CYPHER

"A cypher or cipher is an informal gathering of rappers, beatboxers, and/or breakdancers in a circle, in order to jam musically together. If you are able to step into the cipher and tell your story, demonstrating your uniqueness, you might be more accepted".

Welcome to CYPHER, a BTS Rap Line Zine!

This fanzine is dedicated to the iconic rap line in BTS, consisting of RM, SUGA, and j-hope, or better known as Namjoon, Yoongi, and Hoseok. CYPHER is based off of the above quote, following the overarching theme of coming together, telling your stories, and listening to and creating music. The zine will be broken up into the following four sections: Namjoon/RM, Yoongi/SUGA/Agust D, Hoseok/j-hope, and BTS.

Each section will focus on their solo works with a heavy focus on each member in their appropriate sections. CYPHER is aiming for a total of 8 written stories and 24 art pieces. All pieces will be non-romantic in nature, SFW, and will follow each rapper in their respective sections!

CYPHER is planned to be A5 size with 7 total merch artists to help create tiered bundles and stretch goals. More information about the kind of merch that is planned to be offered will be released once the contributor list goes out.

GENERAL

WHAT IS THE THEME FOR CYPHER?
"A cypher or cipher is an informal gathering of rappers, beatboxers, and/or breakdancers in a circle, in order to jam musically together. If you are able to step into the cipher and tell your story, demonstrating your uniqueness, you might be more accepted".
CYPHER is based off of the above quote, following the overarching theme of coming together, telling your stories, and listening to and creating music. The zine will be broken up into the following four sections: Namjoon/RM, Yoongi/SUGA/Agust D, Hoseok/j-hope, and Rap Line/BTS.

HAVE THE MODS MODDED BEFORE?
You can find out more about your mods for this zine by navigating to the Mods page on this carrd! :)

WHAT WOULD THE WRITERS WRITE ABOUT IF THE ZINE IS NON-ROMANTIC IN NATURE?
The writers would focus on each member's story/growth/experience! Non-romantic doesn't mean that writers can't write canon-compliant works that highlight how each member is viewed/portrayed to us as fans!

WILL THERE BE STOCK SALES AFTER PRE-ORDERS CLOSE?
This depends on how well pre-orders go!

WHAT ARE THE ZINE SPECS?
Currently, CYPHER is planned on being perfect bound, sized as A5.

WILL THERE BE A SIDE-ZINE FEATURING SHIP CONTENT?
As per the interest results, yes! It will be an add-on for the zine and will feature SFW content of the rap line.

APPLICATIONS/CONTRIBUTORS

ARE MINORS ALLOWED TO APPLY/CONTRIBUTE?
Yes! If you are under the age of 18, you are more than welcome to apply and contribute. However, if the zine ends up being for-profit, you unfortunately will have to forfeit your share of the earnings to charity as we legally cannot pay minors for their services. Please keep this in mind if you are applying!

WILL THIS ZINE FEATURE INVITED CONTRIBUTORS?
No, this zine will feature only applicants. We will not be inviting any contributors!

IS THIS ZINE FOR-PROFIT?
This zine will feature a mix of for-profit and for-charity. The profits will all be pooled together and divided amongst contributors who have the option of cashing out on their shares or donating it to charity. Contributors who are under 18 will automatically have to forfeit their shares to charity for legal reasons. All donated shares will be given to the BTS Love Yourself UNICEF campaign in honor of UGH!'s thematic message.

WILL CONTRIBUTORS RECEIVE A FREE COPY OF THE ZINE?
Yes! Our goal is to sell enough of the zine to compensate all contributors with full bundles as thanks for contributing their time and efforts!

WILL CONTRIBUTORS ONLY BE ALLOWED TO DRAW 1 MEMBER? WILL THE ZINE BE EQUAL?
Originally, we had agreed upon a first-come, first-serve distribution, but upon discussing it further, mods will assign contributors to certain sections based on contributor preference that contributors will submit via Google Form. First-choice preferences aren't guaranteed, but we will do our best to work with what section you want to work in!

