Cover to Cover: A Mini Magazine Conference

Presented by Issues Magazine Shop.

On Sunday, October 26, we’re flipping through the world of magazines.

From 12–5PM, join us for a one-day conference that celebrates the people, ideas, and stories shaping magazines today—across independent titles, commercial giants, and the many voices and businesses that support them.

Then stick around from 5-7PM for an after party, because we don’t get enough opportunities to hang out as an industry. We can promise good wine from our friends at Grape Witches and a killer snack spread from Pasta Forever.

Whether you make magazines, read them, or dream of starting your own, Cover to Cover is a place to learn, connect, and get inspired.

Doors at 12PM / Talks start at 1:00PM / at

Info: Time to mosey on in, grab a coffee, and find a seat.

Info: Earlier this year, Issues Magazine Shop released its first State of the Magazine Industry Survey. We asked magazine people of all kinds what they were seeing, experiencing and how they were feeling about the industry. In this talk, we’ll explore why print media matters today and what we’ve learned from the survey results.

Info: DARBY is an independent Canadian football culture platform founded in 2019, dedicated to celebrating and shaping the beautiful game in Canada—and beyond. Our mission is to connect the Canadian football community by championing the spirit, complexity, and culture of the game we share with the world. In this talk, Ryan shares how it started, why it matters and where it’s headed.

Info: Chutney is an independent magazine exploring stories of culture and identity. Founder Osman Bari shares the process of making Chutney, and how the publication uses nuanced storytelling to balance lived experience with collective histories.

Info: Now that you’ve heard from each publisher, join them for a deeper conversation about the realities of producing an independent magazine. This panel explores lessons learned, challenges overcome, and opportunities ahead—and includes time for audience questions

Info: What does it mean to take care of our contributors, and why does it matter that we do? This panel conversation will incorporate art, edit and freelance perspectives to explore how we can protect our contributors, subjects and sources, and what it means to balance storytelling with responsibility, ethics and care. Moderated by Stacy Lee Kong.

Info: If there’s one question on every indie publisher’s mind, it’s "how do we actually pay for these things?". In this panel, we’ll gather funding bodies and publishers who can shed light on the current landscape for Canadian magazine publishers and share tips on determining eligibility, navigating the gaps and finding creative ways to access money. Moderated by Stacy Lee Kong.

Info: Time to mingle, hang out, network, or just stand by the snack table and eat cheese. We'll have wine by Grape Witches, and snacks by Pasta Forever.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

EAST ROOM, 50 Carroll Street, Toronto, Canada