British Columbians are invited to celebrate authors, publishers and the written word on BC Book Day.

Proclaimed today, April 13, 2016, the third annual BC Book Day highlights the vitality of B.C.’s publishing industry and its contribution to our culture and economy.

Book publishing in British Columbia is an important part of the creative economy – one of the most rapidly growing sectors in the world. The publishing sector stimulates jobs for publishers and writers, as well as printers, illustrators, designers, editors and retailers. In 2013, B.C.’s publishing industry employed about 300 people, and an estimated $800,000 to $1 million was spent on freelance contractors.

The B.C. government supports the province’s publishers in a number of ways, such as through tax credits ($3.2 million in 2015), BC Arts Council funding ($620,000 in 2014-15) and Creative BC ($100,000 in 2015-16).

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To read the proclamation, visit: http://www.bclaws.ca/civix/document/id/oic/OIC_CUR/BCBookDay2016

Quick Facts:

• B.C. is home to the second-largest English-language book publishing sector in Canada. More than 30 publishing houses operate throughout B.C.
• In 2013, B.C. publishers’ collective sales volume was between $27 and $28 million. B.C. publishers have an estimated 300 full- and part-time employees, with a further estimated $800,000 - $1 million spent on freelance contractors.
• B.C. publishers and authors come from communities throughout B.C.: from Vancouver Island to Fernie, Haida Gwaii to the Sunshine Coast.
• B.C. books are sold and translated in over 90 countries, bringing B.C. culture and literature to millions.
• The Association of Book Publishers of BC launched a database called BC Books Online in November 2015. With 8,500 titles, it is the largest regional digital collection of books in the country, taking B.C. books around the globe.
• The Province provided more than $3.2 million in tax credits from March 31 to the end of 2015 to support eligible book publishers.
• In 2014-15, the BC Arts Council invested more than $620,000 in B.C. publishers.
• Creative BC provided more than $100,000 in 2015-16 to the book publishing industry.
• Launched in February 2016, the three-year Creative Economy Strategy will help grow the creative sector.
• The United Nations has identified the creative economy as one of the world’s fastest-growing sectors for income generation, job creation and export earnings

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Learn More:

• Visit the Association of Book Publishers of BC’s website at: http://books.bc.ca/
• Visit Creative BC’s website at: http://www.creativebc.com/
• Visit the BC Arts Council’s website at: http://www.bcartscouncil.ca
• For more information about the Creative Economy Strategy, visit: http://www.gov.bc.ca/creativeeconomy

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