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Tumblr Code.

#THE SACRED TEXTS

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Holy shit I've had this blog for 10 years.

#{ mobile } #fuck #I was going to make a more eloquent post but what more can I say

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Ok...I love yall. Imma disappear til February. I have been busy painting. Brb.

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With the various rumors and releases of Tumblr possibly changing how they do things... (gestures to the vague rumor mill)...

Zines.

I really think we as Folks Who Make Things and Folks Who Like Art Writing Poetry Music Comics Other Things need to explore zines. And I mean ZINES. Nothing glossy. Nothing fancy.

Very. Cheap. Zines.

I've been threatening mentioning I was going to create a guide on how I'm going to approach this -- and I'm going to -- but I am also realizing in the writing I Do Things Highfalutin because I am who I am + had a career in graphic design.

Let's talk about how you can make a zine very cheaply and very pretty.

STEP ONE: SUPPLIES

Very bright paper. I like "Astrobrights" because they are absurdly bright. Here is a link in a store I like. I buy a lot of paper and envelopes from them. You can generally find Astrobrights in big box office stores. It prints on laser printers and ink jet and photocopiers.

Very bright envelopes. What's that? Astrobrights has envelopes?! AM I SOLVING PROBLEMS let's not get ahead of ourselves.

Letter paper is 8.5" x 11" and is the most common size in the united states (overseas folk will have to use this advice with a grain o'sea salt and search yer own waters).

A9 envelopes are a letter sheet folded in half.

A2 envelopes are a letter sheet folded in half, then folded in half.

#10 envelopes are your common long envelopes, letter paper folded in thirds.

Pick the size you like.

If you want to get big and fancy, Tabloid is 17" x 11" -- so double a letter sheet. This gets tricky to work with but is neat in sizing.

STEP TWO: ZINE CONTENT

Do you know how to use InDesign or similar program? Use that.

No? Use Google Docs or Word or whatever other program and ramble.

Want something special? Write out some or part with a sharpee or pen.

Mix and match both.

If you are feeling fancy, design it like a booklet -- mock up a sheet of blank paper as if it were a brochure. If not, just design it straight up and down like a letter. There are no zine laws.

STEP THREE: ZINE PRINTING

Print at home on your home printer.

Don't have a printer at home? Print it at work (don't get fired)

Can't? Your local library may be able to help.

You need 1 copy on white paper.

FedEx Office has photocopiers. Your local library may too. Or your job.

Print 1 copy of your zine on white paper and then photocopy the rest onto colorful paper (or white paper, it be yer zine seadog).

Or print everything on the color paper if you have access to free printing, that's fine too.

The photocopy setup is purely "printing tends to cost more than photocopying."

If you want to slash prices, print 2 per sheet and have FedEx office cut them for you, this will cost $1 - $5 depending on how many sheets you are dealing with. This is for when you're doing a LOT of zines at once.

Or use their manual paper cutter yourself for free.

STEP FOUR: ZINE STAPLING

"Long reach stapler" is what I recommend. There are a few varieties. They tend to be $20 - $30.

Or just use 1 sheet!

STEP FOUR: ZINE POSTAGE

A single first class stamp for 1-2 pages. If you get up to 3+, go to the post office and ask them to weigh a comp you have assembled.

This is a guideline.

It's a really good idea to check at least once how much your zine weighs just in general. Post offices have scales. And are pretty. And have stamps.

OKAY ENOUGH LUSTING FOR THE POST OFFICE FROM THE GHOTS POST OFFICE BLOG BACK TO WORK

STEP FIVE: ZINE MAILING

This is actually the most difficult part. Label printers exist with various costs -- if you're starting out? Go with printable labels.

Your office supply shop will have them and they'll have templates you can drop in the customer addresses.

Save yourself time by using this label as the thing that seals the envelope -- don't lick envelopes.

A key tenet to staying in business is constantly reviewing physical (and mental) labor and stressors and reducing them as much as possible.

Return address labels are intensely cheap in literally every online printer, google "return address labels." Make sure you have this because at least a few of your shipments will come back to you.

STEP SIX: ZINE PRICING

Okay here is where we get uncomfortable because we're talkin' coins.

Prices are based on above links. You can get whatever paper you want, so this is guidelines. All numbers rounded up.

Payment processing ($0.30) + $0.05 sheet + $0.15 envelope + $0.66 first class postage = $1.16 base cost

$1.16 + 2.9% of $1.16 payment processing = $1.20

Plus taxes. I'm not getting into tax figures YOU DO THAT (just say 30% for easy math, this is not saying "your taxes are 30% or that mine are" I am saying "I am going to factor 30% for this equation to complete this guide".)

