pre-order baby

a beginners guide to preordering physical zines by atozines

Welcome! This resource is specific to physical zine preorders; what to expect and what to look out for. Some of these tips may be helpful for other types of pre-orders or for general online purchases.Please note
ALL pre-orders have some risks; from being canceled due to lack of funding to general risks like postal carriers damaging/losing items.What is a Zine?
Check out zine baby for an introduction to zines and how the projects start out.What does it mean to pre-order something?
When you pre-order something, you are essentially helping to crowdfund something that does not yet exist. (Kind of like Kickstarter.) The money collected during the pre-order period will fund production and fulfillment.About this resource
This is simply an informational guide. Take what you need based on the level of risk you are willing to gamble with.

A Typical Timeline

1. Preorder Period: For a limited amount of time, the products will be available for purchase.
Some zines may have campaigns, stretch goals, discount codes, or giveaways during this time. Be on the lookout for these additional items.2. Production Period: Products (files/art) are sent to manufacturers to be produced. The timeline for this may be delayed due to the manufacturer, holidays, or volume (large number of orders or products).3. Shipping Period: After all the products arrive to the shipping mod, shipping will commence. This can be a somewhat long process depending on the number of items or orders the project received.
Be sure to know where your order is shipping from in case you need to pay additional fees (customs). (This process may take up to 2 months to allow international packages to arrive.)4. Leftover Period: Not ALL zines will have this, but this is the final time to get anything you may have missed. You may find Grade B items at a discounted price.5. Wrapping Up: Before the project ends, charity zines will make their donation, whilst for-profit zines will make payouts to their contributors.

What would you like to learn more about?

Disclaimer: All projects are different and this guide is a GENERALIZATION—an overview—of what you could encounter. These are not rules or guidelines that zine mods are required to follow. This guide was made to give insight to potential preorder buyers so they could make an informed decision.

1. Pre-ordering

Average Duration: 1-1.5 monthsBefore preordering ANYTHING, be sure to read the shipping policy/FAQ page—we recommend this for all small business storefronts. These are technically their terms of service/purchase, so when you order from their online shop you are agreeing to those terms. Please read them.If you ever have any questions, you can contact a zine through their social platform (Twitter/Instagram), Curiouscat/Retrospring, zine email, or store contact form.Note: Be wary of super long pre-order periods. Most zines use Paypal to collect money, which allows the customer the ability to ask for a refund in the event something goes wrong. There is a 180-day window that starts the day of purchase.

Things to check before preordering

1. Refund/Replace/Return policy
Due to fees, it is rare to get a full refund. Some may have an all-sales final policy. Most of the time, zines will NOT compensate for shipping carrier negligence—bent packages, packages left in the rain, or damages due to poor package handling.2. Shipping locations
Where are they shipping from, and what locations do they ship to? There may be limitations due to their access to mail carriers or border restrictions. Please also be familiar with how to receive international packages, as there may be fees upon delivery.3. Package Tracking
Will your order be tracked? Sometimes zines will offer tracking, some for an extra fee. If they do not have tracking, you could potentially ask if you could pay extra to ensure your package arrives safely.4. Social media
Be sure their social media is not bare-bones. You will want mods who will be active and communicative during the production period.5. Group Orders
Although not popular in many fandoms, some zines may allow group orders. What are Group Orders (GO)? It is when a group of people in the same country place an international order together. Typically, there is a Manager who handles collecting orders, money, and shipping the products domestically. The goal is to reduce customs/shipping fees.6. Multiple Shops
Some preorders may have different storefronts for different locations, as each one has pros and cons.
+ Big Cartel: Lower Fees, Does not cover VAT for EU/UK
+ Etsy: More fees, covers VAT for EU/UK7. Check out the Moderators
Every zine preorder is hosted by someone different. Take the time to learn about who the moderators are. The main things you may look for are: past projects, ongoing projects, and age. The goal is to do a simple search for some reasons to trust the team, not an invasive deep dive. If you can not find this information easily, it's often recommended to pass on the project.

