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FEATURES INSTITUTIONS BY ARTISTS COMMISSIONS ADVOCACY & RESOURCES REPERTOIRE OF BC ARC PUBLICATIONS The Grey Guide to artist-run publishing & circulation

edited by original essays by Anne Bertrand ∞ Felicity Tayler This publication has benefitted from the support of Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in ARCA wishes to thank all ad hoc meeting participants*, the Canada Council for the Arts as well as support Publication the staff at Artexte, Olivier Charbonneau, François for translation from Canadian Heritage. Dion and Michael Maranda for their astute feedback, as well as ARCA’s members** for their ongoing confidence Tayler, Felicity, 1977-, author and support. This publication has also benefitted from The Grey Guide to Artist-Run Publishing and Circu- The grey guide to artist-run publishing & the support of l’Association des groupes en arts visuels lation is produced by Artist-Run Centres and Col- circulation / edited by Anne Bertrand ; original francophones (AGAVF) and the Regroupement des lectives Conference (ARCA) in collaboration with essays by Felicity Tayler = Le petit gris : guide de centres d’artistes autogérés du Québec (RCAAQ) via le Regroupement des centres d’artistes autogérés l'édition en art & de la distribution autogérée / its program for promotion of publications. du Québec (RCAAQ). The seven essays of this pub- dirigé par Anne Bertrand ; essais inédits de lication were first launched through a bi-weekly Felicity Tayler. *Gina Badger, Sophia Bartholomew, Katie Belcher, e-campaign from March 1 to June 21, 2017. Adam Waldron Blain, Vincent Bonin, Michel Boutin, Andy Brown, Pascale Bureau, Nicole Burisch, Bopha Includes bibliographical references. Chhay, France Choinière, Brenda Cleniuk, Peter Published by Issued in print and electronic formats. Dykhuis, Hannah_g, Danny Gaudreault, Philip Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Text in English and French on inverted pages. Girvan, Kay Higgins, Nisk Imbeault, Jeff Khonsary, Conference / Conférence des collectifs ISBN 978-0-9959968-0-9 (softcover).--ISBN 978-0- Jp King, Jean Lalonde, John Latour, Yaniya Lee, Kegan et des centres d’artistes autogérés 9959968-1-6 (PDF) (JJ) McFadden, Robin Metcalfe, Jonathan Middleton, C. P. 125, Succ. C Amish Morrel, Kim Nguyen, Johanna Rickay, Kathy Montréal (Québec) H2L 4J7 Slade, Susie Smith, Tracy Stefanucci, cheyanne turions, www.arca.art 1. Art publishing. 2. Copyright--Art. I. Bertrand, Clayton Windatt, Jamie Wright. Anne, 1961-, editor II. Tayler, Felicity, 1977- . Grey guide to artist-run publishing & circulation III. **The Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Confe- editor: Anne Bertrand Tayler, Felicity, 1977- . Grey guide to artist-run rence/La conférence des collectifs et des centres contributing editor*: Felicity Tayler publishing & circulation . French. IV. Artist-Run d’artistes autogérés (ARCCC/CCCAA, a.k.a. ARCA) copy editors: Magalie Bouthillier, Edwin Janzen, Centres and Collectives Conference, issuing body is a federation of nine artist-run associations that Isabelle Lamarre V. Title. VI. Title: Petit gris. represent a network of more than one hundred and translators: Simon Brown, Isabelle Lamarre eighty artist-run centres and collectives in Canada. design and layout: Annie Lafleur ARCA supports the organization of national, interna- printed by Imprimerie Gauvin Z286.A77T39 2017 070.5 C2017-903728-5E tional and transnational conferences in partnership C2017-903729-3E with its members: Alberta Association of Artist-Run Centres (AAARC), Association of Artist-Run *Except for the introduction by Anne Bertrand, Centres from the Atlantic (AARCA), The Aboriginal the essays “Networking and Distribution: It all rights reserved Region (ABO), Artist-Run Centres and Collectives of Doesn’t Happen by Itself” by Esther Vincent Legal deposit, 2017 Ontario (ARCCO), l’Association des groupes en arts (reproduced by permission of author and pub- Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec visuels francophones (AGAVF), Manitoba Artist-Run lisher) and “Economics and the Writer” by Frank and Library and Archives Canada, 2017 Centres (MARC), Pacific Association of Artist-Run Davey (reproduced by permission of author and © Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Centres (PAARC), Plains Association of Artist-Run publisher), and the glossary in collaboration with Conference / Conférence des collectifs Centres (PARCA) and Regroupement des centres Corinn Gerber. et des centres d’artistes autogérés d’artistes autogérés du Québec (RCAAQ). Printed in Québec, Canada

