Vancouver, B.C. (October 19, 2026) – Today, Creative BC is pleased to announce the 17 recipients of the 2026/27 Book Publishers Market Fund program (the Program). The Program provides financial support for B.C. publishers to attend select fairs, conferences, and events where they can promote their titles and pursue new business opportunities, as well as develop marketing materials and/or campaigns. By enabling publishers to participate in strategic events, the Program strengthens their ability to showcase their catalogues, build global partnerships, and access the export opportunities vital to business sustainability and long-term growth.
Applicants to the Program can receive financial assistance to attend qualifying markets in person. This year’s recipients participated in 14 domestic fairs across Canada, including Reading For The Love of It, Salon du Livre de Montreal, and the Banff Centre Mountain Film and Book Festival, as well as 12 international events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Havana International Bookfair, and the Massachusetts Library Association Conference. These market opportunities help publishers expand their business through foreign and subsidiary rights sales, while also supporting the development of digital marketing materials and campaigns.
The Program also extends support to marketing initiatives. This enhancement helps publishers strengthen their overall market presence through strategic brand-building initiatives, audience development, and promotional campaigns designed to increase their reach in both domestic and international markets. Eligible activities include but are not limited to: book/imprint launches, digital rights management, social media marketing, enhanced advertising and co-op programs, research and development of a digital transformation plan, purchase of advertising in international publications, and more.
The following 17 companies have been granted market expansion support:
- Anvil Press Publishers, Vancouver, $10,000
- Cloudscape Comics, Vancouver, $4,261
- Columbia Basin Environmental Education Network, Invermere, $9,000
- Douglas and McIntyre Ltd., Madeira Park, $8,875
- Greystone Books Ltd., Vancouver, $10,000
- Hancock House Publishers, Surrey, $9,000
- Harbour Publishing, Madeira Park, $10,000
- Medicine Wheel Publishing, Langford, $10,000
- New Society Publishers, Gabriola Island, $1,779
- Nine Ten Publications Inc., Vancouver, $2,981
- Now Or Never Publishing, Surrey, $10,000
- Rocky Mountain Books Ltd., Victoria, $10,000
- Ronsdale Press Ltd., Vancouver, $10,000
- Stonehewer Books Inc, Victoria, $9,570
- Thornapple Press, Victoria, $10,000
- Tidewater Press Ltd, New Westminster, $3,750
- Tradewind Books, Vancouver, $6,412
To learn more about the Book Publishers Market Fund program, visit Creative BC’s website: www.creativebc.com/book-publishers-market-fund
Quotes
Robert Wong, Vice President, Creative BC
“B.C.’s publishers play a vital role in bringing our province’s diverse voices, stories, and perspectives to readers across Canada and around the world. By supporting participation in key industry markets alongside strategic marketing initiatives, the Book Publishers Market Fund helps publishers expand their networks, increase discoverability, and unlock new opportunities for rights sales and business growth. We are proud to invest in publishers who help B.C. stories find new audiences, foster meaningful connections through books, and strengthen the future of our publishing industry at home and abroad.”
Sarah Felkar, Executive Director, Books BC
“In an increasingly competitive and fast changing marketplace, B.C.’s publishers are continually working to diversify sales, expand visibility, and reach new audiences. The Book Publishers Market Fund provides essential support that helps publishers participate in key markets, strengthen industry relationships, and invest in strategic marketing initiatives that support long-term growth. Continued public investment lets publishers expand into new markets and build the sales that sustain their businesses. It’s a key part of what allows that growth to continue.”
Don Gorman, Publisher, Rocky Mountain Books, Program Recipient
“As Rocky Mountain Books proudly celebrates fifty years of independent publishing, the visionary support of this program is more crucial than ever to the future of B.C. book publishing. Stable and adaptable funding makes it possible for us to diversify beyond traditional trade routes and reach new audiences worldwide. Proactive programs like this, championed by such a supportive team, prove that our creative sector can exist on a global scale, ensuring independent publishers continue to share extraordinary Canadian stories for decades to come.”
Media Contact
Creative BC
Lisa Escudero
media@creativebc.com
+1 604-730-2235
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About Creative BC
Creative BC is an independent non-profit society created and supported by the Province to sustain and help grow British Columbia’s creative industries: motion picture, interactive and digital media, music and sound recording, and magazine and book publishing. The society delivers a wide range of programs and services with a mandate to expand B.C.’s creative economy. These activities include: administration of the provincial government’s motion picture tax credit programs; delivery of program funding and export marketing support for the sector; and provincial film commission services. Combined, these activities serve to attract inward investment and market B.C. as a partner and destination of choice for domestic and international content creation. The society acts as an industry catalyst and ambassador to help B.C.’s creative sector reach its economic, social, environmental, and creative potential both at home, and globally. Website: www.creativebc.com