Saturday July 20

Breakout session 1, 10:15- 11:00am

Session name: Zine Fests!

Facilitator: Jenna

Note taker: Juli

First time organizers

Boise Comic Arts Fest August 24-25! 

Curriculum integrated zine fairs

Call to tabling forms

Accessibility

Reaching out beyond people you know

Zine fest fails

Fundraisers

Community partnerships

Equity and  justice

Money

Asking for money

Financial transparency

Table fees

Community partnerships

Accessibility and equity and justice

Call to tabling forms

Outreach and promotion

Fails:

1. Workshops during tabling time doesn’t work for lots of tablers
   1. Solution: table swingers– volunteers to cover table shifts
   2. Solution: Separate day
   3. Keep in mind: it makes it more accessible for folks who can’t spend money

1. Taking on too many responsibilities (afterparties, not enough organizers)
   1. Solution: Afterparties- let someone zine adjacent plan the party and host, no one is required to go.
   2. Solution: not an after party, but hosting vegan brunch

1. Volunteers: 
   1. Solution: special tee-shirt just for them 
   2. Solutions: Make explanations clear, explain before things get hectic

Tabling form, outreach, and promotion:

1. How to specify what kind of materials you want there
   1. 75% rule (or whatever percentage– some use 50%)
      1. Do you police this?! 
         1. How to not seem like the gatekeeper
         2. Clear about intention, explain that non-zines are taking the space of someone else’s space 
            1. Suggest other locations for tabling
      2. People get nervous about whether or not they qualify
         1. Titles and prizes
         2. Links (?)
         3. It is okay to only have one zine!
   2. Checklist on material types, so tablers understand what is a zine
      1. Let zine makers self-identify
      2. Zine fest is not the same as ComicCons

Accessibility, equity, justice:

1. How to make the audience more diverse
   1. What is the connection with community partnerships
2. MKE Zine Fest scholarship
   1. Wasn’t successful the first year (no one applied)
   2. Tried again, with more success
   3. Push outside zine/punk/alt communities– school, church, work, etc to reach a new audience
3. Check outreach notes from yesterday’s sessions
4. If you have a code of conduct make sure you have de-escalation skills
   1. Designate and person to be “security” 
   2. Take a deescalation workshop/ webinar
   3. Book recommendation, “Make Spaces Safer” AK Press, Shawna Potter
5. Kid friendly flags
6. Free tables for folks that can’t afford it

Money/ Fundraising:

1. Ask for what they want. If you have an institution, ask for a budget
   1. Don’t be afraid to ask for donations
2. Are other zine fests posting their finances on their websites?
   1. Should zine fests be more transparent
   2. Would it help other zine fests?
3. Table fees: Usually covers the entire
4. “The Art of Asking,” Amanda Palmer

Call for tabling forms: send them to juliahuddleston (at) gmail.com, and she’ll post them to zinelibraries?