Introduction

8 What’s at Stake? Content by Anne Bertrand

Essays Guide

18 80 What Is a Public? What Is Publicity? How to Make by Felicity Tayler a Boring Book 26 86 From Dissemination to Circulation Budget Items by Felicity Tayler 88 30 Media releases Networking and Distribution: 90 It Doesn’t Happen by Itself Referencing by Esther Vincent 94 36 Circulation and Material Conditions Sales Point by Felicity Tayler 100 42 Glossary Economics and the Writer in collaboration with by Frank Davey Corinn Gerber 56 Moral and Legislative Economies of Artist-Run Publishing by Felicity Tayler 64 Situating Artist-Run Publishing Within Digital Culture by Felicity Tayler 70 Resources and Resourcefulness by Felicity Tayler 74 The Post-Digital Now by Anne Bertrand and Felicity Tayler 11

What’s at Stake? by Anne Bertrand

“We are a sub-sector of artist-run — our title, The Grey Guide to Artist-Run Publishing Quotes opposite: and Circulation refers to the not-so-familiar catego- culture, not of the publishing indus- Gina Badger, notes taken at try.… The thing we share is a passion the meeting of the TXT–Cana- ry of “grey literature,” a mode of text-based cultural for audacious, educational, and acces- dian Art Publishing Network production common to our organizations/institutions. Meeting, November 7-8, 2014, sible art publishing in all its forms. Re- Artexte, Montréal. This category includes reference works, manuals, cura- lentlessly resourceful and productive, torial essays, directories, ephemera, grant applications, we are a source of innovation for pub- reports—works that often look inward upon the orga- lishing in this country and beyond. Our nization that produces them and that reside and circu- work plays an essential role in advanc- late mostly outside the better known commercial and ing critical discourse and documenta- academic publishing and distribution channels. Fur- tion of contemporary art in Canada.” thermore, the title Grey Guide refers to the grey areas arising from an ongoing negotiation between owners and users of copyrighted content in the digital age with the result, we hope, of bringing greater nuance to an otherwise polarizing discussion. In this awareness, the Grey Guide focuses upon distribution as a key concern for publishing within artist-run culture, alongside complex issues like conditions of production, copy- right and fair dealing, and ethical protocols arising from within a community of practice. A section on resources offers practical guidelines, a lexicon of pub- lishing terms, and links to other reference documents of interest to artist-run centres (ARCs) that wish to support publishing in all its forms as part of their ac- tivities. The Grey Guide not only investigates why we publish, how and for whom, it serves as a reminder 12 Anne Bertrand What’s at Stake? 13

