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abkdkzine · 5 years

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A Guide to Making Portfolios

Contributor applications are open, but I noticed that there’s a few people who may be confused or don’t know what certain parts of our guidelines mean. So, here’s a simple guide showing how to make a neat portfolio that obeys our instructions and requirements!

(I kind of refrained from making a bunch of lighthearted jokes or comments though, so I might’ve missed my chance on showing just how dorky I can get, haha!)

I’ll be covering both art portfolios and writing portfolios in this guide, but I also hope this helps out anyone who might need this sort of information in the future because this information doesn’t apply to just our zine! With that said, I’ll start with the very basics: getting to know cloud storage and sharing services, or in this case, Google!

Technically speaking, portfolios are basically any and all of the platforms you post your content into (like Tumblr, Instagram, DeviantArt, etc.). But, when you’re applying for something that requires you to show your works in a professional manner (such as in fanzines or IRL jobs), knowing how to organise your works can help you out in the long run!

Google is such a versatile platform which allows everyone to have access to all (if not almost all) of their organisational and work-related products! As such, if you have a Gmail account, you should also have this wonderful privilege. One of their products, Google Drive, lets you store your files and organise them any way you want them! There’s a little box icon on the top right of the browser which will reveal all of the products you can use too, so if you don’t know what they are, it’s a good idea to explore a bit on your own time.

Through Google Drive, you’ll be creating a folder which will serve as the place your files will be uploaded into. Keep in mind though that Google is not the only platform that offers cloud services! Dropbox is an example of another popular platform among others.

In this example, I’ll be referring to our zine’s contributor applications. Make a new folder in your Google Drive by clicking on that big ol’ “New” button, and use that button again to upload 3-8 of your works for our zine’s applications. Or, drag and drop files. It’s surprisingly fun to do and watch!

Be sure that your folder’s privacy settings is open! Just activate the folder’s shareable link (as in anyone with the link can have access to it), and it’ll let us look at all of your examples without trouble!

But, why do you want us to do this, you might ask?

Like I mentioned earlier, knowing how to organise your things helps you out in the long run! But in our case, if an applicant chooses to send us a form with a portfolio that doesn’t quite follow our requirements (such as putting an entire gallery or website with all their works)...

Well, it’s going to be an inconvenience to the moderators because there are going to be a lot of applications to go through within a limited time frame. We simply won’t have the time to look for your best works in a portfolio showcasing all of your pieces. We set a maximum limit of 8 examples for portfolios for that reason!

Any added works will not be considered in the examples, and any applications with galleries or websites sent to us as their portfolios will have a VERY low chance of being considered at all.

Instead, make that neat little folder shown previously and individually add the files you want to share! It won’t take up a lot of your time, I promise. That way, you can make sure you’ve chosen your most quality works, and we can review your application in a timely manner! This method is the most preferred way for us to receive portfolios.

Writers, if you are unfamiliar with Google Drive, this process can apply to you as well. Make a new folder, label it appropriately, and upload your files! Word documents can be transferred instantly, so fear not for your formatting – you’re in good hands. However, if you are concerned about it, I suggest that you take a look at Google Docs. You can copy and paste your works there instead, either all three written examples in one document or three separate documents in the folder.

Realistically, not following the rules sets a bad impression on the people reviewing your portfolio. We want to see your best work, and we want you to feel confident in your examples! If you show us that you can’t follow simple and easy tasks such as organising your works, then we’ll get the impression that you’ll do the same elsewhere. Regard this as though you are preparing for an actual job interview because this helps with your reputation as well.

So, what can I do to ensure my chances to be considered?

This is a section that is more for art than it is for writings; but here’s a general consensus for what kind of submissions or examples are expected and what is not expected!

A bad portfolio consists of little variety among the shown examples. If your examples are mostly made of your subjects in several different angles, that’s alright, but if there’s a lack of principles of art (such as rhythm, movement, proportion, variety, etc.) then the portfolio wouldn’t really be very interesting to the judges. Sketches, while some look nice, aren’t good examples because zines require complete pieces!

For written stories, the worst possible examples out of so much more that you can present in a portfolio are: bad understanding of characterisation (out-of-character factor), mediocre understanding of grammar (or unedited versions), and uninteresting.

