Zines, fanzines, and APAs

A fanzine is a publication produced by fans, for fans. According to Wikipedia, the term was coined in October 1940 by Russ Chauvenet. A fanzine is distinguished from a fan magazine, which is produced by a publisher, for fans.

Fanzines emerged from the earlier tradition of amateur press associations or APAs: publications produced by small literary groups, student groups, or even individuals.

If APAs are a parent to fanzines, zines are a byblow or convergent evolution. Zines most typically refer to self-published works but could include published editorial works, as well. The zine movement emeregd from the 1970s punk movement, taking a cue from punk's DIY (do-it-yourself) ethos, but influenced by the counterculture trends of the 1960s which established "alternative" publications. These movements were in turn part of, and influenced by, a long history of alternative publications, including the Black press in the US, political pamphleteers from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the new wave of comic book artists in the 1960s.

As desktop printing, digital printing, the Internet, and other technologies have expanded the literary franchise to more and more people, the distinctions between "professional", "scholarly", "amateur", "fan", "self-published", "print-on-demand", and so forth, continue to get ever-fuzzier.