that most makers of books in the visual of the physical gallery space. Among in Canada and Québec, 1967–1974. The meaning. Overall, participants agreed arts wrestle with decisions at every step these agile forms, the book represents guide therefore benefits from art-his- the resources required for effective in- of their production, whether financial, an ideal for communicating concepts to torical grounding, as well as a practi- ternational circulation of publicity and material, ethical, or aesthetic. the public through text and images: easy cal understanding of the information publications are grossly underestimat- to share through digital editions, easy to systems that form the infrastructure of ed. While some art publishers continue Artist-run centres represent the inter- ship (despite rising shipping costs), easy a future-oriented digital culture. Tayler’s to enjoy the services of commercial dis- ests of artists, critics, cultural workers to exchange online or hand-to-hand. discussion of theoretical issues around tribution, most must rely on proactive and administrators working in relation The circulation of publications is valued copyright and intellectual property self-distribution. to artist-run culture. Artist-run centres in artist-run culture for its potential to are not to be construed as legal advice; publish when artists choose to use the generate social relations, creating new rather, they outline some basic princi- Tayler sets the tone for the Guide in book, or related digital forms, as an ar- publics over time. The seemingly unlim- ples. Tayler’s tasks began with reviewing “What Is a Public, What Is Publicity?” tistic medium. Artist-run centres also ited potential for dissemination prom- notes taken at various meetings of an ad Offering a set of definitions to help art- publish in order to document exhibi- ised by digital formats often assumes hoc committee of independent publishers ist-led publishers think about how the tions, producing pamphlets or didac- that once produced (often as a labour from Québec and Canada (see below for act of publication creates performa- tic materials before or at the time of the of love), our publications will contin- a full list of these meetings). She quickly tive effects; that is, making books, blogs exhibition, which can include short cu- ue to be cared for by readers and col- realized that the content of the Grey and other textual ephemera can create ratorial or creative essays. Less and less, lecting institutions, rather than left to Guide would have to respond to the con- a sense of belonging among disparate artist-run centres produce anthologies linger in brick-and-mortar storage or cerns raised in these community-initiat- readers, potentially bringing new modes including well-researched texts that fester, thanks to link rot, somewhere on ed meetings. Taking these concerns as a of social relations into being. Because reflect upon common themes arising a cloud server. starting point helped to orient the focus each publisher’s situation is unique— throughout the past programming year. of this guide toward addressing chal- every organization is a distinct amalgam Artist-led publishing can take place art publishing as a distinct lenges related to distribution, rather than of institutional histories, mandate, gov- through an artist-run centre, but also sub-sector of cultural the materiality or production of publi- ernance, finances, stakeholders, and so occurs in other institutional and para-in- production cations per se. The quotes that introduce on—no one model of publishing can be stitutional contexts. each brief are taken from the meeting conceived, proposed, or promoted as a ARCA and RCAAQ hired Felicity Tayler minutes and capture the voices of par- general “solution” for all organizations The material forms assumed by artist-led as a contributing editor for the Grey ticipants keen to share their experiences that participate in artist-run culture. publishing change as artists and their Guide because of her unique combina- of art publishing. These voices empha- In this essay, Tayler also introduces a institutions seek new, agile and adap- tion of experience as an artist, critic, size the fundamental role that discourse faceted taxonomy of book forms typical- tive modes of dissemination. Such shifts cultural worker and art librarian. Tayler plays in the reception of contemporary ly used in art publishing. The idea is to in modes of address are responses, in also recently completed her doctoral art, as exhibitions are now frequently show how the aesthetic choice of form is part, to the pressures of chronic finan- thesis, titled Conceptual Nationalisms: accompanied by texts that act as entry critical to attracting a public and to facil- cial instability combined with a sincere Conceptual Book-works, Countercultur- points to understanding the work— itating circulation through atypical trade desire to engage with the world outside al Imaginaries and the Neo-Avant-Garde or, conversely, produce a veil of muted routes. When shown an earlier draft of 14 Anne Bertrand What’s at Stake? 15

