rich brown's definitions

apa

Acronym for amateur press association. In sf fandom, it is a bulletin board-like system conducted through snail mail that produces actual artifacts in the form of apazines. For each edition (called a "mailing" or "distribution"), members contribute preprinted personal informal fanzines (apazines), many of which include or consist mostly or entirely of comments on the contributions published in the previous mailing or distribution. The contributions go to an Official Collator (OC) or Official Editor (OE), who makes up mailings/distributions consisting of one copy of each zine and gives or mails them out to each of the members. To remain a member, generally one must meet minimum activity minac requirements, usually defined as a certain number of pages of original material within a given timeframe, plus (in most instances) pay dues to defray the costs of bulk postage for the mailings/distributions that are not handed out and the publication of an Official Organ (OO) which accompanies them.

"He started a new apa to discuss politics."

by rich brown August 11, 2004

colophon

According to the American Heritage Dictionary, a colophon is "An inscription placed usually at the end of a book, giving facts pertinent to its publication." As is often the case, sf fans got it backward and so generally put the colophon in the front of their fanzines. Wherever it's placed, it contains the editor/publishers' names, address(es) (sometimes telephone and/or fax numbers and/or email address(es)), the name of the fanzine, the issue number, copyright notice (if any) and anything else the zine editor may want to put in it.

"The idiot forgot to put a colophon in his fanzine!"

by rich brown August 11, 2004

fanzine

Combination of fan and zine. Coined in 1940 by Maryland sf fan L. Russell Chauvenet to apply to the amateur publications put out by sf fans (as opposed to "prozines," the professional magazines). (Previously they had been called "fan magazines" but the new term was promptly adopted since "fan magazines" also meant professional magazines put out at the time about movie stars.) The term has since been coopted by any number of interest areas where amateur publications are involved, including but not limited to rock.

I used a mimeograph to publish my fanzine.

by rich brown August 8, 2004

5 by

Short for "5 by 5" meaning "loud and clear." Also used to mean "I'm okay" per Faith (Eliza Dusku), the dark slayer on Buffy: The Vampire Slayer.

"I hear you five-by-five."

"I'm five-by-five with that."

by rich brown August 13, 2004

afficionado

A non-fanatical enthusiast.

He was an afficionado rather than a fan.

by rich brown August 11, 2004

DNQ

Acronym used in sf fandom for Do Not Quote; see DNP. Something given to you with a DNQ attached means the information is for your eyes only and is not even to be talked about to your best friends.

"I want you to consider this DNQ."

by rich brown August 11, 2004

DNP

Acroynym for Do Not Print (or, for Net purposes, Do Not Post). This is more important in sf fan etiquette than in netiquette; in the latter, it is presumed that it is Bad Form to quote someone else's email on a bulletin board, although some people still sometimes make the error of doing so. While letters technically remain the intellectual property of the writer, most newspapers, magazines and fanzines assume anything submitted to them is for publication, so saying, “The following is DNP...” indicates that you are withdrawing any implicit permission to print that part of your missive.

Please consider my comments DNP.

by rich brown August 11, 2004