It’s a very nice feeling when you can finish creating a zine in a week or a month. But not every zine is going to be like that.

Below is a timeline for my debut zine called “After Arrival”. It’s just 14 pages long, but you’d be surprised how much work was put into it.

Spring 2023 – Some ideas brewing in my head (not even thinking about specifically making a zine yet).

Spring 2024 – Started thinking about turning those loose ideas into a zine. Writing & editing. Deciding I would need line drawings. Planning each page, sketching and completing individual pages in Procreate.

Fall 2024 – Gave up after getting frustrated with zine layout and printing (many, many unsuccessful attempts both at the library and at home!)

Spring 2025 – Became determined to finish the zine and submit it to the KW Minizine Machine contest. I chose black and white printing so I could make everything at home.

Summer 2025 – My zine was featured in the KW Minizine Machine!

Winter 2026 – Printed the zine in a slightly bigger format. Went on to print the cover in color, the way it was initially intended.

As you can see, it was a long journey. I’ve had many frustrating moments, I’ve given up, I’ve found a second wind, and I made some tweaks almost a year after the project was finished. Zines can be messy and take time. Allow yourself to bend the rules in your favor.