• Home
  • Arts
    • The Cultural Economic Development Program
      • Newfoundland and Labrador Publishers Assistance Program

Newfoundland and Labrador Publishers Assistance Program

The deadline for applications is June 1, 2012.

The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador recognizes the important role of the publishing industry in the cultural and economic life of the province. Additionally, Government recognizes the economic disadvantages faced by the publishing sector due to the small domestic market, difficulty in distribution, and pressures from national and international competitors.

The Publishers Assistance Program supports publishers with potential for sustained or expanding business strength, sound market and business planning, employment growth over the long term, and responsiveness to the provincial literary sector. The program is designed to strengthen the publishing and the literary sectors overall by encouraging quality products, effective marketing, and by making professional development services available to publishers. The program supports digital technology products.

The Publishers Assistance Program is a component of the Cultural Economic Development Program (CEDP). CEDP is designed to stimulate economic activity by providing financial assistance for heritage and professional arts activities including support for the growth of self-sustaining economic activity within the sectors and for increased capacity for market access and expansion of cultural products. CEDP programming adheres to the principles outlined in Creative Newfoundland and Labrador: The Blueprint for Development and Investment in Culture, 2006.

• Eligible Activities
• Applicant Eligibility
• Program Structure
• Ineligible Titles
• Eligible Categories
• Application Process
• Final Report
• Contact

Eligible Activities

The Publishers Assistance Program targets three aspects of publishing as a means of enhancing the overall impact of funding to the publishing sector: editing and design work; marketing; and professional development.

Marketing
Distinct contemporary cultural products are in demand worldwide. Investment in the marketing component is directed toward reaching audiences and markets outside of Newfoundland and Labrador. This will allow companies to market both nationally and internationally, participate in sector-related trade missions, and develop new strategies to adapt to changes in digital technology and delivery.

Editing and Design
Editing and graphic design have been identified as two areas requiring further growth in the publishing industry. The editing and design component assists publishers with costs related to enhancing the presentation of books produced.

Professional Development
Investment in this area allows publishing companies to take advantage of professional development opportunities, including information workshops, mentoring opportunities and attendance at training programs both within and outside the province. These opportunities help in the further development of the sector by increasing the knowledge and expertise within the province.

• Application Form (68 KB)

^ Top of Page

Applicant Eligibility

To be eligible for assistance under the Publishers Assistance Program a publishing company must:

• Have its effective management, editorial and financial control within the Province of New¬foundland and Labrador;
• Have as its primary activity the publication of books;
• Have in print no fewer than ten eligible titles, of which no more than 20% have been authored by persons who are owners, directors or employees of the company;
• Be able to provide a financial statement (Review Engagement or Audit Engagement) and a Royalty Certification Report for the previous fiscal year;
• Demonstrate contractual relationships with authors;
• Issue clear royalty statements on a regular basis and fulfill all contractual obligations and agreed terms to writers, illustrators, translators, artists and other services and licensors;
• Have an on-going publishing program of at least three eligible titles per year. Audio productions are eligible if the authored work would normally be eligible for support as a book and if the product is professionally produced on CD, DVD or in marketable digital format; and
• Be incorporated and publishing eligible titles under these guidelines for a minimum of two years.

^ Top of Page

Program Structure

Funding is allocated based on two components: a base component allocated on a per publication basis, based on eligible titles released the previous year (40% of funding); and an evaluation component based on an assessment of the company’s publishing program (60% of funding).

^ Top of Page

Ineligible Titles

• Vanity titles; titles that are subsidized by the author through pre-publishing sales or through financial contribution towards publication costs, including editing, distribution, warehousing, marketing, and printing;
• Titles for which the author or illustrator does not receive royalties;
• Titles for which legal obligations to authors, illustrators and other copyright holders have not been honoured;
• Titles commissioned or paid for by an individual, group, political party or company where the publisher does not have complete and independent editorial control;
• Reprints of titles;
• Titles designed to meet educational curriculum criteria;
• Titles intended for a specialized or academic audience. Published titles should be accessible to a general reading audience;
• Titles written by owners of the publishing company;
• Catalogues of visual art, reference books, calendars, activity books, trivia, psychology and self-help books, manuals, commissioned publications and government publications. Cookbooks, guidebooks and how-to books are normally ineligible except where it is deemed they reflect to a significant degree the culture or other aspects of the Newfoundland and Labrador culture;
• Titles with fewer than a total of 48 pages between the covers, with the exception of children’s books which must contain at least 24 printed pages;
• Titles with a minimum print run of less than 350;
• Titles with text that is primarily short captions, quotations, jokes or sayings;
• Colouring and activity books; and
• Trivia and quiz books.

^ Top of Page

Eligible Categories

The following categories and combinations thereof are eligible: fiction and non-fiction; children, young adult and adult; poetry, drama and literature; history, biography, folklore/¬folk-life, art, music, Aboriginal themes, architecture, literary criticism, nature, philosophy, politics, social sciences, sport, travel, adventure tourism and humour.

^ Top of Page

Application Process

The deadline for applications is June 1, 2012. Decisions on allocations will be made within eight (8) weeks and 90% will be made available to the applicant upon signing the contract. The balance (10%) will be paid upon acceptance of the final report.

Publishers must submit the completed application form, including all required support materials, by the deadline to be considered for funding. Participation in the program is determined annually and is based on program criteria and the strength of the application. Publishers Assistance Program support is not automatic for all eligible applicants.

^ Top of Page

Final Report

Successful applicants will be required to submit a final report that outlines in detail how the funds were used. The final report will include the following:

1. For each eligible title published April 1, 2012 to March 31, 2013:
   • Number of copies printed of each title.
   • Marketing and distribution for each title.
   • Financial information that identifies the costs of editing and design, and marketing and promotional activities for each title.
   • Any awards, critical responses and other professional recognition for each title.
2. Professional development activities.
3. Copies of paid invoices pertaining to eligible activities (marketing, editing and design, professional development), up to the amount of the grant.

^ Top of Page

Please submit applications to:

For more information and to obtain an application form, contact:

^ Top of Page