THERE ARE A LOT OF ZINES GOING ON AT THIS TIME. IS CYPHER ACCOMMODATING ITS SCHEDULE FOR THAT?
Unfortunately, with the way zines work, our schedules may overlap. However, you can access our schedule at any time to see if it's something you're able to partake in yourself! Our schedule has already been made and we've allocated a 4 month long creation period.

CAN WE USE OLD ARTWORK FOR THE ZINE?
We ask that all content created for the zine be new!

HOW WILL CONTRIBUTORS AND MODS COMMUNICATE?
There will be major updates in the form of emails, but we will heavily be relying on Discord for most of it.

ONCE THE ZINE IS FINISHED, WILL I STILL HAVE THE RIGHTS TO MY WORK?
Yes! Once the mods give the okay, you're more than welcome to do what you like with your art work! We ask that while the zine is still actively going through applications, creation periods, sales, etc., that you do not share, post, or sell your work until the mods have given you the go ahead!

ARE NSFW PIECES ALLOWED IN MY APPLICATION?
Yes! Please leave a note at the end of your application where it asks to let us know so the mods are aware of it before reviewing your application! All mods are 18+ so you won't need to worry about a minor reviewing your app.

WHAT'S EXPECTED IN THE PORTFOLIO?
Your portfolio can just feature other works you'd like mods to see if we want to see more than the pieces you already linked in order to get a better feel for your work! It's okay if your portfolio features the work you've already linked!

DO I NEED TO CREATE NEW ART FOR THE APPLICATION?
Not at all! You're more than welcome to if you wish, but you can apply with art that you've already done! If accepted, this is where you'll be required to make something new!

DOES MY APPLICATION HAVE TO FEATURE THE RAP LINE?
While it would be helpful if it did, it's not a complete requirement. Just remember that since this zine is rap line focused, it might be beneficial to include pieces that feature the rap line to help mods get a better understanding on how you'd fit in the zine, but it's not a requirement to apply! Your application will still be considered, even if it doesn't feature the rap line or BTS.

WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN WRITING APPLICATIONS?
What we're looking for in particular is a solid writing style, characterization, good flow and grammar. We want the pieces in CYPHER to highlight each member respectively, so these are good aspects to focus on in your application.

DO MY PIECES HAVE TO BE PLATONIC FOR THE APPLICATION?
We will consider platonic or romantic pieces you apply with, but CYPHER will focus on non-romantic content in particular, so it's good to keep that in mind!

ARE WE ABLE TO EDIT OUR APPLICATIONS AFTER SUBMITTING?
We will be reviewing applications during the application period instead of waiting for applications to close, so you won't be able to edit your application once it's submitted. However, if later on you change your mind on the pieces you applied with, you can contact us to remove your first application and you can reapply with the new pieces you'd like us to consider!

DO I NEED TO HAVE PRODUCED MERCH BEFORE TO APPLY AS A MERCH ARTIST?
It's not a requirement for you to have made physical merch before! The mods will be the ones handling the actual merch production, so we can work with you to make sure your design is following the required specs if you're assigned to a merch artist slot. For apps, we'll only be judging your art itself!

CAN I APPLY FOR MULTIPLE ROLES? LIKE A MIX OF ARTIST, MERCH ARTIST, OR WRITER?
Yes, you're more than welcome to apply for any spot on the zine you'd like! However, we will only accept you for one!

DO I NEED TO SUPPLY THE MERCH MYSELF IF I AM ACCEPTED AS A MERCH ARTIST?
No! The mods have already begun deciding on manufacturers to use since we have already begun running finances. You do not need to supply the merch-- the mods will give you the specs to work under and we will handle all purchasing and manufacturing for the items.

November 10, 2020: Applications open
December 12, 2020: Applications close
December 20, 2020: Application results
December 30, 2020: Contributor Lineup Reveal
February 06 - 07, 2021: First check-in
March 13 - 14, 2021: Second check-in
April 10 - 11, 2021: Third check-in
May 02, 2021: Contributor submissions due
May 09, 2021: Contributor submissions due (side-zine)
May 2021: Pre-orders open
June 2021: Pre-orders close