave Barrett, Mark Evanier, Mark Verheiden, Don and Maggie Thompson, Tony Isabella and many others. * How do I join an APA? The following listing of APAs has been provided by APATALK participants. It should give you some good ideas about the diversity of subject matter, and provide details on how to join. For the comprehensive list of APAs, order THE NEW MOON DIRECTORY from Eric L. Watts. The APAs: A WOMAN'S APA Official Editor Vicki Rosenzweig 33 Indian Road, 6-R New York, NY 10034 Published bimonthly. Copy count: Membership+5. Members: 25. Activity requirement: Contribution/2 mailings for those in North America, per 3 mailings otherwise. Dues: Unknown. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: $3. Back issue availability: Unknown. As the name implies, this apa is for women only. Most members are are in the US, but there are members in the UK, Canada and Australia. Any and all topics are open for discussion. Members are asked to observe a loose confidentiality scheme, in which each contributor decides who can see her zines (with a range from "members only" through "women only" to "use your discretion" and "I don't give a s--t." Women who are interested should send email or drop a letter to Rosenzweig. -- Updated on 5/18/95 by Vicki Rosenzweig (murphy!acmcr!vr@uunet.uu.net) ANZAPA - Australian and New Zealand Amateur Press Association Offical Bloody Editor Alan Stewart Box 222, World Trade Centre, Melbourne, Victoria 3005, AUSTRALIA Phone: (03) 429 8354 home, (03) 344 4035 work Email: Alan=Stewart%Chem_Eng2@PC.unimelb.EDU.au Published bimonthly. Copy count: 35. Members: 30. Activity requirement: 6 self-written A4 pages/3 issues. Dues: Hand delivery, $A7; mailed in Australia, $A20; mailed to New Zealand, $A20; mailed to UK, $A60; mailed to US, $A20. Waitlist: 5. Cost of spec. copies: Unknown. Back issues are rarely available, but 5 "Best of ANZAPA" volumes are readily available. Started in 1968, ANZAPA is a general interest fannish apa. It gives a good intro to fandom in Australia, though some people would accuse it of being the Australian fannish graveyard. -- Updated on 5/3/95 by Perry Middlemiss (larrikin@acslink.net.au) APA-AV (Amateur Press Association-Audio/Video) Central Mailer David Damico 7800 Youree Drive, Apt. 2200G Shreveport, LA 71105-5529 Email: ddamic@mail-sh.lsumc.edu Published bimonthly. Copy count: 20. Members: Unknown. Activity requirement: 2 pp./issue or 4 pp./2 issues. Unknown. Dues: $12/year. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: Unknown. Availability of back issues: Unknown. The Amateur Association-Audio/Video, this APA operates a bit differently from the others, in that instead of maintaining an ongoing postage account you pay yearly dues of $12.00. This apa is really hurting for new members at the moment, in which members talk about trading videotapes of unusual things they have, discuss TV and other media-related topics, and seems to be heavy on participation by sf fans (uh, 'scuse me, FEN). Good folks, and I think a little variety (some "mundanes," as FEN call non-FEN) might do wonders for this apa. -- Updated 4/29/95 by Elayne Wechsler-Chaput (firehead@panix.com) CAPA-ALPHA (K-A) Central Mailer Hurricane Heeran c/o RADIO & RECORDS 10100 Santa Monica Boulevard, 5th floor Los Angeles, CA 90067-4004 Published monthly. Copy count: 50. Members: 40. Activity requirement: 4 pp. original material/3 months. Dues: Must keep at least $5 in account. Waitlist: Many. Cost of spec. copies: Unknown. Availability of back issues: Unknown. The first APA established for comics fandom, hence the name. Capa-Alpha was founded by Jerry Bails in the 1960s and has included on its roster many notable figures from the comics industry and comics fandom. Its waitlist is usually long and participation is high. The Capa-Alpha constitution is available for an SASE. -- Updated 4/29/95 by Elayne Wechsler-Chaput (firehead@panix.com) CAPRA Central Mailer Matthew Kiernan 45 Brittin Street Madison, NJ 07940 Official Editor Dorian Tenore-Bartilucci Treasurer Tom Roe Email: 70253.2050@compuserve.com, vinnieb@echonyc.com, vinnieb523@aol.com Published bimonthly. Copy count: 30. Members: 28. Activity requirement: 2 pp. original material/4 mths. Dues: $5 to open an account. Waitlist: 4. Cost of spec. copies: $2.90. Availability of back issues: Unknown. The Cinema Amateur PRess Association is dedicated to movies, and most members are great friends and see each other as often as possible in person. Collation parties are held on the last Saturday of odd months. Lots of fun! Founded in 1974, CAPRA is one of the oldest -- perhaps the oldest! -- living movie APA in captivity. Open CAPRA, and you'll be transported into a world of suspense, romance, adventure-okay, who let Steven Spielberg in here? Seriously, you'll get to meet other intelligent yet fun-loving movie mavens who