Solaris ☀️⚔️ is an upcoming fanzine dedicated to the gents of the Final Fantasy franchise. This zine is a sister project to Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine.Current: Creation Period
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About
Solaris is an upcoming, SFW, for-profit fanzine dedicated to celebrating the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of the gents of the Final Fantasy series. Our goal is to honor and appreciate the lasting impact these characters have by highlighting the unforgettable stories that have made the franchise so special. This is a sister project to Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine!Don't forget to subscribe to our newsletter for project updates.
Specs
Digital + Physical Zine
Full color, Perfect Bound
6 x 9 inches
Estimated ~150 Pages
~50 Contributors
Merchandise Included
Contributor Information
Accepted page artists are expected to create 1 page or 1 spread for the book/zine (with the option to provide spot illustrations for writers and poets). Spreads are determined based on pitch.
Accepted merch artists are expected to create at least 2 merch pieces each.
Accepted writers are expected to write 1 story that is 2k words in length, or 1 long-form poem of 1 to 2 pages (or up to 90 lines long).
Usage Rights: Contributors will retain the rights to their pieces but we request that contributors not share, sell, or post full and final iterations of their pieces until we begin the Leftovers period. Sharing of previews are allowed only during our creation period (after our 2nd check-in) and during our preorders period (after final submissions). More information pertaining to sharing previews will be made along with a provided template.
Application Guidelines
If you’re interested in becoming a potential contributor, please read our guidelines below. This page has everything you need to know to apply as a contributor from February 17 - March 16!View a text-only version here.
General Application Requirements
All applicants must be at least 16 years old at the time of their application.
As this is a PG-13 zine, we ask that applicants please do not include NSFW pieces and WIPs on their application.
Works presented on your application should be indicative of the type of style and quality you are willing to create for the zine.
Works including any Final Fantasy Gents are highly recommended, but not necessary. We strongly recommend that you include at least one Final Fantasy sample in your portfolio.
Please make sure to submit a link to any platform that presents your best work. Your portfolio could be hosted on Google Drive, Wix, ArtStation, DeviantArt, Tumblr, Twitter, Instagram, etc. We only ask that you make sure links are easily accessible.
Applicants are allowed to apply for multiple roles (page artist, writer, merch artist), but may only be accepted for one role type (for example, an artist could be both a page artist or merch artist, and a writer could be a poet or a prose writer).
We will ask for potential pinch hitters on the applications. If you are interested in pinch hitting please make sure to let us know on your application.
Page Artist Applications
Make sure to follow our general application requirements above.
Please provide at least 5 samples that best represent your work.
Backgrounds are not required, but please share only finished pieces. We will not accept WIPs.
We are also looking for Spot Illustrators who are interested in collaborating with a writer to decorate their prose. This is in addition to an artist’s assigned page. If you are interested in this role, please let us know on your application.
Merch Artist Applications
Make sure to follow our general application requirements above.
Please provide at least 5 samples that best represent your work.
We highly recommend providing real-life photos or mockups of merch you’ve produced in the past.
We are also looking for Spot Illustrators who are interested in collaborating with a writer or poet to decorate their prose. This is in addition to an artist’s assigned page. If you are interested in this role, please let us know on your application.
Writer Applications
Make sure to follow our general application requirements above.
Please provide at least 5 samples that best represent your work.
Please include 1 sample that is completed and no longer than 2k words.
Other samples could be taken from longer fics as excerpts but must still be no longer than 2k words.
Poet Applications
You are welcome to write poetry for the zine. Out of 10 Writers, a maximum of 3 Poets may be included.
Please use the Writer Applications Form and make sure to select ‘Applying as a Poet’.
Please provide at least 3 poetry samples that best represent your work.
Please include 1 sample of a long-form poem that is at most 90 lines long.
Other samples can be of shorter forms but must still be no longer than 90 lines long.
Project schedule
Please note that this schedule runs on ET timezone.
| Applications | |
|---|---|
| Pitches Confirmed | March 31 |
| Work Submissions Deadlines | |
|---|---|
| 1st Check-in | April 19 - April 20 |
| 2nd Check-in | May 17 - May 18 |
| 3rd Check-in | June 14 - June 15 |
| Final Submissions | July 5 - July 6 |
| Sales & Production | |
|---|---|
| Preorders | August 7 - September 7 |
| Production | September - October |
| Shipping | November - December |
The Team
Solaris is run by the same team that organized Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine. We are very excited to bring this sister project to life!