A good portfolio shows a clear understanding of the elements and principles of art. There’s variety among the pieces which shows creativity and thought. Properties like different colour schemes, addition of environments, angles, and etc. are things that make portfolios interesting to look at.

For writing, having a good grasp of grammar, understanding of characters, and personal style are good indicators that your writing is well done and given some thought! In other words, it allows the readers to feel engaged with, which in turn makes it more interesting.

But, most of all:

Your pieces have to be related to the zine’s theme! It’s different for every zine, of course, but generally, application reviewers look to see if the applicant is genuine about liking the concept(s) behind their projects, and that the applicant can portray or illustrate the subjects of the zine well with the skills presented among the examples.

Wanderlust revolves exclusively around BakuDeku, and so, seeing examples with both of them featured in your works will guarantee you, one-hundred percent, a spot for consideration.

Sounds good to me! But, can you clarify what to avoid?

As previously suggested, guidelines are made to make sure the reviewing process goes as smoothly as possible for the moderators or judges. I’ll be using our own guidelines for this example as well!

Since many zines like to request for a number of linked examples in their forms for their portfolios, we understand that it might be a force of habit or something that some people may consider easy to do. But, I’ll say this once again: we require prospective contributors to create their portfolios through a shared folder (lots of cloud services exist!) because it saves us, the moderators, a lot of time from copying and pasting every single link!

When you show us your social media links, don’t do it like this:

Tumblr: @ariririsu

Twitter: @ariririsu

Give us the actual links to your platforms! This also saves us a lot of time instead of typing it down. We would be ever so grateful and happy if you do this.

Keep your examples up to date! We don’t want to see what you could do back then. We want to see what you can offer us now. It’s like selling a bunch of pastries at a bake sale, but you’re selling us pastries made two years ago. Your most recent works gives us the most accurate and best representation of your skills.

Once again, incomplete sketches or written drafts are no-no’s. If you want to know what I’m talking about when I mentioned the principles and elements of art, here’s a neat little roster that breaks down what makes compositions in artworks more three-dimensional and interesting.

Going over the specified number of examples will not affect your chances of being accepted in the zine. So, if you add two or three more works in your portfolio, rest assured that we will not even look at them. For the same reason I mentioned beforehand: there is going to be a lot of applicants, and we want to get the reviewing process done as soon as possible to maintain our schedule. Less mess, less stress.

Some Pieces of Advice:

Have some confidence in your works! If you feel super shy and you’re still building up that confidence, the judges would be more than happy to supply you with feedback if you ask for it. Their feedback will not be destructive, but it will be meant to help you improve your skills. Take whatever advice they give you and at least put them into consideration too!

Zines and other huge projects like these take a lot of your time. One thing that I’ve seen people commonly do is that they miscalculate the amount of time and commitment they can put into these projects, and they often have to leave them. Doing so will negatively affect your reputation. So, when you’re not sure if you can dedicate a lot of time to the zine, we highly suggest that you don’t apply to keep the game fair to others who want to be in the zine as well.

Communication is VERY important in these projects. Never ever disappear on the projects without saying something because it’s going to cause the moderators to have to find ways to contact you and be very worried if something happened to cause the sudden disappearance. Like the previous point, doing so will negatively affect your reputation.

Just so you know, you’ve got time to make your portfolios if you don’t have enough examples! You can literally apply at the last minute and it would still count!

Again, be sure that your Google Drive folder’s settings are shared to those who has the link!

And with that, I hope I was able to make a nice guide which emphasises certain rules in our own zine guidelines as well as how to make a good portfolio! I’m not sure if there are other guides like these around, but I hope I got a bunch of general zine rules correct.

We look forward to seeing your applications! Our zine applications close on January 12, and we can’t wait to see what you have in store for us!

#bkdk #bakudeku #katsudeku #zines #anime zine #wanderlust bkdk zine #bkdk zine #update #contributor apps #mod ari speaks #mod maj speaks #guide

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vlddreamscapezine · 6 years

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Dreamscape Zine Information Post

First of all, we would like to sincerely apologize for the delay - especially me (mod mori), since this is 100% my fault! I really wanted to get the infopost out before the new season aired and severely underestimated the circumstances and my energy levels. We’ll try to get back on schedule, since everything else should be all set.