this taxonomy of publishing forms and within the networked processes by which a long-standing relationship with the erty, which necessitates an oppositional genres, artist Robin Metcalfe reflected art publications travel and gain influ- writing community.” Whatever the relationship between copyright owners upon the slipperiness of classification ence. The near absence of commercial future brings, public funding remains and copyright users. Within artist-run in a field that values hybrid publications distribution in this field has economic critical to producing publications that culture, the legislative frameworks of in- that combine aspects of artists’ books and social consequences, which are out- cannot compete within the free-market tellectual property law and related public and exhibition catalogues: lined by Esther Vincent, of Marginal economic model driving the processes funding policies are increasingly per- Distribution in an excerpt from the con- of globalization. Author and literary ceived to restrict or shut down cultural The format for these is conceptually ference proceedings of Off Printing/Tiré à historian Frank Davey’s essay “Eco- exchange—further disillusionment sets important, and directly involves the part reproduced after the essay. nomics and the Writer,” reproduced in as artists struggle to make a living. artist; these function only partly, if at all, with the essay, argues that the need as exhibition documentation in the usual “Material Conditions” addresses the for public subsidies is a historical and The following essay, “Copyright as a sense, but might rather be considered economics of writing and publishing structural problem: Practice of Daily Life for Artists and Art- a distinct publishing project that runs as activities complementary to a visual ist-Run Publishers” gives an overview parallel to the exhibition. The emphasis art practice. Publishing in the visual These opportunities have been supported of the mechanisms currently in place to may be on the aesthetic and material arts is often articulated in terms of di- by a network of social and government ensure the compensation of artists for aspects (close to the artist’s bookwork end minishing resources. Indeed, ARCA’s commitments—at both federal and pro- the use of their intellectual property. of the spectrum) or on discursive aspects research on the evolution of art-publi- vincial levels—that underscore a belief Conflicts arise when the cut-copy-and- (critical, historical, parallel creative texts, cation funding at the Canada Council that Canada’s cultural industries are too paste logic, dialogic, pluralistic and par- etc.), lying closer to the monograph. for the Arts (2014) confirmed a dimin- important—and too fragile—to be left ticipatory ideals of digital culture mean (Robin Metcalfe, personal communication, ishing eligibility for artist-run pub- to the whims of the global marketplace. that the identity of an individual or pub- October 6, 2015) lishing projects over the past thirty (Frank Davey, p. 113) lishing organization frequently oscillates years, with the exception of magazines between being the owner and the user of “From Dissemination to Circulation” (magazine funding has its own, in- “Moral and Legislative Economies of copyrighted content. emphasizes the active role that the pub- ternal challenges that will not be ad- Artist-Run Publishing” reflects upon lisher must play to ensure a connection dressed in this guide). However, in a why there is a growing movement to ex- “Situating Artist-Run Publishing within with immediate and long-term reader- prior meeting of the ad hoc commit- plicitly recognize artist-run publishing Digital Culture” outlines the concept of ships, whether this publisher is an art- tee, an ARCA member expressed the as a public good, a dematerialized art the “public domain” as both a legal cate- ist-run centre, an independent small conundrum differently, observing that object, a practice of community build- gory and a symbolic battleground where press, or the authors/artists themselves. relatively speaking, artist-run culture ing, of knowledge sharing, or as a “gift” international intellectual property law is Where “dissemination,” a term often has access to “an incredible amount to readers. This essay proposes that art- contested by post-national “free culture” used in cultural policy, implies the wide of resources, historical experience, ist-run publishing is presently respond- movements, which do not identify with spread of information without feedback knowledge; a solid network is in place, ing to a legislative environment in which social and economic inequalities arising from an audience, the term “circulation” foundation firmly laid with design- creative activity is defined as an econom- from the restriction of cultural expres- acknowledges that publics enjoy agency ers, copy editors, printers, as well as ic resource, that is, as intellectual prop- sion in a networked society. There are 16 17

