Astral Affairs is a Honkai: Star Rail zine focusing on the male trailblazer (Caelus) and his platonic and romantic relationships with the other male characters from the game!

Contributor Results

Schedule

RelaunchDecember 6th
Interest CheckDecember 21st - January 18th
Contributor ApplicationsFebruary 8th - March 8th
→ Contributor ResultsMarch 25th
Check-In 1May 11th
Check-In 2June 8th
Check-In 3July 6th
Final Check-InAugust 4th
Pre-OrdersTBD

Application Guidelines

Contributor applications will be open from
February 8th to March 8th.

Before you fill out the application form, please take a moment to carefully read over our requirements and look over our schedule to see if it works for you.

  • All applicants must be aged 18 or older at the time of application since this zine will include NSFW pieces.

  • You will need to provide a portfolio and make sure that all the links work and are accessible; if you submit a Google Drive folder as your portfolio, please make sure that the permissions are set to be viewed by “anyone with the link” (this can be found in the share settings).

  • At least one sample must include a character from Honkai: Star Rail. Caelus or any male character is encouraged but not required.

  • If you are applying for our NSFW section, then please include at least one NSFW piece.

  • You may apply for as many positions as you’d like but, if accepted, you will only be accepted for one role!

Page Artists

  • 2-3 pieces that best showcase and represent your style. We’ll be looking at your overall ability on colouring and composition of a piece - including backgrounds, values, colour balance, understanding of form and depth, and anatomy. So make sure to send us your best works!

  • At least one of the pieces must be a finished illustration in full colour, including a background so that we can get a feel for your artistic range.

  • Digital and traditional art are both accepted (traditional must be scanned in high quality)

Writers

  • 2-3 pieces that best showcase and represent your writing. We’ll be looking at your overall ability based on characterisation and how well you tell a story. This will include plot, flow, grammar, and punctuation, so make sure to send us your best works!

  • Each fic must be between 1.5k and 2.5k words.

  • NSFW samples can be between 2k and 3k words.

  • Please be sure to include all content warnings where needed.

  • The pieces can be published or unpublished, and at least one piece should be a completed fic.

Merch Artists

  • 2-3 pieces that best showcase and represent your style. We’ll be looking at your overall ability to design merchandise - including colour palette, composition, fit to product. So make sure to send us your best works!

  • At least one piece must be merch work, so that we can get a feel for your design range.

Mod Team

torusplum

Head, Writing & Socials Mod

I'm glad I get to be able to give Caelus his own harem ;)

Experience:

+ More

Favorite Caelus Ship:

Caelus x Aventurine

Shipping Mod

Hello! I have 3 tux kitties. I wish they would love me more when I'm awake vs when I'm asleep.

Experience:

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Favorite Caelus Ship:

Caelus x Jing Yuan

Lily

Finance & Production Mod

Hello.

Experience:

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Favorite Caelus Ship:

Caelus x Dan Heng

Art Mod + promo artist

i'm r1m! Rlly like my boy and would like for him to be loved

Experience:

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Favorite Caelus Ship:

Caelus x Dan Heng

Graphics & Formatting Mod

Experience:

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Favorite Caelus Ship:

Caelus x Dr. Ratio

FAQ

Feel free to ask questions on Neospring!

  • What is a zine?
    A zine is an independently published collection of artwork, stories, and many other diverse forms of creative content. Usually centered around a certain theme, character, pairing, or fandom, it can be a physical copy, digital copy, or both.

  • What is this zine about?
    This zine focuses on the BL / MLM relationships between Caelus and other male characters from the game Honkai: Star Rail. There is no fixed ship dynamic, so all depictions of these relationships are welcome!

  • Is there a theme for this zine?
    There is no main theme for this zine other than focusing on the male trailblazer and his BL / MLM relationships. This can be depicted in whatever way the contributor would like to portray it as long as it adheres to our creation guidelines.

  • Is this zine for charity or for-profit?
    This zine will be for-profit, meaning all profits made after production costs are finalized will be split evenly among contributors and moderators.

  • Who can apply as a contributor?
    Anyone who is 18+ and has an interest in Caelus and his MLM relationships can apply!

  • How will contributors be compensated?
    Contributors are guaranteed a digital copy of the zine along with digital merch. This will also depend heavily on the results of profits after pre-orders and possibly leftover sales. However, the goal is to send all contributors a full bundle (zine + all merch) absolutely free of charge. At minimum, contributors will be able to purchase the physical bundles at a discounted rate.

  • Do I have to be 18+ to apply?
    Yes. Since there is the possibility of an NSFW side to this zine, we require that every contributor and moderator be 18+.

  • If applying, do you need previous experience?
    No previous zine experience necessary! All we ask is that you follow the guidelines for your application.

  • What’s the expected number of contributors for the zine?
    We are currently estimating around 20-30 artists, 6-12 writers, and 5-7 merch artists.

  • Will multiple works featuring the same ship be allowed or is it a first come first serve situation?
    We will try to include as many Caelus ships as possible without many repeats, and pitches won’t be approved until the deadline so that we can have a diverse lineup.

  • Since the zine has a plan for physical release, I assume artists are expected to create in CMYK. Is a workaround provided for artists who don’t use art programs that support CMYK?
    Yes, you’ll be able to make a note during final submissions and we will convert the files for you.

  • Could I draw two different ships for the SFW and NSFW zines?
    Yes PLEASE! The more ships the merrier, so don’t hesitate to let us know what ships you’d like to create for!

  • Are AUs allowed in art and writing?
    Yes, we will allow AUs!

  • Are we allowed to apply as a collab pair/team for the zine?
    Yes, but if you are applying as a team ONLY, then you will only be accepted if the both of you are accepted. If you are applying as a team but are willing to be a solo creator if your partner isn't accepted, please let us know in your applications.

  • Will both the SFW and NSFW zines be physical or will the NSFW be digital only?
    Due to changes in tariffs and a diverse merch lineup, we aren't able to definitively say whether or not the NSFW zine will be offered in a physical format. We aren't saying that it won't be, but we also aren't saying that it will be, sorry for the lack of an answer at this time!