Bundles

To expedite the shipping process, zines will have premade bundles for buyers to choose from. Some bundles are NOT applicable for all campaigns and goals so be sure to read the fine print. Check for product descriptions too: how big are the prints and charms? How many pages are in the zine?Types of Bundles1. Digital Only (Not usually a bundle)
Nothing will be shipped. Never applicable to physical campaigns/goals. Typically emailed AFTER the shipping period begins.2. Physical Zine Only (Usually doesn't count as a bundle)
Just the book. May be applicable to some campaigns/goals. Digital files may need to be added on.3. Half Bundle
The zine with miscellaneous merch. May be applicable to some campaigns/goals. Digital files may need to be added on.4. Flat/Paper Bundle
The zine with stickers and print-like merch. May be applicable to some campaigns/goals. Digital files may need to be added on.5. Hard Bundle
The zine with charms/pin/enamel-like merch. May be applicable to some campaigns/goals. Digital files may need to be added on.5. Full Bundle
All the bells and whistles. Will (most likely) be applicable to all campaigns/goals. Digital files may need to be added on.—Please check store policies as there may be a limit to how many bundles you can purchase in one order.

Campaigns

To promote the preorder period, many zines may try different marketing campaigns.Types of CampaignsEarly Bird
A freebie (or discount) for placing your order early! You may have to order within the first 24-48 hours OR be within the first 25-50 orders. (If you want the early bird item, we suggest finding out what time the store is planning to open and setting an alarm.)
Typically, all physical orders are applicable.Stretch Goals
Additional merch items or special finishes that unlock after a specific number of orders.
No additional purchase is necessary; just remember to check which bundles the items are added to.
Typically, only bundles are applicable.Share Campaign
Additional merch item(s) that unlock after reaching specific social media goals—typically a specific number of likes and retweets/reblogs.
No additional actions are needed.
Typically, all physical orders are applicable.Giveaway
The chance to get something for free—no purchase necessary!
If you have ordered, you may receive it as an addition to your order or a partial/full refund.
Remember to read all the qualifications on how to enter.Raffle
Make a purchase to be entered to win something.
Please note that in some countries/states/provinces, this is considered a lottery and/or gambling and is illegal in some places.Discounts
10-25% off at most.
Discounts typically happen at the beginning/end of the preorder period, during a holiday or birthday relevant to the project.
When shopping on BigCartel, the Discount code is applied during checkout before paying.

Contacting zine mods

The best way to contact the moderating team is to email the zine—or DM them on social media. If you can not find it on the carrd, you may be able to use the storefront's built-in contact form. We recommend checking that they have a platform you can contact them before preordering anything.Be sure to mention your name and/or email used during checkout, order number, and why you are contacting them to expedite a useful response.Note If you are sharing what you consider to be private information (i.e. your legal name or shipping address), we recommend email as it may be more secure than a social media DM.
We recommend NOT to personally DM any of the moderators UNLESS you have had multiple un-replied messages from the zine account over a long period of time.

Preorder Tips:+ Double-check your order and contact information before placing your order. If you might be moving around the estimated shipping period, you may want to leave a shop note during checkout if that is an option.+ If you have royally fucked up your contact information, email the zine with your name + order number to get it fixed ASAP/+ Make a spreadsheet of the things you preorder. Since preorders typically take around 2-3 months (at the least) to fulfill it is easy to forget about.
Record the amount you paid, the date you made the order, and the zine socials/email in case you need to reach out. (We recommend doing this with online orders in general, especially if you're forgetful).+ Be sure to check the socials during preorders and after for any changes and updates. Most zines do NOT do email updates.