parallels between the counter-publics cross-platform digital media and print Meetings of an ad hoc committee of Tangentially related: attracted to artist-run publishing and circulation model employed in this guide. independent publishers from Québec to those arising within digital culture, The authors hope that the Grey Guide may and Canada began quite organically at Meeting of Emerging and Developing such as those drawn to the open access, lend practitioners a better understanding the New York Art Book Fair (2008–12). Artist-Run Centres and Organizations, open source and Creative Commons of the nuanced situation in this field of ac- or, The No-Profit Model, The Pacific movements. tivity, and of our own agency in negotiat- Leading to: Association of Artist-Run Centres ing usage and circulation of cultural pro- (PAARC), March 29, 2014, Vancouver. “Resources and Resourcefulness” presents ductions, leading thereby, we hope, to less Unpublished Minutes, Consultation a “good enough” suite of practical tools, in- polarized positions. on Art Books in Canada, Visual Arts cluding a glossary of art publishing terms, Section, Canada Council for the Arts, which gives an idea of the resources re- so, what’s at stake and June 2012. quired at various stages of production for why should you care? print-based publications. An important, Followed by these meetings organized often overlooked component of these ini- This Guide seeks to provoke high-lev- by ARCA: tiatives is the publicity required to ensure el debate about the role of publishing in long-term circulation of publications artist-run culture. Combining theory Art Publishing Forum, East of There, needed to attract diverse niche publics. with practice, The Grey Guide also offers Saint John, New Brunswick, June 23, A sample checklist is provided so that practical guidance in this complex field, 2013. artist-run publishers can make informed so that a new generation of artists and decisions from the outset about the form cultural workers who wish to profession- ARCA Writing and Independent Pub- their publishing project will take, allow- alize may do so, while others may opt to lishing Meeting, February 27, 2014, ing them to carry out a project of any remain resolutely DIY if they so please. Librairie Formats, Montréal. scope with more confidence. Either way, somewhere on the continu- um between adopting an entrepreneur- TXT—Canadian Art Publishing Network “The Post-Digital Now” proposes ad- ial strategy and advocating for sustained Meeting, November 7–8, 2014, Artexte, vocacy avenues like the development of public funding, this guide offers insight Montréal. a writing fee schedule and support for into the advantages and disadvantages non-literary, creative non-fiction transla- inherent to a gamut of approaches. ∞ TXT—Canadian Art Publishing Network tion, to further recognize art publishing Meeting, October 16–17, 2015, Or Gallery as a distinct artistic form. More impor- & VA/BF, Vancouver. tantly, artists need to continue explor- ing alternative forms of publicity, such as by unleashing the potential of open access in the post-digital era, beyond the Essays 21

What Is a Public? by Felicity Tayler What Is Publicity?

this essay will discuss a selection of terms drawn from the influential field of “public sphere theory,” which nuance the practical tasks involved in producing and cir- culating books, magazines, or digital content. A faceted taxonomy of publishing genres commonly issued by art- ist-run centres to accompany this essay (→ http://www. arca.art/greyguide/taxonomy/). While it remains prone to the compartmentalization typical of classification schematics, the multidimensional nature of the faceted structure responds to the ways that these publishing genres deliberately blur boundaries through the use of visual strategies such as typographic design, choice of hybrid format, variable images and print quality, which frame the writerly tone of the content. These stylistic (aes- thetic) choices have the potential to attract complex, over- lapping readerships, or a diversity of publics.

The idea that there is something called apublic , which artists, writers and other producers of cultural expe- riences hope to connect with, is an ideal necessary to the function of liberal democratic society. The public sphere is a discursive space, that is, an imaginary or conceptual space that is produced through language and the expression of ideas. The function of this space is to encourage debate and discussion. This debate can occur in real time, when people meet in social 22 Felicity Tayler What Is a Public? What Is Publicity? 23

