The Usual

While faneds dream of a vast publishing empire and a fanzine that sustains itself financially, the reality is that few fanzines can depend on subscriptions to bring in money. Most faneds give up the chase and announce that copies are available for "the usual", that is, a letter of comment or a trade. Or, perhaps grudgingly, for a sum of money.

(The sum of money is usually calculated to be enough to cover printing and mailing of the extra copy. Consequently, fanzines available for "the usual" are not considered have been offered for sale and, in spite of the occasional money changing hands, are considered to be entirely amateur and entirely fannish.)

The first faned believed to have formulated "the usual" was Derek Pickles.