Word on the Street - Toronto 2025

Last weekend (Sept 27-28), I attended Word on the Street in Toronto as a vendor. Had an absolute blast! Such a good time. Word on the Street is a major book event here, with vendors, publishers, and more ready to (re)fuel your love of books.

I've done a few book events so far, but this was by far the largest. As such, I wasn't there on my own. The booth I was at was for my writing group, the Toronto Sci-Fi & Fantasy Writers! Sharing the space with 8 other authors was an amazing experience. We're all friends, having read and shared and given feedback on each others' books for years. We trust each other, which makes all the difference at an event like this.

Jesse McMinn and Don Miasek hard at work

A Great Event for Books and Writers in the Heart of Toronto

The event ran all weekend, and it truly had something for everyone. Authors big and small were there, pitching their books, their stories, and their art. The energy was infectious. We set up our booth, mildly prepared for the day without really knowing what to expect. Half an hour in at the square was packed!

It made me so happy to see. People out, interested in books. Like, really interested. Asking questions, already onboard with "genre fiction", and being so damn excited to meet the actual authors of the books in their hands.

Jesse McMinn, Y.M. Pang, James Downe, and Peter G. Reynolds at Word on the Street

My 1st Word on the Street

In previous years, Word on the Street has been at other locations, but this year it was at David Pecaut Square right in the heart of downtown Toronto. While I and several of the authors have done events, for some it was there very first one. We'd gotten together earlier and discussed ways to promote your work to people passing by, going over and refining escalator and elevator pitches and the like, but talking about those things with friends and actually doing it are two very different things.

It's hard to sell yourself. Hawking your wares takes practice. It takes ego. It doesn't come naturally to many creatives, but it's so essential at an event like this.

Having friends at your side can make all the difference. (Watching Don Miasek get the attention of passersby is like watching a master at work.) We learnt from each other, seeing other people's sales techniques and adapting them for ourselves. And, having someone else sell your book is such an interesting and kinda mind-boggling experience.

This person was the absolute best!

James Downe, Jesse McMinn, and Don Miasek ready to go!

Buy my books!

Buy all these books!

Authors Jesse McMinn, James Downe, Peter G, Reynolds, and David T.E. Foster

this was the best orange slushy I've ever had

Word on the Street Sunday

On Sunday, I got there early to reopen our tent and prepare for the day. I grabbed a croissant and a coffee on my way down.

It was early. Quiet.

I sat at the booth, watching other vendors arrive, meeting a few other authors, and just took in the moment for a while. It was magic.

None of us really knew what to expect from the Sunday. Saturday had been busy. Lots of people, most of them interested in what we had to offer. With 9 authors, we had a great selection of genre fiction. Epic fantasy, military sci-fi, sword and sorcery (yay me!), children's fantasy and sci-fi, magic realism, horror, and even sci-fi romance. Our table looked damn good, with lots of giveaways and handouts, and having such a diverse selection really helped.

But we were all a little concerned that Sunday would be quiet.

Nope! Sunday was another hit, with people filling the square eager to talk about book. It really did do my head in. Just seeing such a interest in books, writing, and writers was amazing. Thank you too everyone that came out, and especially to everyone who bought something!