UPDATES ♡ ENTER ♡ APPLY
CONTRIBUTOR APPLICATIONS OPEN UNTIL MAY 19TH!
The blackvelvet is an upcoming for-profit KPOP fan zine that all BLINK x ReVeluvs never knew they needed. It focuses on two of South Korea’s mega girl groups, BLACKPINK and Red Velvet, and seeks to highlight the works of various talented creators in both fandoms.
Content will be divided into three parts:
⇢ BLACKPINK
⇢ Red Velvet
⇢ blackvelvet
The zine will feature SFW fashion-themed artworks, written pieces, and merch.
Profits generated will be divided evenly to support the zine's contributors, mods, and the chosen charity.
To be considered for the zine, you would need to follow a few simple steps:
(1) Re-blog and/or re-tweet the application posts!
(2) Go over our submission guidelines!
(3) Fill out the application form on or before MAY 19 !
The mods will go over all applications, review them, and decide who will be on the zine. After the mods have made their decision, they will send emails of the results to the applicants on May 24-26. The email will inform you whether you have been accepted or not as an official contributor for the zine.
Q. What is a zine?
A. A zine is essentially a self-published art and/or story collective. Its exact scope and meaning usually varies from zine to zine. In the context of blackvelvet, however, it is a collaborative self-published fan art and story collective made by fans for fans.
Q. I’m quite new to the whole zine thing. Can you help?
A. First of all, welcome to the world of zines and fanzines! Sure, here’s a very easy to follow guide on how zines work. Keep in mind, though, that some parts in the process stated may vary and may not apply to all zines. The guide, however, does provide a general overview on how most fan zines are made.
Q. How do I apply as a contributor?
A. To be considered for the zine, you would need to follow a few simple steps:
(1) Re-blog and/or re-tweet the application posts!
(2) Go over our submission guidelines!
(3) Fill out the application form on or before MAY 19 !
The mods will go over all applications, review them, and decide who will be on the zine. After the mods have made their decision, they will send emails of the results to the applicants. The email will inform you whether you have been accepted or not as an official contributor for the zine.
Q. Can I apply for multiple categories (artist, merch, writer)?
A. You may. However, since we would like to give other aspiring contributors a chance to be featured on the zine and to lessen the stress for you, you will only be accepted on one (1) category.
Q. Is this a for-proft or non-profit zine?
A. The zine will be for-profit. Profit will be equally split among contributors, mods, and the chosen charity.
Q. How will the contributors and moderators be compensated?
A. Contributors and mods will receive a free complimentary copy of the final zine, in addition to monetary compensation.
Q. What will be included in the zine?
A. The blackvelvet will include BLACKPINK and Red Velvet-related fan arts and fan fiction.
Q. What counts as a portfolio?
A. Portfolios should contain at least five (5) of your best and recent artworks or written pieces. They can be hosted on Google Drive (preferred), DeviantART, Behance, Artstation, carrd, AO3, or Wattpad. As much as possible, we would like to ask all applicants to refrain from using Wixsites as portfolios since there are usually sites which cannot be accessed or takes too long to load.
Q. What if I don’t have a portfolio?
A. As long as you can provide three (3) of your best and recent artworks and/or written pieces as examples, you’re still good to go. Make sure that the examples you’ll be submitting shows the art/writing style you’ll be using for the zine.
Q. Does our portfolio only have to contain BLACKPINK and/or Red Velvet content?
A. It is not required, but it is preferred. Having BLACKPINK and/or Red Velvet content might increase your chances of getting accepted, but it still depends on what else we’re looking for. Having a portfolio containing other idols (especially females) is a good alternative.
Q. How recent should our works in our portfolio be?
A. Your portfolio should contain your latest works, preferably around two (2) years at the latest.
Q. How many contributors will the zine accept?
A. A total of thirty-four (34) contributors will be considered for the zine (24 artists, 5 merch artists, and 5 writers).
Q. Will you be accepting writers?
A. Yes. In addition to artists and merch artists, blackvelvet is accepting writers.
Q. Is shipping allowed?
A. It is allowed as long as it stays SFW and considers the aforementioned notes from the interest check regarding ships.
Q. Are we allowed to use original characters (OCs)?
A. The blackvelvet zine, as the name implies, seeks to focus on BLACKPINK and Red Velvet. Hence, final submissions for the zine must only contain artworks which are related to either girl groups. OCs are fine if you are only applying as a contributor, not submitting your final piece for the zine.
Q. Can other idols make a cameo?
A. For contributor applications, yes. For final zine submissions, no.
Q. Do you have some resources on how to get accepted into the zine?
A. Yes! Here are some guides that I’ve gathered:
⇢ building a zine portfolio
⇢ zine applications, general tips
⇢ how to apply to art zines
⇢ tips and tricks on how to get accepted into zines
⇢ how to submit a good portfolio
Got a question that wasn’t answered here? Check our Tumblr ask tag or ask us via CuriousCat!
Please be aware that the schedule may be subject to additional changes due to unforeseen circumstances, such as extreme weather that would impede shipping, hence, a delay in the shipment of orders to lessen the risk of lost packages.
In addition, since this is a KPOP zine, it is only fitting that we follow the Korean Standard Time (KST) for our schedule. You may refer to this handy time converter for your convenience.
| DATE | ACTIVITY | |
|---|---|---|
| APR 19 | Friday | Contributor Applications Open |
| MAY 19 | Sunday | Contributor Applications Close |
| MAY 24-26 | Friday-Sunday | Applications Results Emailed |
| JUN 16 | Sunday | First Check-In |
| JUN 30 | Sunday | Second Check-In |
| JUL 21 | Sunday | Third Check-In |
| AUG 04 | Sunday | Final Submissions |
| AUG 05+ | Monday | Formatting/Layouting |
| AUG 30 | Friday | Pre-Orders Open |
| OCT 20 | Sunday | Pre-Orders Close |
| OCT 21+ | Monday | Production |
| JAN | Unknown | Shipping |
SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
ARTISTS & MERCH ARTISTS
Submit three (3) of your best works in your application. These examples must be representative of the art style you are planning to use for this zine, and should highlight your strongest skills.
