First off, if you’re new to the idea, here’s a quickie orientation on what small press is. And here’s a map of Canadian small presses.
You probably noticed, spring and fall are when the publishers release new titles. It’s also when small press fairs are likely. There are so many U.S. Book fairs. The ones of London & Toronto Ontario are over for this year. Toronto’s Indie Market was Nov 4. TIFA was in September. Canzine was in October.
Montreal’s super-sized and almost entirely French, Salon du Livres is coming Nov 22-26. Bound Book Arts Fair of letterpress is coming to Toronto Dec 3.
Ottawa’s small press fair is very soon. Tomorrow in fact. Saturday, November 18, 2023. (That crept up fast!).
Ottawa’s fair this time is at a new location: Tom Brown Arena, 141 Bayview Station Road from noon to 5pm, although come early and often. You can expect poetry, chapbooks, fiction, zines, sometimes graphic novels, letterpress, self-publishing, magazines, and non-fiction of cookbooks or memoirs. Some bigger presses come. Many are cash only but a lot now have a tap and pay option.
People sometimes start packing up at 4:30 when they have long drives. Some come in from Montreal, southern Ontario, sometimes Boston and upper state New York.
Okay, here’s a thing. Why come, as a writer, to table? 4 things:
to showcase what you have made,
to support and participate in the scene,
to discover and shop and
to visit people who also overlap with your interests in this writing/making life.
Obviously, you get 3/4 if you come to browse.
It’s a good way to survey what’s new and what isn’t offered in mainstream Big Boxes. I generally set a budget for buying and sometimes don’t even go far over it. It’s pretty easy to drop a hundred dollars in a few hours.
We’re lucky enough to be in the 29th year of this fair. I’ve been there for over half them I think.
When you’re tabling, here’s a handy checklist:
Your stuff to sell, brought a half hour early to set up your table.
Inventory list: record what titles and how many copies.
A float, ideally in two pockets, one for buying and one for making change.
Optional: Square card (and make sure the account still works ahead of time. (Update needed at the point of sale is annoying.)
Your press’ sign.
Your wallet. Double check.
Snacks. Masks. Optional: Hand sanitizer.
Table cloth, and any optional etceteras: display rack, bags for people to carry purchases, any A/V, business cards, sign up list or calls for new work.
Optional: Any material to make things (unfinished chapbooks, stapler, tape, pens, paper cutter, scissors).
Rolling suitcase to carry all the stuff. (Way better than a box or bag, trust me.)
If you’re a person whose pulse races (in a good sense) at being surrounded by ideas and books, this is your place.
Hope that gives you an idea of what to expect and to brave coming out. Most publishers don’t bite.
Here’s a picture of my table at the last fair, kindly taken by rob mclennan.
While the Ottawa fair may have 40-60 tables here's a tip from Simon: There is also the bilingual and gigantic EXPOZINE in Montreal in December — over 250 publishers! https://expozine.ca/en/