Hello!
Firstly – a huge thank you! The growing enthusiasm and love we receive for SPD each year is awe-inspiring and we are incredibly thankful for all your encouragement for the project. We work behind-the-scenes to provide a framework (the supporting infrastructure/scaffolding) for the day and we hope that the following information will give you a clear idea of the philosophy driving the event.
The core aim of Small Press Day is to spotlight the possibilities of small press publishing, to bring its practitioners to the wider audience they deserve, and to democratise the small press scene by supporting shops to support local talent. At its heart, it is an elegantly simple idea that involves minimal organisation for everyone involved but will ultimately be hugely rewarding for shops, creators and the small press community at large.
Further information about the aims of SPD – for both shops and creators – available here (a recommended read before you start planning your event).
What we envision is that shops and venues take part in the day by holding in-store signings with local small press creators. This may involve simply dedicating a small space in your store for a few hours in the afternoon, or (as some shops are planning to) turning it into an all-day event with a number of creators in residency signing their published works in hourly time-slots.
The set-up for events is flexible and we want you to feel you can tailor the day to your local situation. We welcome creativity and any ideas you may have about running talks, workshops, or panels as tie-ins. The important thing is that we have a day where shops, creators and customers can meet, engage with each other, have fun, and see what great work is being produced by the next generation of UK comic and zine creators!
For promotional purposes we will be looking after a dedicated website – listing all the shops involved and their guests. Furthermore, once you’ve registered your event with us (info about this below), the official SPD branding (print and web friendly posters, social media banners, as well as a customisable poster template for you to add your own artwork if you wish to do so) will be available upon request. Each shop is also welcome to request a tailored version of this year’s SPD poster with all the details of their event included – just drop us an email.
As you may know, we already have buzzing social media accounts which are focal point for creators, shops, magazines, celebs, and info. Twitter here: @smallpressday and Instagram here: @smallpressday. We also have the support of small press champions and specialists at both Broken Frontier and Alternative Press who will publicise your Small Press Day line-ups in the run up to the day.
So what do we need from you…?
It’s easy! Just think of the UK small press/self-publishers you would like to have in-store on Small Press Day (you may already have their work in stock) and invite them to come into the shop on August 5th to sign copies and meet customers. It’s as simple as that! When you have your creators/micro-publishers confirmed – let us know the exciting details of your SPD event via the event submission form here and we will add you to the rapidly growing list of shops and events.
Registering your Small Press Day event is an essential step in participating in the day and ensures we can promote your events through our own channels and via our media partner Broken Frontier. Remember that Small Press Day is an event about celebrating the rich diversity of our self-publishing scene so please give thought to reflecting that in your signing line-ups.
If you need help finding local creators or getting in touch with them, we’re more than happy to help out. And if you’re a small press creator, we can certainly support you in approaching your nearest store and/or setting up your own event. Please feel free to get in touch.
As Small Press Day’s core aim is to forge links between shops, creators and customers, we ask that small press fairs are not scheduled where they clash with store events locally on the day. We want to drive small pressers into shops on SPD, and are happy to promote any fairs throughout the rest of the year.
Thanks again and let’s make the ninth Small Press Day another excellent day together!
The Small Press Day Team
David Ziggy Greene, Andy Oliver – Broken Frontier Editor-in-Chief, & Amneet Johal – Alternative Press