Our most recent reports

• Introducing the Read Local BC eBookshelf: A Collection of BC-Published eBooks
• The eleventh annual BC Book Day will be celebrated on April 15, 2025
• Message from Books BC Board Chair Regarding U.S. Tariffs

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Marketing & Promotion

Through public-facing marketing, publicity, and advertising campaigns including Read Local BC, Poetry in Transit, our school catalogues, the weekly BC Bestseller List, and BC Books Online, we raise awareness of BC-published titles with booksellers, educators, librarians, media, festivals, and literacy, writing, and publishing associations. We employ a variety of marketing strategies, including author events, event displays, print and digital advertising, catalogues, online content marketing, newsletters, and social media. 

Read Local BC

The “Read Local BC” campaign engages with readers, authors, librarians, educators, and booksellers through a variety of collective marketing initiatives, including a website with original editorial content, social media outreach, seasonal events around the province, promotional materials, and advertising. Whether our efforts are directed within our province, nationally, or internationally, the campaign aims to develop a wider audience and appreciation for BC-published titles. Find out more at ReadLocalBC.ca

Open to Active and Associate members.

BC Bestseller List

Compiled by TBM BookManager, this weekly list is distributed to media outlets, bookstores, libraries, sales representatives, and readers. It is posted weekly on the Read Local BC website and printed in the Vancouver Sun on Saturdays. Read the detailed criteria here.

Open to all BC publishers.

BC Ferries Promotions

Books BC works actively with the BC Ferries Corporation and its book supplier to promote members’ books on the ferries through in-store promotion and advertising.

Open to Active and Associate members.

Educational Marketing

Titles included in the following resources for schools are selected and annotated by teacher-librarians. The catalogues feature titles for K-12 students with curriculum links and recommended grade levels.

•  BC Books for BC Schools features BC-published books.
• Indigenous Books for Schools features Canadian-published books by and about Indigenous peoples and perspectives.

Open to Active and Associate members, members of the ACP and its regional affiliates.

Displays

Books BC attends conferences throughout the year with information about BC publishing and displays of our members’ books. In the past we have attended Word Vancouver, the BC Library Conference, the BC Teacher-Librarian Association Conference, and Growing Room.

Open to Active and Associate members.

Poetry in Transit

In partnership with TransLink and BC Transit, Books BC produces a collection of poetry car cards annually, which feature the work of BC-authored and Canadian-published poets. This much-loved project has been running since 1996 and in that time has featured hundreds of poems from established and emerging writers.

Poems eligible for the project must be written by BC writers and published in book form by Canadian publishers. Poems are submitted by publishers for consideration in the project in May of each year. The works are selected by a jury that includes a poet and a representative of TransLink. Learn more on the Poetry in Transit website.

Open to all Canadian publishers.

Awareness

Books BC works to raise the profile and visibility of the British Columbia book industry in the following ways:

Libraries & Bookstores

Books BC, through our Marketing & Promotions committee, works to promote BC books to professionals in the library and bookselling communities.

Media

Books BC responds to all requests from the media to discuss issues related to book publishers and writing.

Gray Campbell Distinguished Service Award

This annual award is presented to an individual who has made a significant contribution to the BC book publishing industry.

Recipients of the Gray Campbell Distinguished Service Award

2025 no award
2024 Marissa Alps
2023 no award
2022 Margaret Reynolds
2021 no award
2020 no award
2019 Michael Neill
2018 Gregory Younging
2017 Betty Keller
2016 Scott McIntyre
2015 Jean Wilson
2014 Little Sister’s Book and Art Emporium
2013 Sheryl MacKay
2012 Paul Whitney
2011 Ron Smith
2010 no award
2009 Jim Munro
2008 Rowland Lorimer
2007 Karl Siegler
2006 Kate Walker
2005 Randy Fred
2004 Basil Stuart-Stubbs
2003 Margaret Reynolds
2002 Thora Howell
2001 Jim Douglas
2000 Alan Twigg

Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award

This award is presented at the discretion of the Books BC board to recognize an active BC publisher that has earned the respect and applause of the community.

Recipients of the Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award

• 2025 no award
• 2024 Medicine Wheel Education
• 2023 no award
• 2022 UBC Press, for the project RavenSpace
  2021 no award
  2020 no award
  2019 Arsenal Pulp Press
  2018 Orca Book Publishers
  2017 Greystone Books
  2016 Talonbooks
  2015 Caitlin Press
  2014 Ronsdale Press
  2013 Anvil Press
  2012 Self-Counsel Press
  2011 New Star Books
  2010 no award
  2009 UBC Press
  2008 The Heritage Group
  2007 Arsenal Pulp Press
  2006 Orca Book Publishers
  2005 no award
  2004 Douglas & McIntyre
  2003 New Society Publishers
  2002 Harbour Publishing