Globalization and the direction of the Canadian publishing industry

Since the merger of Indigo and Chapters in 2001, and the bankruptcy of Stoddart Publishing and General Distribution Services in 2002, the Canadian publishing industry has faced perilous times in an already troubled market sector. In addition to the problems specific to the Canadian publishing industry- for example, federal and provincial funding cuts to the industry; the monopoly of the book retail market by the chain outlet Chapters-Indigo; the difficulty and expense of book distribution within Canada; competition from multinational publishing companies; the lack and expense of traditional marketing opportunities- the growing global market for books presents further difficulties for an industry that is struggling to retain its "Canadian" focus. This study considers the recent impact, both positive and negative, of globalization on the Canadian book industry, with a specific focus on publishers as the key figures in this industry. By surveying three publishing houses that represent specific segments of the industry- large multinational, mid-size, and small presses- I examine different approaches to surviving in the current book market and offer several conclusions about the future of Canadian publishing, most notably that the larger the publishing house, the less it is troubled by challenging market conditions.