Creative BC Book Publishers Market Fund

Insider Tip

You must be an ABPBC member or have received prior Creative BC funding — contact ABPBC (books. bc.ca) for membership if you are a new BC publisher. The fund operates on a fiscal year basis (April-March) and can exhaust before year-end for peak event seasons like Frankfurt (October) — apply at the start of the fiscal year (April) for events planned later in the year. The per-event caps ($1,500 domestic, $2,250 international) are modest; this fund works best as a contribution to larger trade mission budgets rather than full event cost coverage. Contact Creative BC's Domestic Programs team with questions before applying or Katie Czenczek (creativebc.com/contact) with questions before applying.

Rejection Pitfalls 6

• Applicant is an individual author, distributor, or literary agent (not a publisher)
• Publisher is not an ABPBC member and has not previously received Creative BC funding
• Event is not on Creative BC's pre-approved event list

Success Profile

Established BC book publishers with ABPBC membership who regularly attend international and domestic book fairs for rights sales and catalogue promotion. Small-to-mid-size publishers attending 2-5 events per year across both domestic and international markets benefit most from the $10K annual cap.

Evaluation Criteria

First-come, first-served eligibility review. Creative BC staff verify ABPBC membership or prior funding history, confirm the event is on the approved list, and assess the proposed activities against program objectives. No competitive scoring panel for this fund — eligible applications are approved until the annual budget is exhausted.

Application Steps

Required Documents 4

Eligible Expenses 6

• Trade show and book fair registration fees
• Booth and display costs at approved events
• Catalogue printing and promotional materials for event distribution
• Rights guide production and distribution
• Foreign rights marketing campaigns
• Marketing material development for domestic and international markets

Ineligible Expenses 4

• Travel and accommodation costs (not covered)
• Events not on Creative BC's pre-approved event list
• Author promotional activities (publisher must be the primary beneficiary)
• Ongoing overhead or administrative expenses

Intake Periods

Annual fiscal year cycle (April 1 – March 31). Rolling applications accepted until funds exhausted. New cycle opens each April 1.

Deadline Notes

Applications accepted on a rolling, first-come, first-served basis from April 1 to March 31 each fiscal year or until funds are exhausted. Apply well ahead of planned event attendance; post-event reporting is required to receive reimbursement.

Open Application Portal →

Ineligible Organizations

• Individual authors and illustrators
• Literary agents and distributors
• Publishers not based in BC
• Publishers without ABPBC membership who have not previously received Creative BC funding

Compatible Programs

Clawback Risk

Low Risk

Reimbursement is only issued after post-event reporting, so clawback risk is minimal. If an event does not take place as planned after approval, notify Creative BC promptly.