N.S. offers up to $1.1 million to aid local publishers

Nova Scotia publishing houses are receiving up to $1.1 million in provincial government support, Minister of Communities, Culture and Heritage Tony Ince announced today.

The money comes from the Creative Industries Fund, set aside by the government to support businesses, non-profit organizations and other creative enterprises. The $1.1 million will go to 11 of the province’s publishers.  

The investment aims to give local publishers “the support they need to double and grow their efforts over the next five years,” said Ince.

The money is designated to help local publishers expand their sales in national and international markets. Ince added that Nova Scotian authors often publish their work with publishers outside the province, but publishing in Nova Scotia “is a vital contributor to our economy.”

“This fund creates a win-win situation,” Ince said during the announcement. “Creative people and businesses win because they earn a living doing what they love, and Nova Scotians win because our culture attracts visitors, businesses and residents.”

Ince stressed the importance of creative industries on the province’s economy, noting that culture contributes $949 million to Nova Scotia’s economy and provides 14,000 jobs.

Terrilee Bulger, general manager and co-owner of Halifax’s Nimbus Publishing, said the money “will allow us to strengthen the industry.”

Bulger said Nova Scotia’s publishing industry is composed of 15 publishers that produce 170 new books a year, two-thirds of them written by Nova Scotia authors.

“It’s certainly a big start,” Bulger said. “This is bringing us to a level of being competitive with other publishers across the country, which is fantastic.”

Nimbus will use the money to produce additional books this fall and to expand in other areas.

“It’s going to result in being able to create more books and do more with the books that we’ve created,” Bulger said.