Razorcake

 

Publication analysis


About the publication

Title: Razorcake

ISSN: 1533-7464 (Print)1

Website: http://www.razorcake.org/

Purpose, objective, or mission:Razorcake provides consistent coverage of do-it-yourself punk culture that you won’t find anywhere else. We believe in positive, progressive, community-friendly DIY punk. We do our part.”2 Razorcake‘s philosophy is as simple as it is rare: cover, support, foster, and celebrate a vibrant independent artistic community that lives well below corporate media’s radar. Coverage includes some of the most in-depth interviews of the underground and features a staff of over 160 writers, photographers, graphic designers, and comic book artists.3

Target audience: Anyone interested in DIY punk culture. 4

Publisher: Razorcake/Gorksy Press, Inc.5

Peer reviewed? No.

Type: Civilian webzine and fanzine.6

Medium: Print and online.

Content: Music, book, and zine reviews; guest opinions; webcomics; and international “scene” reports, written by over 160 regular writers, graphic artists, and photographers.7

Frequency of publication: The zine is published bi-monthly8, and the website updated regularly.

About the publication’s submission guidelines

Location of submission guidelines: http://razorcake.org/mission-statement/

Types of contributions accepted: Music, book, and zine reviews as well as opinion and reporting pieces.9

Submission and review process: Submissions via the form on the Contact page. Submissions are approved by editorial staff. Writers are not paid for articles, but they do retain full copyright of their work.10

Editorial tone: Casual but varies considerably. While some utilize brazen humor, as well as profanity, all articles are engaging, thought-provoking, and executed with a strong grasp of grammar and consistent, effective voice.

Style guide used: None specified.

Conclusion: Evaluation of publication’s potential for LIS authors

Razorcake is a fine example of a nontraditional and groundbreaking opportunity that is commonly overlooked by the professional community. Razorcake‘s main focus is music, but there is potential for interviews, commentary, and intellectual freedom articles to name but a few. The creative, informative, and social benefits for information professionals is limited only by imagination and creativity.

 

Audience analysis


About the publication’s readers

Publication circulation: “Our print run is 6,000 copies.”11

Audience location and language or cultural considerations: Based in Los Angeles, California12 and distributed to over twenty countries.13 This publication has a strong multinational appeal, as it provides music coverage for bands worldwide. In addition, the scope and variance of political and social perspective provides accessibility to numerous cultures and communities desiring an alternative approach.

Reader characteristics: Reader demographics are not available, but as this is a punk zine, most readers will be interested in progressive politics, activism, and counter culture.

Readers are generally not going to tolerate racist, homophobic, or sexist attitudes, yet a vibrant lack of political correctness is prevalent in both readers and content. Based on an evaluation of the contributors, political leanings of the reader base spans from apolitical to the most extreme of philosophies. A healthy dose of humor, positivism, self-reliance, individuality, and “DIY” (do it yourself) spirit permeates both versions of the publication. Noteworthy is the fact that this publication, more than many in underground culture, has readers highly interested in the correlation between information access, privacy, laws such as the Patriot Act, and a specific form of entertainment, rather than general ethical or legal discussions of such topics.14

Knowledge of LIS subject matter: The reader base, versed in music, writing, politics by default, demonstrates LIS proclivities and knowledge. A randomly reviewed interview revealed a discussion of technological obsolescence, archival, copyright concerns, and the reduction of creative ephemera and networking due to internet proliferation. While such discourse promotes at least an implicit understanding of core information issues, LIS jargon should be avoided.

Conclusion: Analysis of reader characteristics and their potential impact on authors

This publication presents both opportunities, and some challenges, for those from the LIS community wishing to contribute. Writers with a lack of music knowledge, including music culture, history, and social dynamics are going to have difficulty presenting anything in a relevant, engaging manner. This readership suggests intelligence, and their continual deviation from mainstream society’s perception requires contributors from what some deem a rather dull profession to stretch their creativity in presentation. This readership, interested in history and ephemera, nostalgia, and the technological capacity for music enjoyment, affords contributors the capacity to educate, inform, and demonstrate the LIS world in a package of immense creative potential. Feminist issues regarding topics such as female artistic expression or emerging technology skills, incorporated into information science themes, increase the potential for LIS writers to express themselves in meaningful ways that potentially fine-tune their chosen area of expertise. In addition, authors wishing to prepare for peer-reviewed writing on issues of the aforementioned information privacy and library law will find a demanding yet non-academic opportunity for publication.

Last updated: September 28, 2020


References

Show 14 footnotes

  1.  Razorcake, Ulrichsweb Global Serials Directory, accessed March 27, 2018, http://ulrichsweb.serialssolutions.com.libaccess.sjlibrary.org/title/1522200376931/416432
  2. “Mission Statement,” Razorcake.org, accessed October 28, 2016, http://razorcake.org/mission-statement/
  3. Mission Statement.”
  4.  “Mission Statement.”
  5. Mission Statement.”
  6. Mission Statement.”
  7. “Razorcake,” Razorcake.org, accessed October 28, 2016, http://razorcake.org/category/home/
  8. “Razorcake Subscription,” Razorcake.org, accessed October 28, 2016, http://razorcake.org/subscribe-to-the-zine/
  9. “Razorcake,” Razorcake.org, accessed October 13, 2018, http://razorcake.org/category/home/
  10. Contact Us.”
  11. “Advertising,” Razorcake.org, accessed October 28, 2016, http://www.razorcake.org/advertising
  12. Razorcake.”
  13. Mission Statement.”
  14. “Columns,” Razorcake.org, accessed October 28, 2016, http://razorcake.org/category/read/column/
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