share their ideas, opinions and wisecracks with each other in this informal bimonthly forum. Members range in age from 23 to 50-something and include movie/TV professionals, talented amateurs, and all kinds of people who just plain love movies and videos, and love to write about same. -- Updated 5/8/95 by Daniel S. Goodman (dsg@maroon.tc.umn.edu) and Elayne Wechsler-Chaput (firehead@panix.com) CHEFF (Chefs, Hedonists, Epicures and Foodie Fetishists) Frances Dowd 4 Burnside Avenue Sheffield, S8 9FR UK Phone: (0114) 281 0674 Email: cheff@dowd.demon.co.uk Published bimonthly. Copy count: 30. Members: 15 (30 max.). Activity requirement: 4 contributions/year, min. 2 sides A4 written, 1 side artwork. Dues: 15/year, 30 to post original for copying or email copy for layout and printing. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: Currently free. All back issues currently available. CHEFF, which stands for Chefs, Hedonists, Epicures and Foodie Fetishists, recently completed its third mailing. The APA is a place for those interested in food -- not necessarily chefs and cooks, but also food-related issues of politics, eros, fiction, art, sociology, and psychology. -- Updated on 5/16/95 by Frances Dowd (cheff@dowd.demon.co.uk) DAPPER Jan van 't Ent Vaalserberg 37 2905 PM Capelle aan den IJssel Netherlands Phone: +31 10 4584745 Email: vantent@facb.few.eur.nl Published bimonthly. Copy count: 30. Members: 23 (25 max.). Activity requirement: 1 pg./2 issues. Dues: Must maintain a positive account. Waitlist: 4. Cost of spec. copies: 3 IRCs. Back issues are not available except in rare instances. Dapper, based in the Netherlands, is an international APA. Its name stands for the Dutch Amateur People's Press Energetically Reproducing. English language is the standard for DAPPER, a diverse group with a variety of international experiences. Topics range from book reviews to con reports to short fiction. The material must be original and first published in the APA. Waitlisters are also encouraged to contribute. -- Updated 5/3/95 by Jan van 't Ent (ent@appbeheer.few.eur.nl) FIRST DRAFT Central Mailer Dorian Tenore-Bartilucci 3636 Fieldston Road, #7A Bronx, NY 10463 Email: 70253.2050@compuserve.com, vinnieb@echonyc.com, vinnieb523@aol.com Published bimonthly. Copy count: 20. Members: 15. Activity requirement: 2 pp. original writing and 1 pp. of MCs/issue. Dues: $10 to start a mailing account, $5 to join the waitlist. Waitlist: Several. Cost of spec. copies: $4.10. Availability of back issues: Unknown. -- Updated 4/29/95 by Elayne Wechsler-Chaput (firehead@panix.com) Billed as "the writer's group that meets in print," First Draft has huge mailings of original fiction and comments on member writings. First Draft exists for writers, primarily of fiction but any kind of creative work is encouraged. Drafters contribute original fiction of all lengths and genres, from short-short stories to novel excerpts to scripts for stage and screen (whether big or small). Poetry and essays are also welcome. Each 'zine has a commentary section wherein Drafters provide objective, constructive criticism of each other's work (sorry, a vague "That was great!" or "That sucked!" won't do). FD isn't just another litmag, but rather, as one Drafter describes it, "a laboratory, a place to experiment, a place to work toward a finished product." Drafters also discuss issues concerning writers, from censorship to current publishing trends to newfangled writing utensils. Members are encouraged to suggest ideas for writing exercises or theme issues. -- Updated 5/8/95 by Daniel S. Goodman (dsg@maroon.tc.umn.edu) and Elayne Wechsler-Chaput (firehead@panix.com) LIVING LARGE Central Mailer Kathleen Madigan P.O. Box 1006 Elgin, IL 60121 Name of APA Name, address and phone number of APA administrator Frequency of publication Copy count Number of members Minimum activity requirement Dues Number of people on waitlist Cost of spec. copies Availability of back issues Published bimonthly. Copy count: 12. Members: Unknown. Activity required: 2 pp./2 issues. Dues: Unknown. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: Unknown. Availablility of back issues: Unknown. LIVING LARGE is for large people and others interested in the size acceptance movement. No personal attacks will be tolerated. Rules of operation available for an SASE. -- Updated 4/29/95 by Elayne Wechsler-Chaput (firehead@panix.com) NYAPA Central Mailer Steven R. Addlesee 852 E. 8475 S. Sandy, UT 84094 Phone: (801) 561-8905 Email: steve.addlesee@lcars.com Published bimonthly. Copy count: 10. Members: 6. Activity required: 4 pp./2 issues. Dues: $6.00 to open account; dues required when requested by CM. