I Will Do My Worst #4

How-to Contribute to The Counterforce

The Counterforce is a distributed and community project! Through 11 issues and 280+ posts, we've been lucky enough to have contributors from all over the world: many are friends, many are strangers, and some were strangers and are now friends. But we can always use more contributors! I don't particularly like writing, and I didn't start this to have a place to publish my own writing. I would really much prefer to just do the shit-work and provide a platform for punks from all over to share and connect, replacing algorithmic recommendation with curation and community.

In that pursuit, I am often shaking down my friends and acquaintances to contribute something to The Counterforce, so this issue's column is going to be the little encouraging pep talk I usually give.

First, ideas on what to contribute:

• Review a new release you are excited about. It can be your friend's band. It can be a record that you think everyone already knows about, or a record you think no one knows about.
• Interview a band. Cold call a band you like, interview a band passing through on tour, or just interview a local band you are friends with.
• Write a scene report. What's up in your local scene? What local bands are playing, what new releases are coming out, where do shows happen, how is the punk community engaging with local (or global) politics?
• Do you know how to do something useful for punks? A bit of a DIY-type? Write a how-to.
• Send a letter to The Counterforce for publication. This could be anything: a short idea, something you want other punks to read, a reaction to something you read in The Counterforce (positive or negative), and idea, a dream. Be creative.

Second, how to rip-off the band-aid:

• Start small. Don't just get stuck on trying to decide on the "perfect first contribution". Just start with something small and easy, like a review. Spend 10 minutes re-listening to a demo and just a paragraph like you are selling it to a friend. If 50 people sent in just 1 review every other month, the website and each zine would be packed.
• Similarly, an interview can be as simple as four questions: "1. Who is in the band and how did the band start? 2. What's the best show you've played and what was so good about it? 3. What releases/tours/shows do you have coming up? 4. What else is going on in your local scene you want to talk about/shout out?" Easy!!!
• Don't overthink it. First thought = best thought. This isn't a newspaper, it doesn't have to be perfect. It's a punk zine. The bar for writing is, and should be, low. And we'll edit it for you to make sure what you are saying is clear and that your article matches the in-house style guide.
• If you feel intimidated... you can use a punk name! We will protect your true identity.
• You can contribute in the best way that works for you. Send it by e-mail, leave a voicemail, sent a text or message on Signal, or send a letter in the mail.

More tips:

• Read past issues/stuff on the website and make sure you read the manifesto. Basically any contribution that fits under the broad umbrella of hardcore punk underground and is aligned with the manifesto is welcome. So remember, we want to highlight punk stuff happening outside of or in opposition to corporate social media and streaming platforms. No Instagram handles!
• Try to include at least one photo or image. It could be a live band photo, a flyer, whatever.
• This isn't some exclusive publishing house. If you have a blog where you post reviews, you can submit your reviews here too. You can do a column, and then collect all your columns into a zine. If you've done something for a local zine that you thing would benefit from a wider audience, send it it and we'll publish it too!

That's it. If you want to contribute something, do it! Check the contact page (it's always the last page of the zine).