Megan Folden

Bill was successful in applying for a Book Publishing Production Grant for his book Jessie the Doo-Doo Dog & the Visitors from Mars

Bill Hutchinson is finding similarities between his previous life as an architect and his new role as an author and illustrator of children’s books. “There is the same satisfaction and sense of accomplishment in producing a building that people enjoy using on a daily basis and a book that kids have fun reading again and again.”

Bill and his wife write and illustrate a book series about their dog Jessie, intended for youngsters from five to eight years of age. They were successful in applying for a Book Publishing Production Grant for their latest book, Jessie the Doo-Doo Dog & the Visitors from Mars, made possible by Creative Saskatchewan. “Support from Creative Saskatchewan significantly reduces the financial burden of book production and also provides much appreciated validation of an author’s work,” says Hutchinson. “This increases confidence and motivation in moving forward with the further development of writing skills and creative products.”

While some may be apprehensive to begin the grant process, Hutchinson felt supported through the process. “The support I received from Creative Sask staff throughout the grant application process was excellent. As a debut author, I had a lot of questions and there was always someone to provide the answers I needed along the way. It should also be noted that Creative Saskatchewan is still interested in my work long after its publication. Upon learning about the major book award my latest book earned, the staff were genuinely excited to hear the good news. This is particularly gratifying.”

Hutchinson is proud to say that his project is a very Saskatchewan affair. “Almost all the work for my book projects, including writing, editing, illustrating and electronic image preparation plus design and layout of the book are carried out by Saskatchewan based companies and residents,” says Hutchinson. “Book projects like mine produce three kinds of positive economic spinoffs. First, most of the money invested in production of the books stays right here in Saskatchewan, supporting Saskatchewan businesses and families. Second, book sales following publication also support local enterprises. Third, sales tax revenues along with corporate and personal income taxes resulting from production and sales of the books support the Government of Saskatchewan which enables Creative Saskatchewan to continue its important mission of advancing the growth and vitality of the province’s creative enterprises.”

“Financial support from an agency like Creative Saskatchewan, together with the amazing reach of electronic communications, give homegrown creative talent the best possible chance of succeeding both here and elsewhere,” says Hutchinson. “As someone who has seen the value of this approach, I welcome this opportunity to offer sincere thanks to the folks at Creative Saskatchewan for all they are doing on our behalf!”

Robin Karpan was successful in applying for a Book Publishing Production Grant (Author-Funded stream) for their book, Saskatchewan’s Best Scenic Drives – Revised Edition.

Robin Karpan knew he was onto something with his book, Saskatchewan’s Best Scenic Drives – Revised Edition, and was happy it was made possible through the Book Publishing Production Grant (Author-Funded Stream). “We think that the key factor was showing how the project would be economically viable,” says Karpan. “It also helped that we have a track record of producing books that have been successful and have sold well.”

Karpan and his wife, Arlene, own and operate Parkland Publishing where they are also the authors and photographers of the 16 titles they have published. This book is a travel guide to scenic driving routes throughout Saskatchewan, with the theme of “taking the road less travelled.” Instead of sticking to major highways, the drives concentrate on secondary highways, backroads, and off-the-beaten-track routes. Each route includes an introduction to why it is an attractive drive, a detailed map, a description of the route with precise directions and GPS coordinates, stories, descriptions of points of interest along the way, and plenty of eye-catching colour photography.

The Karpans became aware of the grant through SaskBooks and were pleased to find out their project fit the requirements for the grant. The grant was used for book production and some marketing, with the biggest cost being printing which has increased in price significantly in the past few years. “The grant helps to spread the financial risk of the project.  It allowed us to become profitable earlier in the process because of the sharing of the production costs,” says Karpan.

Saskatchewan obviously plays a large role in the Karpans’ work and they are proud to have their book put the focus on Saskatchewan. “All of the funds in the production were spent in Saskatchewan. We use a printing company in Saskatchewan. Most of the retailers handling our books are in Saskatchewan, so they benefit from sales of our books. Our most recent project, as well as most of our other books, deals with travel and tourism in Saskatchewan. They encourage people to explore different parts of the province, so there are numerous economic spin-offs for tourism businesses and communities throughout Saskatchewan. Many people from outside Saskatchewan purchase our Saskatchewan-related travel books, then travel to Saskatchewan and spend money here,” explains Karpan. “We have found that Saskatchewan people are extremely interested in learning more about places around the province, so as a consequence our books have sold well. The most rewarding part of running a creative business in the province is seeing our products being accepted by Saskatchewan people.”

Karpan addresses the importance of being an entrepreneur in the arts. “A business in the arts is the same as any other business. It needs to be profitable to survive. Some arts organizations do not support writers who want to publish their own books. They take the view that writers should ‘know their place’ and not become entrepreneurial and strive to become more profitable,” says Karpan. “We’re fortunate to have a program like Creative Saskatchewan which fosters entrepreneurship in the arts rather than stifles it.”