People often ask us if we’re aspiring writers, or if we ever wanted to be. It always feels like a bit of a shocking question. We understand why people ask: a strong admiration of a craft often leads to a desire to practice it.
If you want to get a traditional publishing deal for your non-fiction book, the good news is that you can get one without writing an entire manuscript first. Publishers evaluate non-fiction based on proposals. The bad news is that proposals take a lot of work to write, sometimes many months.
At an International Festival of Authors party this week, a young writer approached one of us with the line “Aren’t you the sister of Mrs. Grimshaw, my grade six teacher?” A bit confused, we stopped and explained that no, we didn’t know any Grimshaws.
After thirty (collective) years in the book business, you’d think we’d have developed writers’ festival fatigue. The packed schedules of readings, author events, and parties are their own form of marathon. But although the festival circuit is busy, it’s also incredibly energizing; it never fails to raise our spirits and reignite our excitement about the book world.
Page Two will be conducting a Tyee Master Class Saturday, November 30, called “Digital and Self-Publishing in the DIY Era.” Participants will come away with a budget for their self-publishing project, direction on which ebook publishing platform to choose, sales and marketing ideas, and most importantly, a refined book concept that is ready for publication.
By Tracy Sherlock
Almost a year ago, venerable Vancouver publisher Douglas & McIntyre filed for creditor protection, ultimately closing up shop after more than 40 years in business. Today, at least three new companies have emerged in the aftermath, while the former publishing company’s three publishing lines are all still flourishing….
We’re still smiling about last week’s announcement that Canadian short-story writer Alice Munro won the Nobel Prize for Literature. We’re thrilled that she’s the first Canadian to be granted the prize, and that she’s made the (short) list of female recipients a bit longer, but those are not our only causes for celebration.
Never mind who killed JFK and whether 9/11 was an inside job. Here’s a new conspiracy for you. At a recent writers’ workshop we attended, a participant told us that she suspected traditional publishers had funded this blog post besmirching renowned self-publishing authors for purchasing Amazon reviews of their books.
By Charlie Smith
When Canada’s largest independent publisher, D&M Publishers, went into creditor protection last year, it shocked many authors and book lovers.
Eventually, Heritage House bought the assets of D&M’s Greystone Books, and the owners of Harbour Publishing acquired the Douglas & McIntyre imprint, but it left some D&M employees looking for ways to stay in the industry.
By Julie Baldassi
Former D&M Publishers staffers Trena White and Jesse Finkelstein have announced the launch of a new company, Page Two Strategies, that will serve both authors and corporate clients on a variety of projects.
By Leigh Anne Williams
The 2012 demise of D&M Publishing, one of Canada’s most respected independent publishers, was mourned throughout the industry, but pieces of the business and the people who ran it seem to have scattered like seeds that are now sprouting in all kinds of new growth on Canada’s West Coast.
The Canadian publishing landscape is set to transform with the launch of a brand new agency, from two highly respected managers of the now defunct D&M Publishers.