places, but can also be temporally ex- digital media platforms are increasing- over time, experiencing more than one linked to the political formation of the tended through media—books, mag- ly interconnected. However, there is a type of collective identification. The cog- sovereign nation-state. The legislative azines, newspapers and other kinds of growing awareness that this expanded nitive processing of concepts expressed territory is reinforced through the cul- textual communications (and today, field of communications technologies is within a text’s or image’s content deter- tivation of a national public that shares blogs, videos and social media). This me- not inherently progressive; instead, they mines what publics we participate within a social imaginary (a set of values, tra- diation allows people who may never are shaped by existing legal and moral and how those publics expand to include ditions, customs, language, territory, physically meet to believe that they can frameworks. There is a growing sense others. The means by which publications etc.). A public formed around an inter- have an impact on larger social issues by that the democratic ideals of the public circulate is crucial to the process of how est in the visual arts can participate in communicating their position through sphere are unsustainable or under threat publics are made. cultivating this national imaginary, as writing or images. in a moment of “post-truth” politics and the founders of the Canada Council for “fake news,” and many artists have re- Visual arts publishing is a specialized the Arts and the Conseil des arts et des The term publicity encompasses the sponded by engaging with the limits of area of the public sphere. It other words, letters du Québec understood in the many material forms produced by this free speech and rights-based representa- it attracts a sub-public that identifies mid-twentieth century. act of communication. Furthermore, the tion in print and online media. with special interests held in common. democratic ideal assumes that literate In the Euro-Canadian tradition, which The elusive concept of a revolutionary individuals have an equal opportunity Not all publishing by visual and media remains a dominant strain in the visual proletarian public sphere depends on a to produce publicity, and thereby hold artists works at these limits of expres- arts, despite active and ongoing challeng- belief that national public funding pro- authorities accountable and influence sion and representation; however, many es from critical-minority practices, the vides a protectionist niche from market public opinion. As many have pointed artists do conceive of their publish- visual arts press is intrinsically related to forces. In the mid- to late twentieth out, however, this ideal does not ade- ing activities as performative speech the public exhibition of works of art, and century, for instance, it was possible for quately account for intersectional issues, acts, which create lasting social effects the lively social scenes arising around ar- artists in Canada and Québec to con- such as national sovereignty, race, class, through an aesthetic experience rooted tistic activities. As an ideal, this sub-pub- ceive of themselves as self-determined gender and sexuality, which produce in- in the visual. lic is not conceived of as a social or eco- “cultural workers” who could change equalities of representation. nomic elite that imposes standards upon the structural relationship between class every public finds a book, others; rather, it is one space among and cultural production. This genera- The pluralist, participatory and polyvo- every book finds a public others where rhetorical skills may be tion of artists fell short of transforming cal modes of communication fostered honed in order to take a stand upon po- the public sphere; however, an intriguing through digital media platforms have As readers and viewers, “Texts clamour litical matters that impact areas beyond paradox arose, as public funding sources called into question the gap between at us. Images solicit our gaze,” yet at the the visual arts. operated in tandem with copyright the ideal of a public sphere and actual same time, as theorist Michael Warner policy reforms, which narrowly defined political agency in local, national and explains, we are burdened by our own does public funding artists’ rights in terms of ownership of transnational contexts. Environmental, agency to choose what messages gain our make publics? intellectual property. This paradox will be political and cultural events are now ex- attention. For this reason, readers tend to further expanded upon in future essays. perienced on a global scale, as print and participate in multiple discursive publics The ideal of a public sphere is historically 24 Felicity Tayler What Is a Public? What Is Publicity? 25

