Before the fest

Plan your table ahead of time! An attractive-looking table always draws more people. Think about how you want to display your zines. Nice tablecloths, racks, and signage are always a plus. 2.5 by 3 feet is not a lot of space, so creative arranging (go up, not out) can make a big difference. Doing an image search for “zine fest table display” or searching Instagram for #zinefest, #zinedisplay, and #zinetable can provide some good display ideas.

Invite your friends! There will be invites to the tabling expo and other events on our Facebook page. We also promote on Instagram. If everyone invited 10 people and they all miraculously attended, that would bring 700 people through the expo. If you don’t do Facebook or Instagram, think about sending an email with links to the zine fest website or a group text. Do you Reddit? Snapchat? Discord? Yeah, do that! The more, the merrier. Feel free to tag social media stuff with #olyzf2023 or #olympiazinefest.

Things to bring

Bring your own change! $50 in ones, fives, and tens is generally a good place to start, and you’ll want to do that before the day of the fest. A box to hold your cash is very useful. The zine fest organizers will not have change for people.

If you have a smartphone, you might want to think about setting up a Square account or something similar. People will generally buy more if they can pay with a credit card.

For your table: Sharpies, paper for last-minute signage, tape, clips, scissors, and string to improvise your table display. Some people like to track their zine sales with a paper form, as well.

Bring a water bottle, a cup for coffee/tea, and some snacks! We will have limited snacks and beverages for tablers, courtesy of some great local businesses. For your comfort: layers of clothing to account for unpredictable weather, shade structures, sunglasses, and a camp chair.

Bring something to do while you table. Busy hands make the time go by quickly.

Be a pal!

Please be a good tablemate by abiding by our one chair per half table rule (excluding the Community Tables). Wedging a second chair in and crowding your table neighbor is bad zine fest etiquette. If you came with a friend or partner, you can take turns sitting at your table and check out some of the cool workshops and other activities going on around the fest. Support the tablers around you by spotting them for breaks, sharing snacks, checking out their stuff, doing zine trades, etc. Some great relationships have been forged at zine expos- you will likely make some new friends this weekend!

Excited to see you at the fest!

-Team OZF