Zine Ed

Synonyms:	zined, fanzine editor, Ye Eds, Yeds, Yed, faned, Zine Mod (mod)
See also:	Zine Production, Zines
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A zine ed is an editor of a zine.

It is usually used for the person who selects the content, and sometimes edits it, as well as writing introductory material such as the table of contents and editorial. The editor might be the same person as the publisher (who prints the zine, and usually distributes it), or they might be different people.

For decades, "editor" and "zine ed" were the terms used. Beginning in the late 2010s, online zines and charity zines began using Zine Mod or "mod" instead.

The editor of the Star Wars zine Twin Suns laments in a letter to Jundland Wastes #3: "Being an editor means always having to say you're sorry."

• 
  "Ye Editors" from Contact #2
• 
  "Ode to Fanzine Editors" from Baselines #2
• 
  a zine ed takes a well-deserved rest, from the zine Storms #1, Linda Stoops

Fan Comments

2000

As I finished each section I sent it to my two friends to edit. I quickly found that getting another viewpoint was invaluable. Having spent so much time doing research and getting mired in the details of the plot, I found it impossible to look at my work objectively. Jane proved to be great at identifying places that needed to be fleshed out which I had skimmed over in my haste to get on with the story. Her suggestions led to quite a bit of rewriting and the addition of entirely new scenes, but the novel is much the better for it. Theresa focused more on smaller things, little nuances that add up over the course of a story, making a noticeable improvement. They both let me know when the pace of my storyline had slowed, bogged down by the weight of the plot, and gave me useful ideas to maintain the dramatic tension.

In some cases I did not use their suggestions, but oftentimes having my attention directed to a particular paragraph or phrase by one of my editors was still very valuable in that it led me to examine the material and come up with a third alternative that I ended up preferring over the original. In some cases I found that their suggestions didn't work for me because they changed the meaning of what I was trying to convey. However, these editorial comments were still useful because they challenged me to analyze what I was trying to do in that particular passage and strengthen it to make my meaning clearer to the reader.

I really appreciate Jane and Theresa's efforts because I know that editing is hard work. An editor has to immerse herself in someone else's vision, identify weaknesses, and come up with useful ideas, all the while knowing that her comments will inevitably evoke some resistance on the part of the author. Editing all too often leads to dreaded rewriting. However, I think it is important for an author to suspend her reluctance and give the suggested rewrite a try after letting the notion simmer for a couple of days. In all cases I was quite pleased with the rewritten passages and the new scenes, and my reluctance gave way to gratitude to my editors for seeing ways to improve the story.

In the end my novel turned out so much better than it would have without Jane and Theresa's suggestions. I'd like to encourage other fanfic authors to work with editors and to appreciate the hard work that they do.