For more than a year, the acute humanitarian crisis in Gaza has weighed on the minds of our members, as well as publishers, authors and artists across the world. On May 29, 2024, at the annual general meeting of the Association of English-Language Publishers of Quebec, a motion was passed to inform the public that a majority of members present at the AGM had voted to condemn genocide and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Although quorum was reached and the motion passed, because fewer than half of members attended the AGM and because the item was not on the agenda circulated in advance of the meeting, the AELAQ board elected to engage in broader member consultation before releasing a statement. A further vote was conducted by email. Of AELAQ’s twenty-six members, 58 per cent voted in favour of issuing a statement conveying that a majority of members present at the AGM condemn genocide and to call for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.

Among those who voted in favour of the motion, some members expressed a sense of responsibility borne by writers and publishers to take a stance on the pressing issues of our time; some said that publicly funded organizations have a duty to take a public stance on issues in which their governments are implicated. Among those who dissented were those who expressed a view that such statements are the responsibility of individual writers and publishers, not of umbrella organizations.

The Association of English-Language Publishers of Quebec (Association des éditeurs de langue anglaise du Québec) is a not-for-profit organization that advances the publication, distribution, and promotion of English-language books from Quebec. AELAQ is bound to represent its members’ interests, which it undertakes primarily through professional development offerings, marketing initiatives, and advocacy for the anglophone Quebec publishing industry. Today we are heeding the request of a majority of our members to convey their thoughts on a matter that falls outside the organization’s typical remit, which speaks to the historical moment in which we find ourselves.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Fraser

Past President

Association of English-Language Publishers of Quebec

kathleen@aelaq.org

AELAQ is Seeking an Executive Director

Update: This post is now closed. Thank you to all who applied.

AELAQ is seeking an organized, self-motivated Executive Director (ED) to carry out our mandate of supporting English-language book publishers in Quebec. Reporting to AELAQ’s board of directors, the ED establishes the organization’s priorities, and is the primary coordinator of its activities. This is a unique opportunity to be a voice for Quebec’s English-language publishing industry, and to ensure that our members’ diverse and vibrant authors and books continue to be seen and appreciated around the province, across Canada, and beyond.

This is a permanent part-time salaried position at 25 hours/week, located in Montreal, Quebec.

About the Organization

The Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec (Association des éditeurs de langue anglaise du Québec; AELAQ) is a not-for-profit organization that advances the publication, distribution, and promotion of English-language books from Quebec. We’re a member-driven organization representing a diverse and engaged group of Quebec-based publishers, including publishers of literary fiction and poetry, scholarly works, books for kids, graphic novels, and books covering politics, history, and culture. We support our member publishers through professional development, advocacy, and marketing initiatives. AELAQ also publishes the Montreal Review of Books, a print and online journal published three times a year.

Key duties of the Executive Director include:

• Fundraising and financial management: Grant-writing and reporting; working with the accountant and bookkeeper to ensure all financial duties and reports are done on time; setting the annual budget and project budgets; managing cash flow; seeking new funding opportunities. 
• Governance: Reporting to and liaising with the AELAQ Board of Directors; coordinating and participating in board meetings; ensuring the organization follows its bylaws.
• Publishing the Montreal Review of Books: Liaising with the editors, graphic designer, advertising manager, printer, distributors, and other parties; participating in editorial meetings and book selection; overseeing ad sales within Quebec.
• Facilitating members’ professional development: Keeping up-to-date with the publishing industry; establishing members’ needs and coordinating activities such as workshops and seminars (3-5 annually) to make sure they receive the skills they require.
• Increasing visibility of AELAQ members and the books they publish: Co-coordinating AELAQ’s annual Holiday Book Fair; representing AELAQ at book fairs and other public-facing events, including the Salon du livre de Montréal; seeking out new opportunities to raise the visibility of AELAQ members and their books.
• Communication: Responding to queries from members and from the public on the publishing industry; maintaining and developing relationships with other local and national organizations working toward similar goals.

The ideal candidate will have:

• A minimum of 2 years’ experience in a leadership or management position, including financial management;
• Strong knowledge of the Quebec, Canadian, and international book-publishing landscape;
• Strong fundraising skills with proven track record (grant-writing, other types of fundraising);
• Experience with event coordination;
• Familiarity with non-profit governance;
• English/French bilingualism;
• Ability to multitask, think independently, and initiate and execute projects.

