Aspiring authors across the world routinely find themselves bouncing around publishers to see who will take their work. It’s part of the job, and with enough time and patience, they will find someone willing to take their book. For some authors in Newfoundland, however, they have to take on this part of the profession themselves.
Publishers in Newfoundland, more than a lot of places, are not only picky about the quality of the work, but the specific content of said work. In particular, most seem to want stories that are based around Newfoundland itself, be it with the characters, setting, thematic elements, or other various components.
If the story you wrote does not feature Newfoundland in any sort of prominent way, you will likely struggle to get it published by one of the major local publishers. This may seem strange at first, but starts to make more sense upon further inspection of Newfoundland culture.
Newfoundland is a very patriotic place, with a distinct identity from the rest of Canada. Most Newfoundlanders would tell you that they are Newfoundlanders first, and Canadians second. There is nothing that Newfoundlanders seem to love more than Newfoundland, and this shows in everything they interact with, from clothes and food to shows and books.
Even in places such as the Avalon Mall, filled with massive chains and name brands, there are still a handful of smaller stores that are Newfoundland owned and operated. Downtown St. John’s consists mostly of either local businesses, or ones that started in Newfoundland, and have grown elsewhere since. No matter where you go in Newfoundland, you will always see some form of Newfoundland.
This may be the reason why publishers are hesitant to take non-Newfoundland stories. They know Newfoundland makes money off patriotism and pride, so they simply follow suit. This has led to more authors choosing to self-publish going on the rise, as authors who wish to write about other content have very limited options.
For writers who aren’t interested in writing a Newfoundland-centric book, they likely have to resort to self-publishing on Amazon or Kindle. Should they wish to sell physical copies, they have to promote the book themselves at local conventions and markets, while undergoing the often-painstaking process of getting a local bookstore to take it.
One publisher on the island who takes a much wider scope of content is Engen Books. Founded in 2007, Engen takes all sorts of different books, Newfoundland-centric or not.
“What if a Newfoundland author wants to write about a far-off world? Or a high fantasy land? Or simply, a place that isn’t here?” Said Matthew LeDrew, founder of Engen Books. Through publishing a wider variety of content, LeDrew and Engen “…don’t want to limit Newfoundland authors to just Newfoundland subjects… This is baked into the DNA of our company.”
When asked why he thinks publishers here are hesitant on non-Newfoundland subject matter, LeDrew said: “There’s an unwillingness to change baked into that, and an unwillingness to grow. Another publisher might try a science-fiction title and have it bomb and say ‘science-fiction doesn’t sell in Newfoundland,’ when we feel they should say ‘I am bad at marketing science-fiction, I should learn different marketing techniques and try this again.’”
This may also show that publishers here are hesitant to get back up and try alternate approaches if something doesn’t go their way. Local authors, however, are a completely different story.
“We only have one publisher here in Newfoundland that explicitly publishes non-Newfoundland content,” said local author Ann Neville, author of Barber, Black Sheep, who is one of many who have turned to self-publishing in recent years. Neville mentioned that self-publishing does have some financial benefits, stating: “I make more in royalties than I would had I traditionally published.”
Speaking of financial benefits, Neville says money plays a role in Newfoundland publishing. “Look at us: we’re not doing well. In the 21st century, our biggest money-maker is tourism – so, in order for this province to get by, it has to sell itself, and books are a great way to do that.”
Financially, for Neville this idea makes sense, but it creates some unfortunate downsides for the writers themselves. “Unfortunately, by only taking Newfoundland-themed content, it means that publishers are forcing authors who want to write about other topics to look elsewhere, narrowing the scope of what it means to be a Newfoundland artist and creating an unwelcoming atmosphere of exclusivity,” said Neville.
The publishing scene here has become a reflection of the larger Newfoundland identity. Intense patriotism and loyalty have always been a part of our culture. These practices may dissuade some aspiring authors, but others are undeterred.
They press on and forge their own path, regardless of the difficulties they may face. In a way, they’re also reflecting another part of Newfoundland’s identity: perseverance, and the willingness to push forward, regardless of the odds.
