Guides

Selling your fanzine at a fair: requirements, costs and what remains to be confirmed

Three 2026 fairs

Manga Barcelona

When and where. 5 to 8 December 2026, at Fira Barcelona Gran Via.
What it offers independent authors. Two spaces, Artist Alley and Fanzines. In both, the stand is 2 × 2 metres with a back panel and costs 200 euros plus VAT.
How to apply. Through the contracting platform of FICOMIC, the organiser. You have to register with an email address and a password, choose the stand, add it to the application, view the provisional invoice, fill in the fields and submit.
Limits. One booking per author is allowed in Artist Alley and one per fanzine in Fanzines. A stand can be shared by a maximum of two authors or two fanzines, as long as both meet the established requirements.
What I have not found. The application deadline, the full selection requirements and whether minors can take part. The website regulates children's tickets and a parental authorisation for a cosplay competition, but I have found no equivalent rule for Artist Alley or Fanzines. To clear it up, the organiser publishes the address info@ficomic.com.

Feria Elástica Fanzine

When and where. The festival ran from 3 to 10 October 2026 in Madrid, and the sales fair took place on 10 October 2026, from 11:00 to 15:00, at Calle Rosario 15, Madrid. The 2026 edition has already been held.
Who can take part. Artists, independent publishers, collectives and individuals with fanzines, photobooks, artists' books, independent comics, experimental publications, graphic editions and DIY formats.
How much it costs. 5 euros per project. It includes a table, a catalogue and a chance at the acquisition prizes, and there is no commission on sales.
Source. The call for entries from Quinta del Sordo and Moments Festival, dated 1 January 2026. I have not found the final application deadline.

Japan Weekend

When and where. The Madrid edition was held on 26 and 27 September 2026 at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano, and has already taken place.
Categories. Artist House, Non-Commercial and +18 Zone.
How to take part. Registration is compulsory on the Japan Weekend art site and gives you an identification code. Artist House is selected by portfolio assessment: technical quality, coherence, development and presentation.
Next edition. The website says new registrations will open in spring 2027. I have not found the 2026 price or table conditions.

Comic Barcelona and Heroes Comic Con

Comic Barcelona held its 44th edition from 15 to 17 May 2026, according to its official exhibitor map, which identifies Artist Alley and Fanzines zones. The map places the fair at the Fira Barcelona Montjuïc venue. I have not found the conditions, deadline or price for independent authors. For the Spanish edition of Heroes Comic Con in 2026, I have not found an official source with conditions.

Printing costs

I have not been able to get printing prices for a small fanzine. The three printers with public price lists that I checked do not publish a configuration that matches a print run of 50 or 100 copies with an 80 gsm interior and a 170 gsm cover: some set other paper weights and others start at 250 copies. I have not found a risograph studio with a public price list either.

To compare quotes, ask every printer for the same thing. This specification is mine, and you can change it:

Fanzine quote: A5 closed format; 24 interior pages on 80 gsm paper, black and white; 170 gsm cover in colour; staple binding; print runs of 50 and 100 copies. Price including VAT, delivery time and shipping cost. Please state the date of the quote.

To prepare your files, see Preparing a comic page for print: bleed, margins and resolution and How to prepare a file for printing.

Preparation before a fair

This is my own list, not the fairs'.

Work out the cost. Add up printing, the fair's table or stand fee, transport and time. Divide by the number of copies you expect to sell to set a minimum price.
Register your fanzine. If you publish it with an ISBN or legal deposit, see How to make a small catalogue: legal deposit and ISBN.
Bring change and a way to take payment. Decide how you will be paid, and check the fair's rules on payments.
Check the rights in what you sell. A fanzine with drawings of other people's characters raises different problems: see Fan art: what you can do with other people's characters.
If you are not self-publishing. If a publisher publishes the book, the framework is different: see Publishing contract for a comic: mandatory clauses and the author's rights.
If you are going to be paid, there are tax obligations. Once you are 18, see How to invoice the sale of artwork in Spain: VAT and withholding tax. If you are a minor, see Selling your drawings as a minor: what the law says and what remains unclear.

Points requiring clarification

The application deadline, the full requirements and the participation of minors in Artist Alley and Fanzines at Manga Barcelona.
The final deadline for the Feria Elástica Fanzine 2026.
The price and table conditions for Japan Weekend 2026.
Conditions, deadline and price at Comic Barcelona for independent authors, and any information on the Spanish edition of Heroes Comic Con.
Printing prices for a short-run fanzine with the specification above.

Itineraries

I am going to sell or exhibit

Start with the smallest fair. A call for entries at 5 euros per project, like the Feria Elástica Fanzine, lets you try the format before paying 200 euros plus VAT for a stand.

An open conversation

This guide brings together the dated conditions of three fairs. If you organise a fanzine fair or publish your own, and can provide the deadline, requirements or prices of an edition, you can write to me.

Sources

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