Things that will be useful for the selected candidate:

• Graphic design abilities;
• Familiarity with SimplyAccounting, FreshBooks, WordPress, MailChimp, SurveyMonkey;
• Familiarity with social media;
• Driver’s license and vehicle.

Job Conditions:

Permanent, part-time position at 25 hours/week*, with a salary of $28,600 annually. Occasional evenings and weekends are required (a few times a year), as is occasional travel (once or twice a year). Perks include flexible hours and 4 weeks of paid vacation plus paid time off between Christmas and New Years’.

AELAQ is primarily an English-language workplace, but French fluency is key to this position, which involves being in regular contact with Francophone organizations and individuals. 

AELAQ’s office is located in downtown Montreal, in a wheelchair-accessible (as of fall 2020) Heritage building with a gender-neutral washroom. At present, the position can be done remotely for the most part, but occasional trips to the office will be required. 

*Possibility of becoming a full-time position if funding allows.

How To Apply

Please send a CV and cover letter stating your interest in and competencies for the position as a single document to admin@aelaq.org. Deadline to apply is October 19, 2020. Interviews will take place over Zoom in the first two weeks of November.  Position starts January 4, 2021 with two weeks of training.

Recognizing the structural barriers that marginalized people have faced and continue to face in the publishing industry, AELAQ welcomes applications from all qualified individuals, and encourages Indigenous people, people of colour, LGBTQI+ people, people with disabilities, and members of any other marginalized group to self‐identify if they are comfortable doing so.

Like so many sectors around the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit the publishing industry hard. With physical bookstores closed and launches and book tours cancelled, the effects have rippled across the landscape with devastating results. “Publishers are experiencing precarity,” says Oliver Fugler of Montreal-based Metonymy Press. “Printers in Quebec have been closed, distributors are struggling, and small presses have been falling through the cracks of available relief funding.” 

But publishers continue to find ways to make their books accessible to readers and support their authors. “Our members have responded quickly and creatively,” says Anna Leventhal, Executive Director of the Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec. “Those who do online sales are offering discounts and free shipping, and some have already begun to host online launches and readings.” “Véhicule Press is working hard to adapt to the quarantine requirements all while promoting its books and supporting its authors,” says Jennifer Varkonyi, on behalf of the independent publishing house that’s been operating since 1973. “Each member of our small team is working remotely, committed to the press and its mandate.”

Read on for details what Quebec’s English-language publishers are doing to keep books moving, including online sales, virtual author events, and more. Updated with new info as of June 2020!

Book Sales

Many AELAQ members are offering discounts on their web-stores, on books that can be delivered to your door or your e-reader:

• Linda Leith Publishing | Linda Leith Éditions is offering 50% off all spring titles (paper and digital)
• Véhicule Press is offering readers thematic Book Bundles such as poetry, women writers, and vintage noir, with savings of over 50%
• Black Rose Books is offering ebooks for free, pay-what-you-can, or 50% discount 
• Renaissance Press is offering a 25% discount on online orders with the code STAYHOME
• Baraka Books and its imprint QC Fiction are offering free shipping in North America on all their titles
• McGill-Queen’s University Press is offering a number of initiatives, including giveaways and increased access to ebooks
• Prince Chameleon Press is offering free downloads of their books for teachers, parents, and kids

Other great ways to get books in your hands include buying from independent bookstores, who have been doing an amazing job keeping readers supplied: 

• This map shows independent bookstores across Canada that are doing home delivery or curbside pickup. Search your location to find a bookstore near you (with thanks to Don Gorman of Rocky Mountain Books!)
• Les Libraires is a network of independent Quebec bookstores, and their online marketplace now includes English books
• All Lit Up is offering free shipping anywhere in Canada for the rest of April

Events and Author Apperances

In-person launches and readings are on hold, but AELAQ members’ authors are taking to the internet to share their writing.

• LLP | LLÉ authors are doing video readings and creating posts for Salon .ll.
• Véhicule Press author Joe Fiorito is featured reading a poem from his new book, All I Have Learned is Where I Have Been on the 49^th Shelf blog, and poet Sadiqa de Meijer’s collection is featured on the All Lit Up blog
• Black Rose Books author Josh Hawley participated in a panel discussion on housing activism in a pandemic–watch the session here
• Renaissance Press is coordinating a virtual writing and publishing conference to take place at the end of May. Consult their website for details
• Pow Pow Press has a YouTube channel featuring author events

Find Out More

For more information, contact us.