Brooklyn Alternative Small Press Fair

Frequently Asked Questions

For Participants

FAIR PARTICIPANT FAQS April 15, 2006

This should answer the most frequently asked questions about signing up for and participating in the Fifth Annual Brooklyn Alternative Small Press Fair. Of course, if you have additional questions, please phone me at 718-832-2310, or e-mail me at emilyholiday@gmail.com OR at emilybrooklyn@yahoo.com.

FEES
There is a $10 fee to participate and exhibit for the full six hour day. The fee should be paid by April 30, 2006 in order to guarantee that your spot is reserved. Checks or money orders should be made out to Emily Brown (NOT The Small Press Fair) and mailed to me at 266 12th Street, #10, Brooklyn NY 11215. The fee helps cover: space rental for the event, promotion, and administrative fees. The $10 fee is per organization/per participant; if one organization is sending several representatives, the cost is only $10.

TABLES/EXHIBIT AREA
The venue, Camp Friendship, has ample tables and chairs already on site. You can bring your own if you really feel like it, but it’s really not necessary. Most of the tables are rectangular and measure approximately 7 feet long by 3 feet wide, and I’m assigning two participants per table (two small presses, or two self-published authors, or any other combination of two…) There are additional smaller round tables, and those can be used by one participant.

PERFORMANCE SLOTS
This year, I’m trying to book people to do presentations on issues relating to small press publishing including marketing, boosting sales, and promotion. This seems far more relevant to a small press fair than the general readings we’ve had in the past, and priority will be given to those slots. I’m not completely eliminating the participant readings, just cutting back on them. Some of the presenters will be your fellow participants; others will be coming in just to do the presentations. I’ll have more complete details on this by mid May, and at that point, I’ll be able to book the general reading slots. In past years, I’ve found (and other participants and audience members have noticed the same thing) that the general readings only seem to draw about a half dozen people to the performance area at any one time; most of the audience seems to be more interested in browsing through the exhibit area. Some performers have been upset over this, and in 2005, I had Bruce Weber step in as a performance coordinator. Bruce did a fantastic job, and I’m completely grateful for the expert assistance he provided, but even so, audience attention remained low for the performance segment. At the same time, I’ve had numerous participants & exhibitors ask me for advice on marketing, sales and promotional issues, and I don’t have the expertise to answer those questions on the level that would be most helpful to them, and that’s why I decided to pursue booking presenters this year who DO have that expertise. I think there will be more attention paid to a more event-relevant kind of presentation. I also run one of the longest-running Brooklyn-based reading series twice a month year-round at two venues in Cobble Hill; if you want to be booked as a feature, just let me know and I’ll give you the list of upcoming dates – I don’t feel like I’m depriving people of performance time by changing the format of the performances/presentations at the Fair.

SET UP
The event starts at 10:00 a.m. We can have access to the venue starting at 9:00 a.m. to begin setting up. Please don’t arrive there earlier than 9:00; I don’t have the budget to cover additional rental charges. Table assignments are on a first-come, first-served basis; there will be enough tables and chairs for all participants, but if you want to be seated in a particular location in the room, it’s important to arrive closer to 9:00 than 10:00 in order to work that out. The room is large; I believe it’s 1600 square feet, and it’s a sunny room with plenty of windows. It’s used by camps as gymnasium during the week, and is rented out for wedding receptions and other similar functions in the evenings and on weekends. It’s at street level, and should be accessible to most people. There are two exits at either end of the room that can’t be blocked by tables; we’ll start setting tables up around the perimeter of the room, and then start putting tables down the middle of the room. The room is large enough to allow this set up and still accommodate plenty of audience traffic through the room.

END OF DAY
We need to end the event promptly and vacate the premises at 4:00. The venue is a popular one for evening rentals, and the custodial staff needs time to sweep out and make ready for the next rental. Please have your materials packed up by 4:00. I’ll help with taking down the tables, etc.

DIRECTIONS AND MAP
I’ll get this posted to the websites in the next few days, and do a general mailing/emailing to all participants by mid May, possibly sooner.


APPLICATION FORM
Please fill out the application form and return it to me as soon as possible. It’s posted on the website. I can also e-mail or fax you a copy directly. You can email it or fax it back to me when it’s completed. The information on it will be included in the event directory, and with your permission, in any other promotional materials including press releases and posters that will be made accessible to the public before the event. I’ll also need some of the information for my final report to sponsors, including The Brooklyn Arts Council.

BROOKLYN ALTERNATIVE SMALL PRESS FAIR
PARTICIPANT APPLICATION/RESERVATION FORM
(continue on the back or use separate sheets if additional space is required)

PLEASE COMPLETE FORM AND RETURN; CHECKS/MONEY ORDERS IN THE AMOUNT OF $10 (participant fee) SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO EMILY BROWN. The fee is due by April 30; this form can be returned by mail to Emily Brown, 266 12th Street, Apt. 10, Brooklyn NY 11215 with the fee or separately by fax to 718-832-2310.

The information provided here will be used primarily for recordkeeping purposes, but with your consent, will also be used in a directory. If you do NOT want certain categories of information (such as your home address or phone number) published in a directory that will be made available to the public, make sure to note it on the form.

Organization/Project name:
also known as:

Contact person: Title:

Mailing address:


Phone Number: Fax:

E_mail:

Website:

Please describe your organization or project:







What materials will you be presenting at the Fair?






If you're bringing printed publications, describe the size, format, # pages, etc.








If you're bringing recordings, include format (audio, video, CD, tape, etc.)








If your material is electronic, can it be accessed/presented directly using a laptop or can it be stored on a disk and opened on a laptop?


Will you be bringing brochures, flyers, mail order forms or other informational materials describing your organization or project?


What will you need to display your materials (table, display rack, other...)?