Please do not submit heavily watermarked, unfinished works, and previews in your application. We want to see full, finished, and the best pieces of your art!
Because we want the zine to be safe for all audiences, any NSFW work must be tagged as such. Shipping is allowed, so long as it stays SFW.
It is highly preferred, but not required, that you should have at least one (1) artwork related to either BLACKPINK or Red Velvet. This is so we could get a glimpse of what you could do.
Links, portfolio and/or examples in particular, must be accessible (correct link, link-sharing is enabled, etc.) We will not consider applications with incorrect links and ones which we cannot access. Moreover, if submitting a portfolio, please ensure that it is organized and easy to navigate.
Example links must either be an art tag, or a one-piece artwork.
If you decide to link your portfolio, please ensure that it only includes your artwork. We don’t want to scroll through your blog/site, trying to find your art tag.
For merch artists, it is preferred (but not required) to have photos of the finished product which you have designed.
WRITERS
All written submissions must be primarily written in English. Considering BLACKPINK and Red Velvet are South Korean girl groups, a few code-switching (Korean or Japanese only) will be allowed.
Submit three (3) of your best works in your application. These examples must be representative of the writing style you are planning to use for this zine, and should highlight your strongest skills.
Each piece must not exceed 2,000 words.
Please do not submit unfinished works in your application. We want to see full, finished, and the best pieces of your prose! Excerpts from longer pieces are considered, as long as a link to the finished piece is provided.
It is highly encouraged that all submissions must be SFW (safe for work). If you consider your best piece(s) to be NSFW, kindly tag it as such. Shipping–regardless of the pairing–is accepted as long as it is SFW.
It is highly preferred, but not required, that you should have at least one (1) fan fiction related to either BLACKPINK or Red Velvet. This is so we could get a glimpse of what you could do.
Links, portfolio and/or examples in particular, must be accessible (correct link, link-sharing is enabled, etc.) We will not consider applications with incorrect links and ones which we cannot access. Moreover, if submitting a portfolio, please ensure that it is organized and easy to navigate
Example links must either be an fanfic tag, or a single fic.
If you decide to link your portfolio, please ensure that it only includes your fan fic. We don’t want to scroll through your blog, trying to find your fic tag.
EVALUATION CRITERIA
ARTISTS & MERCH ARTISTS
Colors — do they work well together? was the lighting good? was the shading good? was the color palette aesthetically-pleasing?
Recognizability of subjects — can I identify that this is who I think it is? does Seulgi look like Seulgi and not Jennie?
Dynamics — was the piece interesting? did it gave an impact, an impression?
Composition — was the piece well-done in terms of the principles of art? was there balance, contrast, form, etc?
Creativity — was the piece unique? does it have a twist to the reference photo that made me look back on it more than twice?
WRITERS
Technicalities — was the piece completely fraught with numerous typos, bad grammar, and awkward syntax?
Pacing, flow, structure — was it coherent? was the pacing good? was it easy to follow?
Story-telling skills — was the piece compelling to read? was their writing style decent?
Creativity — was the piece unique? were there any twists? did it left me wanting for more?
Characterization — are they able to portray the character well? if it wasn’t as close to the real person, was there any reference? any inside joke? was the character consistent?
POLICIES
COMING SOON
THE OFFICIAL LINE-UP
COMING SOON
THE MODS
MOD VELVET
Name: Mod Velvet (Eden)
Pronoun(s): She/Her
Position: Head Mod
Fandom: BLACKPINK, BTS, GOT7, ITZY, LOONA, Mamamoo, Red Velvet, Stray Kids, Twice
Bio: Eden (she/her) is smol, tired, and 100% biodegradable. As the zine’s head mod, she’ll be in charge of everything (including but not limited to: organization, communication, designs, finance, shipping, etc) and overseeing the project. She looks forward to working with everyone.
Mod Experience:
— Summer of She-Ra Zine
— Women of Marvel Zine
— Allura Lives Zine
— Dimension Zine
— +non-zine experience
Social Media: silvertapes (tumblr)
MOD BLACK
Name: Mod Black (Polyblank)
Pronoun(s): She/Her
Position: Layout Design Mod
Fandom: Red Velvet, Steven Universe, IV of Spades, Coldplay
Bio: “Fear shall not conquer nor fortitude crumble.” I’m an aspiring artist and graphic designer who continues to experiment with a lot of styles. I’ve been a contributor to two zines last year as a writer and artist. This year, I want to experience becoming a graphic design/format mod in other zines. Looking forward to working with you all!”
Mod Experience: Has non-zine experience
Social Media: @the_polyblank (instagram)
MOD PINK
Name: Mod Pink (Faye)
Pronoun(s): She/They/He
Position: Graphic Design Mod
Fandom: BLACKPINK, Boku No Hero Academia
Bio: Hello! I’m a self-taught artist from the Philippines, and I’ll be the graphic designer for this zine! I’ve been in countless zines as a contributor and this is my 3rd as a graphic designer. I hope this project goes well!!
Mod Experience:
— Just Monika Zine
— Date by Date Zine
— For the Crystal Gems Zine
Social Media: vvhimsi (tumblr)
The mods of blackvelvet can be reached the fastest through the following methods:
— email: [email protected]
— curiouscat: theblackvelvetzine
— tumblr ask: send an ask
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