To join the ACP a publisher must meet the criteria in one of the following categories:
Active Membership
Criteria:
the firm's chief office of business is in Canada
75% Canadian ownership and control of the company; the publication of original Canadian books must be a primary part of the company's business
have produced in the twelve-month period prior to the application for membership, and in each subsequent twelve-month period, no fewer than four (4) new original Canadian titles
have been in operation for at least two years from the date of publication for their first original Canadian title
have no less than 10 original Canadian titles, of which no more than 25% are authored by principals or directors of the company.
Note: Publishers with more than 25% of their titles authored by principals or directors of the company may be eligible for membership so long as they can demonstrate that they are a bona fide book publisher.
Associate Membership
Criteria:
the firm's chief office of business is in Canada
75% Canadian ownership and control of the company; the publication of original Canadian books must be an important part of the company's business
have at least two original Canadian titles published within the previous three years, of which no more that 25% are authored by principals or directors of the company.
Note: Publishers with more than 25% of their titles authored by principals or directors of the company may be eligible for membership so long as they can demonstrate that they are a bona fide book publisher.
Note: In any year, once an associate member firm meets the requirements for active membership, the firm must apply for active membership status in the following year.
Supporting Membership
individuals, institutions, or corporations who support the objectives of the association
supporting members have no voting privileges and may only attend meetings by invitation
Privileges
All members (with noted exceptions) have access to all services and meetings of the ACP; however, only active members may vote at membership meetings.
Applications
Applications for membership are considered by the ACP Council at each of its meetings. Membership payment is not required until a publisher's application has been accepted. If you have any further questions, please contact Nicole Fera, Administrative Assistant, at nicole_fera@canbook.org.
Why should I join?
Through all of its activities, the ACP is committed to supporting and strengthening the Canadian-owned publishing industry. By becoming involved in the committees, projects, meetings and lobbying efforts facilitated by the ACP, members have the opportunity to help shape the policy climate for Canadian publishers. Please see the following list for some of our most recent projects and activities:
Government Lobbying
With the help of our Gar Knutson, our consultant in Ottawa, the ACP continues to lobby to ensure the maintenance and growth of federal funding programs for publishers by working with both the Department of Canadian Heritage and the Canada Council for the Arts. This includes regular communication with the Minister of Canadian Heritage and key MP's in the House of Commons.
Professional Development - Simon Fraser University Summer Publishing Workshops
Every year the ACP helps fund member publishers who attend the summer publishing workshops offered by Simon Fraser University. Our funding allows publishers' employess to attend a wide variety of workshops and seminars and to recover a substantial portion of their expenses.
Professional Development - Mentorship Program
The ACP Mentorship Program pairs newer publishers with more experienced "mentors" to receive guidance in a particular area of the publishing business. Our funding allows the mentors to recover their travel and accommodation expenses associated with each session.
In addition to our other Committees, our Supply Chain project and Customer Relations committee respond to specific industry issues.
The Supply Chain Project was organized with the goal of sourcing an affordable, comprehensive book publishing software solution that would be offered to all ACP members. The software package would have the capacity to handle a full range of EDI documents, to maintain rich bibliographic data and to track retail sales data. All three of these features are consistent with the broader industry initiatives currently identified by BookNet Canada, and will be essential to a publisher's success with the rapidly changing technology in the Canadian book industry.
The mandate of the Customer Relations Committee , in conjunction with Chapters/Indigo, is to meet and discuss with the business terms described in the Agreement between ACP and Chapters/Indigo that was signed in October 2001. The committee seeks to provide ACP members with knowledgeable, comprehensive and efficient monitoring of C/I compliance with the terms and conditions set out in the Agreement. The committee also: acts as the official link between ACP members and the finance, sales, and marketing management of C/I; conducts surveys that will serve as a data bank of information regarding the business and financial relationships between ACP members and C/I; interprets and explains the Agreement's factual and business history and its basic provisions and standards to ACP members; advises/provides ACP members with regular, timely monitoring and feedback with respect to the Agreement; provides practical business advice to ACP members in the event of non-observance and/or violation of the Agreement by C/I; manages and coordinates the arbitration process as outlined in the Agreement whenever necessary.
Membership support has a direct bearing on the success of our projects and activities. On every level, we truly appreciate the contribution our Members make to the ACP.