A frequent fannish term (> Fan Language), a contraction of "professional Magazine". There was once little need to define professional, although its meaning has never been as obvious as one might at first consider. However, when the Science Fiction Writers of America was created in 1965 it was deemed necessary to define "professional" as a criterion of admission for its members. Likewise, by 1983, the World Science Fiction Society, which administers the Hugo Awards, found it necessary in order to distinguish between professional, Semiprozine and Fanzine categories. According to SFWA, a professional SF Magazine must have a paid circulation of at least 10,000 copies (or however its equivalent is determined for Online Magazines) and must pay its contributors at least five cents per word. The Hugo rules defined a semiprozine as one which met at least two of the following five criteria: circulation in excess of 1000; payment to contributor other than in copies of the magazine; generates sufficient revenue to support at least one member of staff; has at least 15% of its space allocated for advertising purposes; or lastly, declares itself a semiprozine. Despite attempting these distinctions between semiprozine and fanzine, the Hugo rules have little to say about what a prozine might be, since this category was abolished after 1972; subsequent awards have been made to professional editors rather than professional magazines. [MA/DRL]
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