In lieu of revolutionizing the public self-identifying group to see themselves In the digital culture of the early twen- allow small publishers to produce their sphere, visual arts publishing sometimes as fully represented in society. The bilin- ty-first century, some argue that the crit- multiplicity of publics on this long tail. creates counter-publicity; that is, artists gual and transcultural code-switching ical function of artistic publics has been Otherwise, economic access barriers can use aesthetic strategies to produce practiced in the oral histories and print subsumed by the explosion of a global constrain the ability of artist-run pub- modes of public address that do not fully cultures of peoples determined to be the art market, the powerful influence of lishers to attract and participate in artis- align with the messaging of a homoge- nation’s racial or ethnic “other” is an corporate advertising and speculative, tic counter-publics and/or other trans- nizing global art world dominated by bi- example of this type of public. Likewise, profit-seeking promotional activity. For national publics. The recent Department ennials and art fairs, or a larger, spectac- the magazines and books that are retro- others, these artistic publics remain im- of Canadian Heritage consultations on ularized corporate media space. When spectively cherished as traces of feminist portant because they can foster a shift- cultural policy in the digital era have this occurs, often through the appropria- consciousness-raising or pre-Stonewall ing sense of community and identity encouraged artists across disciplines to tion of dominant publicity forms and the queer culture work this way. The forma- that transposes local and national con- affirm economic barriers to access as an parody of their circulation patterns, it is tion of these counter-publics are histor- cerns into transnational geographies. It ongoing issue in creating publics: possible for counter-publics to be created ically contingent upon a lack of rights- has been argued that networks of digital from people who are consciously or un- based representation; this means that as culture reproduce the inequalities per- Throughout the consultations this fall consciously drawn to satire or parodies legal and moral frameworks shift, these petuated in other spaces of public life. on Digital Cultural policy (#digicancon), of tropes and media stereotypes. invisible publics may themselves shift Within the context of digital culture, Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie into a register of public respectability, or public funding of the arts remains a Joly has repeatedly said that artists/cul- Artistic counter-publics have art-histor- at least tolerance. However, their symbol- necessary counterpart to intellectual tural workers should be able to derive a ical precedents in the magazines and ic value as critical minority voices does property mechanisms precisely because living from their work. However, support books of the European avant-garde and not diminish when this shift takes place. it offsets economic access barriers that is needed federally to navigate this new the North American neo-avant-garde. continue to affect artists who produce digital sector. Regulation of the inter- The exciting thing (for artists) about Transnational publics form through dias- from a Canadian or Québécois context. net and its power is desperately needed counter-publics is that they have the poric, activist, subcultural, or countercul- Economic models, such as “the long tail,” especially in terms of defending artists/ potential to transform one’s experience tural affiliations. Conditions of (in)visibility, were developed to describe a trend in content creators from overwhelming in- of the world through aesthetic means. feelings of marginalization or disidentifica- digital culture where small-scale produc- ternational trade agreements, the almost That is, they temporarily produce a tion with a dominant cultural group evinces ers would be able to reach global niche oligarchic power of internet service pro- space where it is possible to collectively feelings of associative belonging that tran- markets through online sales. In prac- viders (ISPs) and the imbalance between reimagine the fixed identity categories scend local contexts and surpass nation- tice, this model has proved faulty as it commercialism and artistic practices. or social roles assigned by dominant al boundaries. One might even consider overlooks the operating costs that remain [Our translation.] (“Plaidoyer pour une media representations. whether publishing from rural regions the material reality of so-called imma- politique culturelle équitable,” Le Devoir, Artistic counter-publics may overlap could attract a global public concerned with terial networks. Large e-commerce ag- November 19, 2016.) with sub-altern, or secret publics that peripheral positions in a moment when gregators such as Amazon and eBay are form because legal or moral censorship global economic development favours the the beneficiaries here, not artists or their Canada’s creative professionals have led limits the ability for members of this creative economies of urban centres. publishers. Grants from public funders Canada in the digital shift, but we struggle 26 27

to earn a livelihood from it. It’s not from further readings Oskar Negt and Alexander Kluge, Public lack of trying. We’ve digitized our work Sphere and Experience: Toward an Analysis of and mastered the internet. We’ve become “Plaidoyer pour une politique culturelle the Bourgeois and Proletarian Public Sphere. → https://monoskop.org/images/1/11/ social media directors for our projects. equitable,” Le Devoir. → http://www.ledevoir.com/societe/ Negt_Oskar_Kluge_Alexander_Public_ We connect directly with our fan bases, medias/485099/revolution-nu- Sphere_and_Experience_Toward_an_Anal- and monetize everything that we can. So merique-plaidoyer-pour-une-politique-cul- ysis_of_the_Bourgeois_and_Proletarian_ why are more and more of us being forced turelle-equitable Public_Sphere.pdf to abandon creative work? And why do Canada’s youth increasingly seek career “Our Letter to Heritage Minister Mélanie Hito Steyerl, “In Defense of the Poor Image.” paths outside the creative sector? (Focus Joly.” → http://www.e-flux.com/journal/in-defense- of-the-poor-image/ on Creators, “Our Letter to Heritage → https://focusoncreators.ca/ourletter/ Minister Mélanie Joly.”) ∞ Simon Sheikh, “Public Spheres and the Anithe de Carvalho, “Art rebelle et

