hi! great question :D in open call, we skip the application period entirely. Instead, anyone who wants to join is able to register and join the discord. Mods will approve your pitches, and as long as you finish your work by the final deadline, you're in the zine!
The alternative would be a conventional zine, where there are applications/rejections to get in, so the contributor lineup is decided at the beginning. For us, the lineup will only be solidified at the end of the process based on who submitted work!

Thanks for asking! Please feel free to ask for clarification if you still have questions. If not, we hope to see you in the discord when we open registrations in 3 days!