Publishing Companies in Canada
There are nearly 500 book, magazine and newsprint publishing companies in Canada, including both English and French language publishers, independent, corporate international and online media publishers. Canadian publishing over the past 40 years has grown astronomically, as the English language book market is dominated by American and English writers, publishers, perspectives and culture. To increase the Canadian presence in print media, Canadian publishing companies have and continue to receive aid and backing by the federal government, the result being a surge of Canadian-owned companies publishing Canadian authors and artists.
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History
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The ACP (Association of Canadian Publishing) was founded in 1976 by remnant members of the former IPA (Independent Publishers' Association, 1971-1976) that originated for the defense and preservation of Canadian-owned publishing firms after the 1970 buyout of the Ryerson Press by the American-owned McGraw-Hill company. With the formation of both the IPA and ACP, Canadian publishers united to lobby for government support and protection of the Canadian publishing industry. The result was a plethora of federal aid, including direct funding and grants from the Canadian Council, government regulation of foreign investors in the book market, and the creation of the Book Publishing Industry Development Program (BPIDP).
Independent Publishing
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The ACP represents a member base of over 140 Canadian-owned publishers, from genre-specific publishers to magazine titles. Prominent Canadian publishers include the houses of New Press, Coach House, House of Anansi and Talon, Cormorant, Rose-Belford Publishing Company Limited, Canadian Children's Book Centre, and McClelland & Stewart. McClelland & Stewart was among the first powerhouse publishers on the Canadian scene, first appearing in Toronto, Ontario, in 1906. Today, the company prints nearly 100 new titles in fiction, essays, non-fiction, cookbooks, fine arts, memoir and poetry, and the Canadian Encyclopedia.
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International Publishing
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Canada is also home to a base of international publishing corporations, including Random House Canada, Harper Collins Canada, Scholastic Canada and Harlequin. The international firms such as Random House and Harper Collins publish and distribute mostly American and British titles in Canada, as roughly only around 20 percent of Canadian authors are represented by non-Canadian-owned publishers. Harlequin Enterprises, however, is the inverse. Surprising to many, the famous Harlequin romance novel of the Harlequin Press is actually a Canadian-owned entity, founded in Toronto, Ontario, in 1949. Harlequin Enterprises is now a half-billion-dollar corporation with international distribution in over 100 countries. Harlequin is one of the most successful international publishers in the world, with over 95 percent of sales made outside of Canada.
Self-Publishing
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Aside from the traditional independent and corporate publishers, there are many Canadian self-publishing companies such as Trafford Publishers and Ink Tree Ltd. Such companies offer publishing consultations and counseling alongside physical printing and network distribution. Self-publishing companies are advantageous as they offer complete control over copyright and appearance; however, they lack the quality name association that accompanies the "stamp of approval" from an established publishing house.
Other Media
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There are myriad magazine, newsprint and online media publishing companies in Canada, including Magazines Canada (formerly the Canadian Magazine Publishers Association), the leading magazine publisher in Canada responsible for over 300 of the nation's titles. Internet media publishing companies are emerging in record numbers as Internet-based content begins to battle the print market. The Vancouver-based Suite 101 and Canadian Internet Publishing are among the most prominent.
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