S.K.Evans
Co-Organizer, Finance & Production Mod
Favorite FF Gent:
Cloud, Zidane, Noctis and DionExperience:
Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine
Tenders Memories: The Cloti Zine Vol 2
Tides & Tears: A NeuviFuri Fanbook
Soaring Heart: A Tifa Lockhart Zine Vol 2
Miniyuna
Art Mod
Favorite FF Gent:
Tidus, Wakka, Future Hope, Zidane, Noctis!Experience:
You're Not Alone: Final Fantasy 9 Zine
Turtles Together: TMNT Zine
Melting Pot: Dungeon Meshi Zine
Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine
Sakky
Merch & Communications Mod
Favorite FF Gent:
Zidane, Bartz, Vincent, Noctis and of course... Sephiroth 👀Experience:
Tides & Tears: A NeuviFuri Fanbook
Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine
Infinite Horizons: A Tales of Fanzine
Sunflower: A Leonie Fanzine
Mayelisa
Beta & Writer Mod
Favorite FF Gent:
Cloud, Noctis, Tidus, and the biggest himbo of them all, Zack.Experience:
Class Act: A Sumeru School AU Zine
Tides & Tears: A NeuviFuri Fanbook
FF Tales: A FFVII Kids Storybook
Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine
Aziantearz
Finance, Production & Shipping Mod
Favorite FF Gent:
Our favorite Spikey-haired merch Cloud, "The Whatever! Best-looking guy in the room" Squall, and Fishing King NoctisExperience:
Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine
Tender Memories: The Cloti Zine Vol 2
Homeward: A Blank Period SasuSaku zine
Enchanted: A Dramione Artbook
Darque
JP Communications Mod
Favorite FF Gent:
Cloud, Noctis, Reno??Experience:
Lucida Sidera: A FF Ladies Zine
Tenders Memories: The Cloti Zine Vol 2
Tides & Tears: A NeuviFuri Fanbook
Soaring Heart: A Tifa Lockhart Zine Vol 2
FAQ
All information is subject to change based on Interest Check Results, but will be finalized by the time Applications open. Thank you!General InformationWhat is a zine?
A zine or fanzine is a small-circulation, self-published work of original writings and/or arts.What is this zine about?
Solaris is an upcoming, SFW, for-profit fanzine dedicated to celebrating the journeys, challenges, and triumphs of the gents of the Final Fantasy series. Our goal is to honor and appreciate the lasting impact of these characters by highlighting the unforgettable stories that have made the franchise so special.What is the rating for this zine?
The zine is rated PG-13.Will the zine be physical or digital?
The zine will be physical and digital.Will this zine be for-profit or for-charity?
This zine is for-profit.How will contributors be compensated?
Depending on sales during pre-orders, contributors will be compensated according to the following financial model:1st tier: Free high resolution PDF (guaranteed)
2nd tier: Book
3rd tier: Book and paper/flat merch
4th tier: Book and all merch (including limited items, goals and early birds)Under this model, shipping is included for 1 bundle. If there are leftover profits, they will be split equally amongst everyone.How old do I have to be to apply?
All interested contributors must be 16 or older by the time of their application to be considered for the zine.How many contributors are you accepting?
We are anticipating about 50 contributors, which will involve 30 artists, 10 Merch Artists, and 10 Writers.Will you ship internationally?
Yes! International shipping may be available. Please note that some restrictions may apply based on the country.Where will the product be shipped from?
The zine will ship from the United States.Contributor InformationCan I apply for more than one role?
Yes! But interested applicants are most likely to only be accepted to one role.What are artists and writers required to do?
Accepted page artists are expected to create 1 page or 1 spread for the book/zine (with the option to provide spot illustrations for writers). Merch artists are expected to create at least 2 merch pieces each. Writers are expected to write 1 story that is 2k words in length, or 1 long-form poem of 1 to 2 pages.Will traditional art be allowed?
Yes. Please make sure to provide a clean, high-quality scan of your work. Scanning in 600dpi or higher is advisable.Are contributors allowed to collaborate?
We welcome all sorts of collaboration between our contributors! Do note, collaborations can only be established among contributors after they’ve been accepted into the zine and joined the Discord.We also welcome any collaborations where artists would like to provide secondary, small pieces to accompany a writer’s story and decorate the story’s pages! These pieces will not be priority and artists who do volunteer to do this would still be expected to provide a full-page illustration first and foremost. More details on collaborations will be available during claims and on the Discord server.Can I include other characters in my piece?
Of course, only as long as your Final Fantasy gent is included and they are the main focus of the piece.Can I include ships in my piece?
To keep this zine open to everyone, there will not be ships in any submissions.Are AUs allowed?
As this is a zine meant to stick to the canon universes of FF games, we will not consider AUs that change the world (for example: steampunk-verse). Exceptions to this rule would be Dissidia and Kingdom Hearts.Can I submit an older piece for the zine?
Unfortunately, no. Please make sure that the piece is unpublished and brand new.