What is a Semiprozine?

The Constitution of the World Science Fiction Society currently defines a Semiprozine as follows:

3.3.10: Best Semiprozine. Any generally available non-professional publication devoted to science fiction or fantasy which by the close of the previous calendar year has published four (4) or more issues, at least one (1) of which appeared in the previous calendar year, and which in the previous calendar year met at least two (2) of the following criteria:

1. had an average press run of at least one thousand (1000) copies per issue,
2. paid its contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication,
3. provided at least half the income of any one person,
4. had at least fifteen percent (15%) of its total space occupied by advertising,
5. announced itself to be a semiprozine.

At the 2009 business meeting, a committee was formed to re-evaluate this definition and give it an overhaul appropriate to this day and age. We’ll be reporting on their efforts through this blog and applaud that this is being undertaken.