Eligibility

As a national professional publishers association, Livres Canada Books is mandated to foster and facilitate the continued growth of Canadian-owned and controlled publishers’ export sales.

Access to our organization’s programs and services—including collective catalogues and the Canada Stand—is open to Canadian-owned and controlled firms engaged in professional book publishing activities. Eligible book publishers must have completed at least 12 months of operation, be financially viable, and have headquarters and at least 75% of their employees based in Canada.

Book publishing, as defined by the Canada Book Fund, is a “professional activity involving the selection, development and editing of manuscripts; contractual agreements with authors or copyright holders; production, marketing and/or distribution of books under the firm’s imprint; and the assumption of the costs and risks associated with these activities.” We encourage you to consult the Canada Book Fund’s website for more information on eligibility criteria for book publishing programs and funding.

Programs

For information on eligibility criteria for specific Livres Canada Books funding programs, please visit the specific program pages and consult the program guidelines:

  • Foreign Rights Marketing Assistance Program (FRMAP)
  • Mentoring Program

Services

  • Canada Stand: Livres Canada Books organizes collective stands ranging in size from 36 square metres to 330 square metres at some of the world’s major book fairs. Registration for space on the Canada Stand is open to Canadian-owned and controlled firms engaged in professional book publishing activities. Participating exhibitors must have completed at least 12 months of operation, be financially viable, and have headquarters and at least 75% of their employees based in Canada.
  • Catalogues: Livres Canada Books publishes two annual catalogues highlighting the latest offerings from Canada’s diverse publishing community. Inclusion in these publications is open to Canadian-owned and controlled firms engaged in professional book publishing activities. Participating publishers must have completed at least 12 months of operation, be financially viable, and have headquarters and at least 75% of their employees based in Canada.
  • Reports: Our Market Guides and Digital Publishing reports can be downloaded from our website for $30.00 each. Mentoring program and FRMAP recipients, our government partners, and provincial and national associations can access our reports free of charge. Trade mission reports and Market Guide excerpts are free of charge to all.
  • Webinars: Each year, we host two free webinars on important export markets and one paid webinar on innovations in digital publishing. Any member of the publishing industry or the general public can register for our webinars or access their recordings on our website.

Information for Self-Publishers in Canada

Self-publishers are not eligible for Livres Canada Books programs and services (except for accessing reports and webinars). If you are a self-published author or self-publisher looking for assistance, there is a wealth of useful information online. Consult the following websites for helpful tips and advice:

Canadian sites

Canada Book Fund
Canada Council for the Arts
Canada Border Services (information on export requirements)
Canada Business Network
CanExport
Export Development Canada
Global Affairs Canada
Library and Archives Canada
Writers’ Union of Canada

Other sites

BookMarketing.com, Book Marketing Tips for All Authors
Dan Poynter’s ParaPublishing.com
Independent Book Publishers Association (formerly the Publishers Marketing Association)
Kickstarter Publishing
The Empowered Author