I did not include the mailing label (it will be $0.01 - $0.05 depending on how fancy and how many you buy) because you have the option to just write things and also it fits into the rounding of the above.

If you use Patreon, include your fees. Probably replace the above processing fees with your patreon processing... fees? I don't use patreon I don't know how it works.

Retail option 01: $1.50 - 1.20 = $0.80 gross - 30% = $0.21 / net / zine.

Retail option 02: $2 - 1.20 = $0.80 gross - 30% = $0.56 / net / zine.

Retail option 03: $3 - 1.20 = $1.80 gross - 30% = $1.26 / net / zine.

Should it be $1.50? Should it be $3.00? MORE? LESS?! That is for you to decide. Base it on what your zine contains, how long it takes you to write/draw/etc. it and how you want your flow to be.

STEP SEVEN: ZINE FREQUENCY

When my shop launches, it'll have a zine once a month. We are going to offer a subscription option + a "I just want 1" option.

You can do a zine monthly, or every few months, or whatever.

Keep in mind that the purpose of doing this is to break the dependency on social media marketing.

KEEP IN MIND AS AN AUDIENCE MEMBER TO A CREATOR YOU LIKE THAT THEY ARE DOING THIS TO BREAK THEIR DEPENDENCY ON SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING.

If you have a lot of energy and an audience that comes to your shop a lot? Consider doing a zine monthly.

If you do not have a lot of energy and/or your audience is tapped for cash frequently? Considering doing 1 zine per season.

Consider 2 zines a year if that works better for you!

NO RULES ONLY JOY

Not sure? Experiment! Be upfront! "This is new. I'm figuring this out. Billionaires are tinkering with these things and we gotta figure something else out."

BONUS STEP: NETHERWORLDPOST.COM

so hi I'm atty and I'm your loud long rambler today

Netherworld Post Office used to be @evilsupplyco and now we are rebranding in prep of relaunching. Same person behind the rambles and comics, new name with a more focus (mail instead of mail + seemingly everything else in experiment)

if you enjoyed this ramble and/or like ghosts, monsters, witches, mermaids, and fun stories and projects focused on cozy Halloween, you may like us when we finish the rebranding and relaunching in autumn 2023.

email sign up (the zine will come when we are open)

WHETHER YOU JOIN MY LIST OR NOT

I really, really, really hope you consider doing a regular, or irregular, zine. Something outside of email, something outside of social media, something that connects I MADE A WEIRD THING and the people who say I LOVE THIS WEIRD THING YOU MADE.

The walls are closing in on free social media as a platform for people who make weird things to build audiences for free or very cheap.

And with that...

netherworldpost.com as one final hat pass

good luck folks

thanks for listenin' to the ol' ghost

#x; OUT OF ROSES { ooc }

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Actually, I'm just gonna address it now.

I really wanted to come back this time. I really really did... February 3rd will be my 10 year anniversary of writing Red Jessica. This blog itself is almost 9 years old. Last year, I could feel that it was time to move on, but I didn't know how to let go of her yet. Or if I even really wanted to let go. Now I know... It's not Red Jess and role-playing I need to let go of.

It's tumblr.

Earlier this year, while I was in the middle of reviving my blog and having a lot of fun for the first time in a while, Tumblr turned its back on us and switched to Beta. After that, Windows updated and made it impossible for me to make new icons. Now my entire xkit is just GONE. The site has become increasingly unreliable. And of course, with Omegle disappearing overnight, there is the very real threat of tumblr disappearing altogether..

To be honest, I'm finally ok with that.

Even without these problems, rp on Tumblr has always been limited to the times when I'm available to my laptop, which is only really on the weekend. Skype, and then later Discord, have really always been where i've been the most active when it comes to writing.

So for the sake of perseving my writing friendships and of continuing my rp hobby without relying on Tumblr, I think I'm going to move all of my threads over to Discord. I will still keep this blog as an ask blog and main base of operations: to post headcannons, ask memes, dash games, and similar activities that wouldn't be possible on Discord.

I'm really sorry everyone. I'm not let it go if Jessica if I can help it. And if I have to leave the site that i've been on since 2010, then do be it. I love all of you too much to lose any of you, and being on Discord will make me more active both as a writer and as a friend.

Tumblr clearly wont be around forever. Save anything and everything from your old blogs that you can in the meantime. And if any of you want my Discord I will give it. And I'm sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.

I love you all. And I look forward to writing with the lot of you. Whether tumblr survives or not.

May the wind fill your sails, mateys. And thank you tumblr, for turning me into who I am.

Cheers. Mango G. Jerry.

