A: It’s like a magazine, but circulated within a community. Check out the HISTORY OF ZINES to learn more.

A: Orbital captures our shared attraction to mass, the pull of bodies towards each other and the way size increases the strength of that pull. It speaks to local systems of attraction, but also larger systems where-in we orbit around others with similar fascinations.

A: A gaggle of gainers, encouragers, admirers, & those currently untitled or undecided. In the summer of 2020, Fat Camp Collective held a virtual book club related to topics of sexuality, identity & politics, with fatness being the thread woven throughout all of its discourse. Struck by how few spaces currently exist to candidly discuss these topics, Orbital was created for those who need it as something to celebrate, uplift, affirm & encourage.

A: We look forward to covering a range of topics related to gaining & encouraging - head on over to the ISSUE ONE page to read or first issue and get a feel for our work!

A: Our first issue is available for download to peruse electronically. You can read it now on the ISSUE ONE page! As community engagement shifts & develops in an online environment, we may explore alternatives to the presentation of future issues.

A: We hope to continue on a recurring basis, as there’s a lot for us to explore and we recognize how vital this type of content is for our community.

A: We hold the privacy of those who choose to submit in the highest regard. We do not have plans to share this outside of the community at this time, so no need to worry about normies. You can read more about our privacy policy on our CODE OF INTEGRITY page.

A: We recognize that early experiences of gaining and encouraging are valid, foundational, and important. However, we ask submitters to affirm that the people represented in the work have provided full consent to their inclusion in this space. Additionally, work involving nude or sexualized imagery of underage people will not be accepted. You can read more about our consent policy on our CODE OF INTEGRITY page.

A: Totally. This is a safe space for that type of creative expression to happen, provided you’re comfortable sharing with others. However, as a principle, we will not be featuring pornographic content. Work involving sexualized or explicit imagery of underage people will not be accepted.

A: At this time, Orbital only accepts English-language submissions. We hope to be able to welcome work in other languages in future issues, once we have found editors and reviewers with multilingual proficiency.

If your work only includes a few words in another language / limited code-switching, we encourage you to submit.

Otherwise, our art submissions are open to all contributors regardless of language proficiency.

A: We’ll be hosting a few virtual jam sessions throughout the submission period to give people a chance to talk through concepts, present works in progress, and help us inspire each other. Look forward to more information on this and how to join coming soon!

A: Definitely! Orbital zine welcomes all types of participation from all types of folks. As fellow creatives & sensitive souls, we understand the desire to be a part of something but don’t quite know how to get started. If you’d like to contribute, but not sure how you’d like to help , please fill out the information on the SKILL OFFERING page and we’ll get back to you.

A: The goal of Orbital is to provide thoughtful reflection from folks within the community for the community - we will not publish exploitative or sensationalist media, and we have no interest in publishing your story for financial gain. This is a labor of love, not a business opportunity.

A: Orbital does not require contributors to grant exclusive ownership upon submission. We would appreciate your waiting until our publication date, both as a courtesy and to help hype up the release. But if you have reason to post your work before we publish the issue, we understand and will not prevent you from doing so.

A: We are committed to having the first issue be free for all to experience. We may consider paid options for bonus content to support creators, but will always have the core issue free for everyone.

A: If a submission is on theme and intersects with gaining/encouraging, we hope to include these topics.

A: While we aim to celebrate queer expression, we welcome all perspectives that exist within the universe of gaining & encouraging to submit work for consideration.

A: Hell yeah! We believe critical and dissenting views are vital to the types of conversations we want to be having with our audience. As long as your submission relates to the broader theme, please consider putting it forward.

A: At this time, Orbital will be an entirely online experience - we’re excited to invite all forms of content that wouldn’t be available in typical print media (such as audio or video submissions).