All in Publishing in Canada
I was reading the December 2012 issue of Quill & Quire and saw a quote by Howard White that resonated with me. In responding to a question about the future of Canadian publishing, he says, "...we need to keep the faith." Then he raises the glass of water analogy: "I think one of the most damaging things that's happening to publishing right now -- and to writing -- is that people are looking at the empty half of the glass." I'm going to keep this analogy in mind over the next while and consciously try to talk more positively about the book biz. Why not?!
My last blog posting provided a CBC link to a program about the future of book publishing. Following from the panelists' discussion, I'm sharing a piece I wrote a while ago:
The Scholastic Book Fair is at my children’s school. I shudder. Don’t get me wrong. I love books. I write children’s books. I’m all for promoting literacy and getting kids enthused about reading. In addition, as an editor, I adore Scholastic. They are my best client. Their deadlines are reasonable; they pay me in less than three weeks. So, what’s the problem?
Yesterday morning's CBC Radio program The Sunday Edition featured a discussion about the future of publishing in Canada. This was a brilliant overview of the current struggles facing publishers, and those who work in this industry. Three publishers spoke their minds: Marge Wolfe, President of the Association of Canadian Publishers and Founder and Publisher of Second Story Press (one of my publishers!) in Toronto; Patsy Aldana, Founder and Publisher of Groundwood Books and Co-Chair of the National Reading Campaign in Toronto; and Scott McIntyre, Founding Partner and Publisher of Douglas and McIntyre in Vancouver.