2. Production

Average Duration: 1-3 monthsThis is everyone's waiting game, you as a buyer and the mods. Typically you should hear about when all the items have gone into preorders—as well as an update when items have arrived to the shipping mod, typically with photos.Standard Production Delays:Talking to Manufacturers
Sometimes there are some back and forth with the mods and the manufacturers to in sure items will be produced as intended.Proofs
Some items may have proofs, this is when a sample of the final product is made before the bulk is. This will extend the production time. The proof has to be made, shipped, received, and reviewed. There may also be problems with the proof that needs to be fixed.Large orders
The more items that have to be made, the longer it takes to make. (The shipping mod will also have to quality check the items as well).Holidays
Preorders that begin production or are finishing up production may be affected.
+ Lunar New Year: Some manufacturers may be based in countries that celebrate the holiday in Jan-Feb and typically take 1-2 weeks off.
+ Black Friday/Cyber Monday Sale: During this time there are some sales that manufacturers may offer which will increase the orders they have to produce.
+ Christmas: Shipping during this time in general is rough.Shipping
Some merch items are made by international manufacturers—which may lead to longer shipping times due to distance and customs.

Although it's not uncommon to have multiple delays that will increase the production time, moderators should provide updates on said delays since it will affect the fulfillment timeline.As a customer who has yet to receive the product you have paid for; you have the right to be updated. If the social media has been silent for ~2 weeks, we suggest asking for an update if you feel uneasy about the lack of communication.It is uncommon for a zine to go 1-2 months without ANY type of updates. Things they can update you on: status of production and order fulfillment—whether stuck in shipping or still manufacturing— or an updated projected timeline.

3. Shipping

Average Duration: 1-2monthsBe sure that your address is correct before the shipping period begins.If you plan on moving during the expected shipping period, reach out to a moderator to see if you can get a more accurate date for shipping or if your package could be shipped later.Keep an eye on the tracking.
There are many apps that allow you to input tracking numbers to have all their information in one place.
Here are a few you can try out: shop | route | 17track | aftershipKeep an eye out on socials and your email.
During this time, zines will typically have a period for customers to update their addresses. You do NOT want to miss out on this email if you know this will apply to you.

Most preorders are packaged and sent by bundle type, typically starting with the full bundle or the physical zine-only orders. This may depend on the order in which the merchandise arrives.Please exercise patience during the shipping period as typically only one person is packaging and shipping 50+ orders.Once the package has been handed to the shipping carrier, the mods have little information or control over your package. If you notice something odd with the tracking, reach out to the mods but understand that they are also at the mercy of the shipping carrier.

4. Leftovers

Average Duration: 1 monthWhy are there leftovers?MOQ: Most manufacturers have a minimum order quantity (MOQ). This is why items like enamels and notepads are typically seen as stretch goals. MOQs typically come in ranges of 50 or 100.Misprints and Imperfections: It is almost impossible to not have some degree of defects in a batch. These are usually marked as B/C-grade and sold at a lower price.Lost packages: Although some zines may charge an additional fee to cover any shipping carrier mishaps, they do keep extras at hand incase of emergencies.

Leftovers are FIRST COME, FIRST SERVE. While supplies last. If you are interested in purchasing something, you may want to find out when the store will open (and the timezone).If you have not received anything about your preorder (a tracking number/email or your package) and a project is beginning with leftovers, EMAIL THEM. You will want them to assist you before they have more orders to fulfill.

5. Wrapping Up

After leftover sales, the project will come to a close. If you are still missing any digital or physical objects it is important to message the team before the project wraps. Typically zines will announce when the last day to contact them is.Once a project has wrapped up, the moderator team will no longer answer your inquiries and will most likely be unable to assist you.

Donation Announcement

Charity zines will have a "proof of donation" post for good practice. Typically it will include a screenshot from the charity with the amount that was donated.If it is important to you where the profits of a zine are going, feel free to ask the moderation team if it is not listed on their website.

As the community grows and evolves this resource may be updated for a better generalization. Feel free to message us with any topics or tips you think we should include/touch upon.