Megan Folden

Marc Rousseau was successful in applying for a Book Publishing Production Grant (author-funded stream) for his book A Miserable Guide to Saskatoon 2: It’s Just More of the Same.

After leaving his life in California for a new one in Saskatoon, independent comic author Marc Rousseau noticed some quirky things about the Bridge City. Documenting these observations through a collection of comics, anecdotes, and stories, he self-published his first book, A Miserable Guide to Saskatoon to poke fun at his new home.

The book became a big hit and continues to sell well years after its initial publication. A Miserable Guide was so popular that Rousseau decided it needed a sequel. With a plan in place for a second book, Rousseau submitted a successful application for a Creative Saskatchewan Book Publishing Grant through the author-funded stream.

A Miserable Guide to Saskatoon 2: It’s Just More of the Same was published in October of 2023. Like its predecessor, it is printed locally and sold in stores and shops throughout Saskatoon. Less than a year after publication, the book is already over 50% sold out of its initial print run of 1,500 copies.

The timing of the grant approval couldn’t have been better for Rousseau. After getting laid off from his part-time office job, Rousseau used the Creative Saskatchewan grant as an opportunity to pursue comic creation full-time. “It wouldn’t be possible to be where I am, at this scale, without the Creative Saskatchewan grant,” he states.

As sales for his Miserable Guide books continue to roll in, Rousseau is hard at work on his first graphic novel. The successful launch of A Miserable Guide to Saskatoon 2 has allowed him to take on this much bigger project. With regular income coming in and a strong foundation underneath him, Rousseau is able to work on the next big thing.

“It’s been a fun journey,” Rousseau reflects, “but it feels more solid now than ever.”

Creative Saskatchewan is a proud sponsor of the Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Thanks to the hard work of everyone involved with the Saskatchewan Book Awards throughout its 31-year history, our province has shown a commitment to telling its stories.

“The Saskatchewan Book Awards are a very valuable peer assessment of a publisher’s work, telling Saskatchewan stories, sharing work of Saskatchewan authors, but it’s also a great marketing tool,” says Heather Nickel, past president of SaskBooks and owner of Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing.

Nickel points out there is a direct correlation between book sales and success in the awards. “Marketing becomes easier when a book has won an award,” she says. “Our book awards have an excellent reputation nationwide for discerning titles that readers will want to read.”

The Saskatchewan Book Awards is run by a working board. This board puts on a gala every year, assesses criteria for awards, and makes sure as many genres as possible are represented in the awards. “There aren’t many provincial book awards that have as inclusive a variety of recognition and awards as the Sask Book Awards,” Nickel says.

Creative Saskatchewan has been a proud Saskatchewan Book Award sponsor for the Publishing Award since 2020. The sponsorship amount of $5,000 annually goes towards a $2,000 prize to the award recipient while the remaining $3,000 is dedicated to support administration costs and the hosting of the annual award ceremony.

The award is presented annually to the Saskatchewan publisher of the best book, based on literary or artistic value, the quality of editing, book design, production, and content. Past winners have included local publishers such as Radiant Press and the University of Regina Press.