The applications will be pushed to Friday.

Second of all, we would love to thank all the 118 people who answered our survey! We value your input greatly, since it helped to clear up many things!

Now, onto the actual information!

Zine specifics

According to the survey, most of the people do not care, but out of those that do, more of you choose the charity option! Which means we are officially going to be a charity zine, with our charity of choice being announced soon! We already know what we want to focus on, but since we’re not yet dead-set on a single one, the official announcement will come on Wednesday so you know everything before apps open.

About the content itself, there will be sections, with the topics of ‘Nice Dreams’, ‘Nightmares’ and ‘Daydreaming’. The zine will also comprise artist/writer collaboration with the side of some individual works, too. Another thing is that in the end we won’t be making a NSFW extra, considering the small overall interest. Digital merch will definitely be happening though.

Zine requirements in general

Your work has to be centered around a single Voltron character or a relationship between two or more characters. Whether said relationship is romantic or platonic, is up to you. OCs in the background are allowed, but keep the focus on the characters we all know and love!

Your work cannot include following: graphic violence, death, torture, explicitly sexual situations; basically anything that wouldn’t be allowed in a PG-13 movie.

Do not forget about this zine’s theme - dreams should play a role in your work!

Writers will be asked to create a single finished piece which has to have at least 2,000 words and at most 6,000 words.

Artists working without a writing partner will be asked to create a single, full-page artwork (the dimensions being 8.27” x 11.69” or DIN A4) with background.

Artists working with a partner will be asked to create up to three illustrations based on the length of their partner’s work. These illustrations do not have to be full-page, but can be incorporated into the story’s text.

Since all merch is going to be digital, the number of pieces merch artists will be asked to provide will depend on the type of artwork.

Concerning applications:

We will be accepting up to 15 writers with some wiggle room left based on the amount of applications we receive.

Correspondingly we will be accepting about 15 artists to be paired up with writers and up to 10 artists to work separately (we are thinking about 5, but the PDF format allows us some wiggle room).

We are not yet set on an exact number of merch artists.

You can apply as both an artist and a writer, but you can be only selected for one of those positions.

You can however apply as a merch artist while still being a zine artist/writer. (You can apply as a merch artist only, too).

Writers and artists can choose if they work alone or if they prefer to collab with an artist/writer.

We will ask for up to four examples of your work and an additional portfolio to use as a reference in case we are still undecided. Said portfolio can be anything from an art/writing tag to a google folder.

We would prefer digital art, but providing a high-resolution scans of your traditional artwork can work as an alternative.

Merch artists will be asked to provide ideas for what type of merch they want to create along with your examples.

Schedule changes?

We’ll try our best to stay on the schedule, which means that the information in the right-hand sidebar still stand! Only changes should be this infopost being released late and the subsequent apps being slightly delayed.

Addressing some survey questions:

Yes, all the ships are allowed, as long as the interpretation follows our guidelines (no explicit content); if you’re not okay with said fact, maybe look into a different project.

That being said, we’ll be announcing the featured ships before the zine preorders open so you know what to expect!

We won’t be allowing poetry in our zine. This was a thing we discussed even before the survey. Since neither of us has experience with it, we wouldn’t feel comfortable judging it.

There were several people suggesting an upper limit of 10k or “whatever the writer wants” and that’s just not possible if you realize that a single page is approximately 500 words. Even 6,000 words is actually pretty long, double the amount many printed zines allow!

If you have any more questions, if there is something you feel like we’d forgotten to address, our inbox is always open! You can also come hang out to our Discord, too! It’s open even to the non-participants! (The link should now be among our other social media links in rhe left sidebar).

And that’s about it, our dear dreamers! Once again, sorry for the delay. We hope you’re still as excited as we are, since the app period will be kicking off soon! Keep an eye out!

~ the DreaMods

@quiznakchronicle @fandomzines

#voltronevents #voltron events #voltron #vld #zine #vlddreamscapezine #modpost

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