Literary Arts - Publishers

Every year a variety of books flood the shelves of bookstores, libraries, and homes. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children's books are just a few of the many possible genres one might find, all available due in part to the work of publishers. Book publishers are essentially risk-takers who invest in books they envision will earn a profit. Selectively, they weed through manuscripts, searching for those that suit an appropriate market.

A publisher must pay those involved in the production of a book, including writers, editors and printers. Since theirs is such a risky business, publishers are often unwilling to take a chance on books that they are not sure will turn a profit. As a result, certain types of books can be neglected. At the same time, numerous publishers are motivated to take risks simply because they believe in the material they are publishing. For example, Alberta's George Melnyk felt that Canadian books were not fairly represented in the literary sector and from the desire to promote and encourage the development of a distinctive Western Canadian culture, emerged the foundation of several publishing companies.

The following section will focus on a representative selection of these publishers, the books published and their histories. The section looks at publishers such as NeWest Press, founded by George Melnyk, who wished to publish books related to Western Canadian culture. The Red Deer Press, University of Alberta Press, and University of Calgary Press are also featured as companies dedicated to promoting Canadian culture through publishing titles focusing on Canadian content. Also included is Mel Hurtig, another nationalist turned publisher, who has constantly supported and encouraged Canadian ideas through his political and literary activities.

Other examples of Albertan publishers are Company's Coming, dedicated to producing quality cookbooks in the hopes of making cooking an enjoyable everyday experience and the Books Collective, an Edmonton-based publisher established in 1992.