Maria Zuppardi, host of the Publisher’s Weekly recommended podcast, Get (Can)Lit, joins us today to talk about one of our favourite bookish topics ever: small press CanLit. Her answer to our question about reading books from small presses astounds and reminds us of why we started reading in the first place: to lose a bit of ourselves, and find a bit we never knew existed.
Welcome, Maria!
Get (Can)Lit—listen now!
Q: You’re obviously a voracious reader and one who vehemently supports small press CanLit. What would you tell someone who only reads—or reads predominantly—books by multinationals, to get them into reading more books by indie presses?
A: I have so many thoughts on this, what a topic to discuss! For those who read books that get all the social media hype, or the best placement in bookstores, congratulations, because you just fell for some great marketing plan that’s been in action for literally months. No shade though, because I’ll be honest, I totally fall for those blockbuster reads as well. I can’t deny reading a book I’ve seen a million times! But that’s what drives Big 5 publishing today - thousands of dollars (perhaps even hundreds of thousands?) being poured into printing ARCs, mailing costs, paid advertising geared towards librarians and booksellers, NetGalley costs and ads, conference fees, author travel….all to make sure that one of the books you read is THEIR book. By the time the book gets published, it’s all we see until the next big thing releases, and it’s up to us consumers to make up the financial hole this book is in, and help balance out those accounting reports for the publishers, or not.
It’s easy to walk into a bookstore or library and pick up the first thing we see because it’s on a table or other display, or on sale for that matter. But you know what? If you take your time and get lost in those bookshelves, you’re guaranteed to find a hidden gem, and it might not even be a book you’ve ever heard about! If you want to be a little more conscious of the types of books you read, here are my best tips:
Do a little bit of research. Simply googling “Toronto authors” or whatever province you live in will yield results, which will ultimately land you on an independent publishers list. We’re known for championing local authors before they’re snatched up by the Big 5!
Find out who your independent presses are. Again, a simple Google search that you can tailor to your needs. Canada has so many different types of publishers who specialize in unique books like travel, poetry, nonfiction, or again, specifically local authors.
Ask your local bookstore. Booksellers at indie bookstores are THE BEST. They know anything and everything about what you need even before you know you should read it. They have to be magical beings of some sort, I swear! Indie bookstores always keep indie presses in stock, and they are huge supporters for local indie authors. If you don’t have a local bookstore near you, you can always send them an email or see what types of books are on their social media, and find some new reads through there.
Scope out literary festivals. Even if you can’t attend, there’s always a great mix of Big 5 and indie press authors. See who’s on what panel, find out who published what and pick up that book that interests you. Just don’t regret not going to see the author talk about their book live when you had the chance!
At the end of the day, making slight behaviour changes to how you shop in bookstores or search for books online will go a long way. Authors from independent publishers face a unique set of challenges in the industry, and their books deserve to be read as much as anyone else. Especially for BIPOC authors. It’s so tough at the Big 5, let alone at an indie. But I promise you, #DiverseCanLit from Canadian publishers is literally superior to anything else that comes out internationally. Give it a try, agree with me, and keep buying those books from independent publishers! And when you find that little press you love, champion them on your own social media, share their books with others. You’ll have a very appreciative author, and press, behind you!
More about Maria:
Maria Zuppardi is an avid reader, book lover, and coffee drinker in Toronto. You can find her talking about all books at @readingmaria, and also talking about Canadian authors on the Get (Can)Lit Podcast available on your favourite platform.