PSYNCRONIZE is a for-profit fanzine focusing on ABIS's Psyncers from AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES and its sequel, AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES -nirvanA Initiative-!
Pre-orders Open!
- 00HoursHrsH
- :
- 00MinutesMinsM
- :
- 00SecondsSecsS
Pre-orders will close March 1st, 11:59 PST.
MODS
sevenreii
Head Mod • Social Media (Twitter)
Experience: Etsy shop, artist for MEMENTO: P3 Zine
Gray
Graphics • Shipping
Experience: Etsy shop, online and in-person merch sale
Moni
Art • Finance • Graphics
Experience: Etsy shop
J
Formatting • Social Media (Instagram) • Cosplay • Production
Experience: Etsy shop, artist for I'll Face Myself: Persona 4 Zine, Fragments of Fate, and Blood of a Villain
Mori
Finance • Social Media (Tumblr) • Writing
Experience: PSYNCIN' IN THE ZaiNE Head Mod, Chronostasis: A Ryuki Zine Mod, Desire: An Asoryuu Marriage Zine Mod
SCHEDULE
| EVENT | DATE |
|---|---|
| Announcement | 06-22-24 |
| Interest check open | 06-24-24 |
| Interest check closed | 07-08-24 |
| Contributor apps open | 07-14-24 |
| Contributor apps closed | 08-14-24 |
| Results | 09-04-24 |
| Pitches due | 09-14-24 |
| Pitches given | 09-24-24 |
| Check-in 1 | 10-18-24 |
| Check-in 2 | 11-09-24 |
| Check-in 3 | 12-01-24 |
| Final due | 12-21-24 |
| Preorders open | 01-24-25 |
| Preorders closed | 03-01-25 |
| Production | 03-2025 |
| Shipping | 06-2025 |
| Leftovers | 08-2025 |
| Payouts | 09-2025 |
(subject to change)
APPLICATIONS
This is a SFW zine, meaning any NSFW art or writing will not be considered. Specifically, heavy gore and/or very suggestive pieces will not be a part of the zine. Mild gore and slightly suggestive pieces are okay. (See AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES age rating for a better understanding).Your portfolio should have no less than 3 examples, up to as many as you'd like. It should also showcase the style/quality of work that you will bring to the zine. AITSF related examples are only required for writers, but are unnecessary for other roles.You may apply for more than one role, but please keep in mind that we will only be accepting one of them (i.e. you cannot do both page and merch art).We are only accepting applicants aged 18 or above.
page
artist
33 contributors
What are we looking for?
• Composition, anatomy, storytelling (is there a message to the piece or a general story it's trying to tell?)
• Backgrounds - we hope to showcase the Psyncers' every day lives through scenes. Complex scenes are not necessary however, as long as it is not a front facing image of the character.
• Visual focus (is there a clear focus on the characters? Is the piece overall coherent?)Spot Artists
• Scenes are not necessary, but we aim to showcase character personality due to how small the art may be.
• Artists must also be able to effectively depict a scene or character expression/moment in a story written by another contributor.
merch
artist
9 contributors
What are we looking for?
• Coherency (is the subject clear?)
• Style, colors, use of expression (does it look appealing? Is this something worth buying?)
• Creativity - we wish to see what kinds of ideas you come up with; uniqueness is encouraged.
writer
4 contributors
What are we looking for?
• Grammar, sentence structure, spelling (this zine will primarily be in English, however Japanese phrases or words are permitted).
• Characterization - exploration of characters and their world; they must also comply with canon.
• Concise stories - zines only have a certain amount of pages, so it is important to tell the story in 1-2k words.
cosplayer
1 contributor
What are we looking for?
• Quality, recognizability (does the cosplay look like the character? Is the photo also able to showcase the cosplay effectively?)
• Composition, posing (are the photos interesting to look at? How do the poses represent the character's personality? Are props included as well, and how well do they complement the scene/character?)
Application forms are closed.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
GENERAL ZINE QUESTIONSWhat is a zine?
A zine, or magazine, is a collection of fan created works surrounding a certain fandom. This can include but is not limited to art, writing, merch, and cosplays.What is the size of the zine?
This zine will be printed in 6.69" x 9.61" (slightly larger than A5)!How old do I have to be to participate?
Contributors must be at least aged 18 or above as this zine is for-profit.General zine terms?
Pinch hitter refers to someone willing to join in the event a contributor drops out during the duration of the zine. Pitches refer to ideas sent to mods that you will be working on for the zine.Is this zine beginner friendly?
Yes! You do not need any prior experience with zines in order to join. Follower counts and popularity are also not taken into consideration—only technical skill!Will you be vetting applicants for controversial traits?
