Book Publisher's Border Crossing Facilitated under Canada-B.C. Agreement
VANCOUVER, April 3, 1996 A consortium of three British Columbia book publishers will create a joint sales and marketing office devoted to maximizing export sales to the United States through funding under the Canada - B.C. Agreement on Communications and Cultural Industries. Deputy Prime Minister and Canadian Heritage Minister Sheila Copps and British Columbia Minister of Small Business, Tourism and Culture Bill Barlee announced the project today.Arsenal Pulp Press, Press Gang Publishers and Talon Books, all of whom have been in business for more than twenty years, have demonstrated considerable success at niche marketing in the Canadian book marketplace. Each partner brings a different focus to the group: Arsenal Pulp specializes in "urban oriented" fiction and cultural studies; Press Gang specializes in fiction, poetry and women's studies; and Talon Books is Canada's leading drama publisher with an equally strong inventory of non-fiction, fiction and poetry. Through this project, they will acquire the resources to develop a supporting arm specifically oriented to the U.S. market.
Located in Vancouver, the marketing office will conduct research and coordinate activities designed to increase the sales and visibility of selected titles of the three publisher partners and all research will be turned over to the Association of Book Publishers of B.C. for use by its members. The project will also put new technology to the test by maintaining contact with the InBook/Login sales force (their U.S. distributor) through the Internet, and by making its catalogue available electronically.
"The publishing partners have succeeded in reaching their target audiences within Canada," Ms. Copps stated. "This research will build an audience in the U.S. and enhance the viability of our publishing sector."
"B.C. book publishers and authors will benefit from this research. By enabling the partners to increase their distribution, this project will provide new market outlets and revenue to our authors," Mr. Barlee explained.
The consortium has identified three components of the U.S. marketplace it wants to address: the consumer, retail, college and university markets, each of which demand strategies distinct to its nature. The group has also targeted seven principal U.S. cities, that have demonstrated a marked interest in the kinds of books the consortium publishes. With a budget of $72,290, the partners will receive 55 percent, in the form of a contribution up to a maximum of $40,000, towards maximizing their sales to the U.S.
The Canada - B.C. Agreement is a two-year, $9 million federal-provincial initiative designed to help develop and apply innovative technology, to create new markets for products and services, and to strengthen the industrial infrastructure by sharing costs with project proponents.
The Agreement is administered by Industry Canada and Canadian Heritage on the federal side, and on the provincial side by the Ministry of Employment and Investment and the Ministry of Small Business, Tourism and Culture.
Funding for this project was provided for in the March 196 federal budget and is therefore built in to the existing fiscal framework. This initiative is an example of how this government is prioritizing its spending so that it can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.
Information:
Brian Lam
Arsenal Pulp Press Ltd.
(604) 687-4233
Laurel March
Manager, Cultural Development & Heritage
Department of Canadian Heritage
Pacific & Yukon Region
(604) 666-5089
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