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: $3.00. Back issues are available. New York APA was started in '72 by the late Neal Pozner. With 145 issues, NYAPA is closing in on its 25th anniversary and the 150th and final issue. Starting with issue #151, NYAPA will become either MyAPA or Open Line, which is more suitable to the current general topic format of the APA. -- Updated 4/27/95 by Steven R. Addlesee PIECES OF EIGHT Administrator Ros Calverley 100 Cambridge Street Wolverton Milton Keynes Bucks. MK12 5AH England Published monthly. Copy count: 20. Members: 18. Activity requirement: 2 pp./3 issues. Dues: 12 uk pounds/year (pro rata for first part-year). Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: Free when available. Back issues are occasionally available. Pieces of Eight is a general discussion APA with no theme and an open-to-all membership policy. There are no banned subjects. It is loosely based on science fiction fanzine fandom, and has the subtitle "the pirate APA," as in jolly nautical types. Another subtitle is, "the friendly APA." -- Updated on 5/18/95 by Brian Jordan (bjord@kpress.demon.co.uk) SHOPTALK Central Mailer Steven R. Addlesee 852 E. 8475 S. Sandy, UT 84094 Phone: (801) 561-8905 Email: steve.addlesee@lcars.com Published bimonthly. Copy count: 15. Members: 10. Activity required: 4 pp/2 issues. Dues: $20.00 to open account, replenishment required when called for by CM. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: $5.00. Back issues are available. Shoptalk is a watering hole for professionals in the comics industry. They share their experiences within the industry as well as network among their peers. Professional writers, artists, inkers, letterers, editors, and publishers are invited to join. -- Updated 4/27/95 by Steven R. Addlesee STIPPLE-APA OOK Judy A. Cilcain 1735 Rome Ave. Saint Paul, MN MN 55116 Phone: (612) 699-7676 Published every six weeks. Copy count: 25. Members: 15 (30 max.). Activity requirement: 1 pg./2 issues. Dues: None. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: Requests repayment of postage charges. Some back issues are available for the asking. STIPPLE-APA is an APA for the science fiction fandom community of Saint Paul, Minneapolis, and the world. The next issue, #126, will be collated on June 3, 1995. The APA was begun by Matthew Tepper years ago when Minneapa and its resultant waitlist were huge. Previous OOKs have been Tepper, Dennis Lien, Terry Garey, Elise Kruger, Victor Raymond and Peter Hentges, with apologies to any who've been omitted. New members are heartily welcomed! -- Updated by Judy A. Cilcain on 5/18/95 (cilca001@maroon.tc.umn.edu) X-APA Central Mailer Steven R. Addlesee 852 E. 8475 S. Sandy, UT 84094 Phone: (801) 561-8905 Email: steve.addlesee@lcars.com Published bimonthly. Copy count: 12. Members: 7. Activity required: 4 pp./2 issues. Dues: $3.00 to open account, replenishment usually every 4 months. Waitlist: Empty. Cost of spec. copies: $3.00. Back issues are available. X-APA is the X-Men APA, which began in 1979, about the same time the popularity of the X-Men began skyrocketing under the Claremont/Byrne/Austin tenure. Through the years, the X-Men have been discussed, debated, written, drawn, and parodied. Currently at 95 issues, X-APA is closing in on its 100th issue, which promises to be a landmark issue. X-Men and comics fans are invited to join. -- Updated 4/27/95 by Steven R. Addlesee * Are there APAs on the Internet? Not defined as such, but if you consider an APA to be a collaborative publishing experience, there are several of those available in electronic form. Here's a few: DARGONZINE Published 4-6 times/year. Members: 14. Free to join. Back issues available via anonymous FTP at ftp.etext.org in pub/Zines/DargonZine. DARGONZINE is a shared-world anthology of fantasy stories in the tradition of the THIEVES' WORLD paperback anthologies of the mid-1980s. It is celebrating its 10th year in 1995 with the publication of two "Best of DargonZine" volumes. There are currently 14 writers in the Dargon Project working on new stories, and they communicate with each other via a private mailing list. There are currently 623 subscribers who receive issues of DargonZine via e-mail. Subscription requests, and correspondence from writers interested in joining the project, should be sent to Editor Ornoth D.A. Liscomb at dargon@wonky.jjm.com. -- Updated 5/20/95 by Rogers Cadenhead (rogers@bbs.tde.com) SUPERGUY Internet mailing list Members: 180. No activity required. Free to join. Back issues available via anonymous FTP at ftp.hiof.no /pub/Comics/Fanfiction/Superguy/. World Wide Web homepage: http://www.halcyon.com/superguy/. Humorous collaborative superhero fiction set in a shared universe. -- Updated 4/26/95 by Chris Meadows (chm173s@nic.smsu.edu) * Contributors to this FAQ The document was compiled by Rogers Cadenhead. Special thanks to the following people for providing information and assistance: Marty Helgesen (MNHCC@CUNYVM.BITNET), and others.