Difference between revisions of "Amateur Press Association"
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The first APA was a journal called NAPA (the National Amateur Press Association). It was a batch of newsletters by journalists to other members, simply a bundle of newsletters, often materials only other journalists might find interesting. | The first APA was a journal called NAPA (the National Amateur Press Association). It was a batch of newsletters by journalists to other members, simply a bundle of newsletters, often materials only other journalists might find interesting. | ||
| − | In the 1940s with FAPA (the first one of a fantasy fiction theme) Donald A. Wollheim pioneered what's part of most newsletters today: Mailing Comments. These are individual members feedback on what the others have produced. | + | In the 1940s with FAPA (the first one of a fantasy fiction theme) Donald A. Wollheim pioneered what's part of most newsletters today: Mailing Comments. These are individual members' feedback on what the others have produced. |
| − | APAs can deal with different topics both generalized (such as [[comic]] | + | APAs can deal with different topics, both generalized (such as [[comic|comic books]] and role-playing games) or specific (such as dedicated to a specific series like the Legion of Superheroes, a specific genre like furries, or a specific role-playing game system like GURPS). All develop their own communities and inside jokes over time. |
| − | An APA is similar more to the | + | An APA is similar more to the early online bulletin board systems in that Mailing Comment discussions between members can stretch for years. While the Internet has brought the age of instant communications, there are still many who prefer these less rapid conversations. |
==Methodology== | ==Methodology== | ||
Revision as of 18:40, 13 July 2006
Amateur Press Associations (APAs for short) are very similar to zines as far as interactivity. They are another example of something tedious historically that fans made cool.
History
The first APA was a journal called NAPA (the National Amateur Press Association). It was a batch of newsletters by journalists to other members, simply a bundle of newsletters, often materials only other journalists might find interesting.
In the 1940s with FAPA (the first one of a fantasy fiction theme) Donald A. Wollheim pioneered what's part of most newsletters today: Mailing Comments. These are individual members' feedback on what the others have produced.
APAs can deal with different topics, both generalized (such as comic books and role-playing games) or specific (such as dedicated to a specific series like the Legion of Superheroes, a specific genre like furries, or a specific role-playing game system like GURPS). All develop their own communities and inside jokes over time.
An APA is similar more to the early online bulletin board systems in that Mailing Comment discussions between members can stretch for years. While the Internet has brought the age of instant communications, there are still many who prefer these less rapid conversations.
Methodology
Every member creates their own newsletter (maybe a mix of original content and Mailing Comments) and makes a number of copies as decided in the group's by-laws. They then mail these copies to the person designated the central mailer (CM, or DM for Distribution Manager). In tern this person willcompile volumes with one copy apiece of every newsletter, put on a front and back cover and perhaps an opening editorial and table of contents - then mail these finished volumes back to the contributors.
External Links
(This section will grow over time)
--Jeffrey Allan Boman 17:56, 11 July 2006 (EDT)
