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What We Do

Business Development

Professional Development and Networking

Books BC regularly organizes workshops and seminars to ensure publishers stay abreast of industry best practices and new technologies, and to build peer resource networks. Previous topics have included culturally sensitive publishing practices, effective publishing workflows, strategies for educational marketing, and the potential uses of blockchain technology in attributing and compensating creators. 

By connecting our publishers with subject experts and mentors, we assist our publishers in expanding their markets, including subsidiary rights sales, and in exploring new formats, such as audiobooks. We also facilitate focused networking opportunities with potential partners, such as film producers, literary festival directors, media representatives, and librarians.  

The Books BC member retreat provides Active members with an opportunity to network with their colleagues, funders and members of the larger community and to attend professional development sessions. We also organize social events throughout the year and around other industry events.

Market development

Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association (PNBA)

Since 2015, with support from Creative BC and Western Economic Development, Books BC has organized a collective exhibit at the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association conference.This is an opportunity for BC publishers to build awareness of their lists with booksellers from Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington. BC-published books travel well within the Cascadia region, which has strong geographical, historical, and climatic links with British Columbia, as well as shared cultural and lifestyle interests.

Frankfurt Book Fair

In 2021, the association supported the Canada Guest of Honour presence in 2021 at Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest book fair, working closely with Canada FBM2020 and our regional affiliates to assist publishers in building their international rights network, through professional development, marketing initiatives, and networking activities.

Audiobook production and ebook accessibility projects

Working with industry partners, and as funding permits, Books BC periodically organizes collective projects to support publishers in endeavours including audiobook production and ebook accessibility remediation.

Information sharing

Books BC Newsletter

Our e-newsletter, Books BC, is a monthly email providing information to all members and friends on industry issues, Books BC services, promotion and marketing opportunities, and the weekly bestseller list.

Books BC website

The Books BC website is an opportunity for members to highlight books and their companies. It also serves as an information hub for writers, self-publishers, and students.

Environmental issues

In 1992, the association passed a motion to encourage the use of ancient-forest friendly papers in our members’ books. Working closely with Markets Initiative, now Canopy, this initiative has been very successful in paving the way for the use of environmentally sound papers by publishers across Canada and internationally. For more information on how and why publishers can incorporate environmental responsibility into their publishing practices download our EcoKit or request a print copy by emailing to admin@books.bc.ca.