#thb this is actually going to give me way more motivation to write #and if it doesn't well ive been itching to pick up painting again #{ mobile }

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Just in case you aren’t feeling ancient yet

“Jake and the Never Land Pirates” ended 7 years ago today.

#....oh #...ok

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I come back from my break to finally write and my entire. entire xkit is gone?? qwq

#x; OUT OF ROSES { ooc }

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Happy Halloween my dear Lads and Ladies -It's going to be spooky today - be warned ☠

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I'm a punk skeleton this year.

Oh my god I am so glad I took this break my Halloween costume is going to fuck SEVERLY.

#now the real question #how to make patches qwq #{ mobile }

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Oh my god I am so glad I took this break my Halloween costume is going to fuck SEVERLY.

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Im so sorry everyone. I can't be online and back to writing until I get things sorted out here at home. I'll be back online after Halloween.

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Update; hospital.

Holy shit this mead is strong. Imma finish the game tomorrow maybe. Sorrry.

#dont drink too much if your panic attack prone kids #im ok its my boyfriend who went #hes home now and all is well but fuck we are both so rattled #x; out of roses { ooc }

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Holy shit this mead is strong. Imma finish the game tomorrow maybe. Sorrry.

#my husband made mead and WHOLY SHIT #{ mobile } #boyfriend husband same thing #x; out of roses { ooc }

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Thus begins the Feast.

Elizabeth seems to have been just WAITING for this chance. After learning of her brothers death by sky land mine and loosing every friend she's tried to make she stumbles to the cornucopia only to find her family left only her brother some memoirs. She finally snaps and kills the first person she sees with her bare hands and one of her shoes ( @widowshill )

Mokey seems to still be following Concordia, but no one else seems to be looking for a fight.

#hunger games simulator

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Night falls on the mountain. There are seven portraits in the sky.

Jess finally tracks down Johnny and accuses him of killing her family. The fight is a long one but eventually Johnny pulls the pin on one of the grenades on Jessica's belt. ( rip )

Meanwhile, Harry seems busy killing his own family. The arena event severely injured our poor Mr. Smee and in a tragic show of mercy, Harry is forced to hang his beloved protector. Not much remains of our poor boy's sanity.

Mokey can't live with abandoning Lizzie on the tree branch but cannot bring herself to suicide. She begs Concordia for death. Concordia has better things to do.

Nathan seems to finally show an interest in helping someone other than himself, or maybe he's just buttering up to Anne.

Hook collapses in the snow, maybe spiritually aware of the deaths of his only real friend and his old partner and the hardships of his son....

#hunger games simulator #damn johnny #tbh thats exactly ic for how jess would fucking die

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OH SHIT OH SHIT A WALL OF LIGHTNING MAGIC!

The large purple barrier rolls at a walking pace up the mountain side and everyone but Flynn and Marg frantically tries to climb to safety. The moment they reunite they embrace. What started as a chance moment of mercy has clearly bloomed into a friendship, but alas, a friendship with a tragic end. They attempt to jump over the barrier, and fail, and fry ( @riidcr / @mxdam ).

Wicked is too slow, fries ( @gctta-pace ), Mokey leaves Lizzie dangling on a tree branch ( @flameandignite ). But everyone else makes it to the snowy summit alive.

#haha lizzie got nerfed by a jim Henson puppet #hunger games simulator

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OOOOH Y'ALL WE HAVE SOME SERIOUS DRAMA!!! Two betrayals in one day!!! What happened here?!

Only hours ago the Smee / Harry / Roger / Esme / Anne party was merry and singing and tightly knit. But this morning they decide to split up and gather resources, leaving Harry and Esme to watch the camp. This would prove to be a poor choice, as the volatile Harry and stubborn Esme have no real trust in each other yet. It's unclear who started it or what went down but a fistfight began, ending in poor Esme's ( @emcads ) demise. Anne finds a cave. Mr. Smee runs into trouble, but Nathan hasn't the moxy to kill a sweet old man. But Roger? He faces off with alone with Wanahton, only for Jess to drop a land mine ontop of the fight from a tree. They are both blown to smithereens ( @widowshill / @aworldofyou ) thus ends the party.

Hook leaves the girls truce and wishes them luck. They go hunting, but Hook finds himself in a fight. The previously solitary Eos and Lizze try to get the jump on him, but only Lizzie makes it out with her life ( @shiningsilverarmor ).

Marg and Elizabeth awaken to find themselves manless, and don't seem to handle it well. Whatever friendship the pair may have had is squashed by a frightened and thus very aggressive Marg. And once again, Elizabeth is alone.

#sorry i was gon for two hours a neighbor dropped by #hunger games simulator #emcads #widowshill #aworldofyou #shiningsilverarmor