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Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award 2012 Recipient Self-Counsel Press

April 2nd, 2012

Diana Douglas, co-founder of Self-Counsel Press, is “driven by the desire to empower people” and this her company has achieved in spades. As a pioneer in the world of do-it-yourself legal guides, Self-Counsel Press has given millions of readers the power to write a will, start and run a business, buy a franchise, prepare a separation agreement, and write screenplays or romance novels. In the spirit of demystifying legal and business concepts, the books are all written in clear, accessible language.

Founded in 1971, Self-Counsel Press’ first title was the BC Divorce Guide, a book that is now in its 28th edition. Divorce guidebooks have since been produced for all provinces and territories making it overall Self-Counsel’s bestselling title.

Under the direction of President and CEO Diana Douglas and Publisher Richard Day, the company now produces 10-12 titles a year and revises and updates another 30 or so. This spring Self-Counsel will make available their entire backlist in digital format and in future will be releasing digital and print copies simultaneously for new titles and revisions.

In 2011, Diana Douglas received the Association of Canadian Publishers’ President’s Award along with 11 other pioneering Canadian women in publishing. It was a well deserved honour as Diana has contributed countless hours on the boards of both the ACP and the Association of Book Publishers of BC. Her business acumen and wicked sense of humour have contributed much to our industry and the collegiality among its members.

Last year Self-Counsel Press celebrated its 40th anniversary; next year Diana will have directed the company for 30 years as sole owner. Diana has spent her life in books as a bookseller, a book rep, a publicist and a publisher. She will accept the Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award at the Association of Book Publishers of BC Awards Dinner on April 19th, 2012 from her father Jim Douglas, founder of J. J. Douglas, now Douglas & McIntyre.

The Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award is presented as deserved to an active BC book publishing company that has, in recent times, earned the respect and applause of the community of publishers for a specific publishing project, an extraordinary contribution to the BC publishing community, and/or its extended commitment to excellence in publishing. Jim Douglas was founder of J. J. Douglas Publishers which became Douglas & McIntyre.