Yes, we will be checking to make sure that the linked account for zine applicants contains no hateful/harmful/potentially triggering content for the safety of other applicants and buyers. Controversial content will not be a part of the zine.For-profit info?
After sales and expenses, each contributor will get the same amount. Mods will get around 8% more in profit multiplicatively, so if contributors each make $10.00, moderators will each make $10.80 whether they contribute or not. This means, with a team of 48 people, moderators will get around 2.23% of the profit each while contributors get around 2.07% of the profit (may be subject to change, but will only increase).Do contributors get compensation?
Yes! Contributors get a full bundle of the zine + all merchandise for free. In the event that sales are not able to fund everything, contributors can purchase everything at production cost.Will we be able to buy individual pieces of merch?
Yes, but they are only available during the leftover period. However, stock is NOT guaranteed so please keep this in mind!How many contributors are you accepting?
We are looking to have a total of 48 contributors on the team! 1 cover artist, 33 page/spot artists, 9 merch artists, 4 writers, and 1 cosplayer. These numbers are displayed on the Apply page of our Carrd and have been adjusted post-acceptances.Are mods going to become contributors?
Short answer: it depends. Mods will go through the same application process as all the other applicants, and will be judged without bias as much as possible.Is traditional art allowed?
Yes, as long as you are able to provide a high quality scan!Will you be shipping outside of the United States?
Yes! Buyers and contributors from all* countries will be able to get all zine and merch items. Profits should be able to cover most shipping costs for contributors as well.
*There are some exceptions, such as sanctioned countries. Unfortunately, we do not have any plans to ship to these countries.
SLIGHT SPOILER WARNING FOR BOTH AITSF AND AINI
What is this zine about?
This zine aims to cover all and everything about Psyncers! This includes their daily lives, inside their minds, and their jobs at ABIS. Events from the games and canon-compliant "behind the scenes" events will be depicted in this zine.Are spoilers allowed?
Yes! Any and all spoilers for both games are welcome, so for those who have not finished both AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES and AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES -nirvanA Initiative-, please do so!Are AUs allowed?
Unfortunately no, we do not allow them. This zine focuses on canon-compliant explorations rather than alternate universes (i.e. Saito as a Psyncer, Date working as a barista, etc.)What kind of content is allowed?
This is a SFW zine only, so no NSFW material. Mild gore and canon-typical sexual themes may be permitted under mod discretion (i.e. Date's erotic magazine you normally see in-game). Controversial content will also not be allowed.Are ships allowed?
Non-canon romances are not permitted. Canon/implied canon pairings (i.e. Pewter and Renju, one-sided Date and Ryuki) are allowed, but only if they are not the main focus.Wait, aren't there three Psyncers?
Well yes, and no! Officially, only Date, Mizuki, and Ryuki are marketed as the Psyncer trio. However, due to the existence of another Psyncer present in AI: THE SOMNIUM FILES -nirvanA Initiative- being locked behind spoilers, we wanted to give them the spotlight as well!I want to draw/write a somnium. How do I do that?
Although a Psyncer may not be physically present in the scene with their AI-Ball taking their place, as long as the focus and overall theme of the piece relates to a Psyncer, it is acceptable. This is a very tricky pitch to deal with though, so please contact mods if you are unsure of anything!Are fan designs allowed?
Minor design changes (i.e. making skin darker/adding freckles) are acceptable. Fan designs for Ryuki's brother, commonly known as Yukuto, are also generally accepted. However, human designs for a certain spoiler character's AI-Ball will not be included in the zine as they may get a canon design in the future. Again, we aim to be as close to canon as possible! If you are unsure about your fan design, please ask a mod!What does it mean by "canon-compliant"?
We define canon-compliant as events or characteristics that could be seen in the games and do not actively contradict canon. This includes pieces that build off of the characters and events as we know them. Some examples may be the explorations of Date's first jobs with Aiba, Ryuki's relationship with his brother, and Mizuki's past with a certain spoiler character. There may be some exceptions to this rule, such as minor canon divergences— although, it all comes down to mod discretion during the pitch stage!How many cosplayers can be allowed in a single photo?
As many as you'd like! The person applying does not have to have a Psyncer cosplay as long as there is at least one Psyncer present in the shoot that also has the main focus. Likewise, if there is only one person in the photo, then the contributor would have to have a Psyncer cosplay. Please note that individuals within the cosplay group will not be getting paid the same amount as all other individual contributors, and that a single share must be split amongst the group.
Legal Discretion
This project is unaffiliated with Spike Chunsoft and made for-fans, by-fans. No official art, logos, assets, or models will be present in the zine.