Functions of Progressive Art Institutions.” contre-culture,” Création collective under- → http://eipcp.net/transversal/0504/sheikh/en ground au Québec, Montréal, M Éditeurs, coll. « Mouvements », 2015. Chantal Mouffe, “L’Illusion du consensus.” → http://www.prologuenumerique.ca/675030-1- → https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bas- livre-arts-lettres/art-rebelle-et-contre-culture.html dE0TpgTg → English translation: http://pavilionmaga- Michael Warner, Publics and Counterpublics zine.org/chantal-mouffe-agonistic-democra- (abbreviated version). cy-and-radical-politics/ → http://castillocorrales.fr/wp-content/ uploads/2013/03/Michael-Warner-Pub- Richard William Hill, “Is There an Indige- lics-Short.pdf nous Way to Write about Indigenous Art?” → http://canadianart.ca/features/indige- nous-way-write-indigenous-art/

Sven Lütticken, Once More on Publicness: A Postscript to Secret Publicity. → http://fillip.ca/content/once-more-on-pub- licness-a-postscript-to-secret-publicity

Nancy Fraser, “Transnationalizing the Public Sphere: On the Legitimacy and Efficacy of Public Opinion in a Post-Westphalian World.” → http://eipcp.net/transversal/0605/fraser/en 29

From Dissemination by Felicity Tayler to Circulation

“For independent non-industry pub- — distribution remains an ongoing challenge for art- Quotes opposite: ist-run publishers, even those who have commercial lishers, the chief goal of sales and/ Gina Badger, notes taken at or distribution is to connect audienc- the meeting of the TXT–Cana- distribution. This is complicated by the non-standard- es to content. Distribution is not a rev- dian Art Publishing Network ization of production methods and format choices Meeting, November 7–8, 2014, enue-generating activity, so funding Artexte, Montréal. in visual arts publishing, which makes it difficult for needs to come from elsewhere, i.e., pro- many amazing projects to circulate and attract diver- gramming or publishing grants ... the sified reading publics. Whereas “dissemination” is a chief goal of distribution is less to gen- term that has long been used to articulate a goal of cul- erate income or even recoup expenses, tural policy, it implies the sustained promotion of ar- but to ensure that published materials tistic experience, without reliance upon feedback from get out to readers/audiences.” an audience. The concept of “circulation,” on the other hand, is better suited to the networked effects through “Selling on commission is not a model which cultural expression spreads in the digital era; that works for [artist-run] publishers; inde- for instance, it acknowledges that publics have agency pendent publishers don’t want the pub- within the networked processes by which art publica- lication back; publishers, artists, would tions become visible and gain value over time. rather the books keep circulating.” This essay is followed by a reprint of Esther Vincent’s talk “Networking and Distribution: It Doesn’t Happen by Itself.” Speaking from her perspective as president of the now-defunct Marginal Distribution (Peterborough), she emphasizes the publisher’s active role to ensure that books attract a public, or, as she states, “finding a place for your book and getting it there.” Vincent ex- plains that there is an advantage to knowing where you will locate your book right from the start, as this will 30 31

determine who ultimately buys or reads fields, such as art history, curatorial or the digital era are contingent upon par- further readings it. Vincent also offers insight into why the cultural studies, through placement in allel visibility accrued through online book industry has imposed strict formats the public collections of museums, ar- platforms. The latter is achieved through → https://www.shopify.ca/guides and policies with the goal of streamlining chives and libraries. This is why, contrary the agency of the publics that the project → http://publishers.ca/index.php/resources/ dissemination through the mechanism to standards of commercial distribution attracts. Strategies for achieving visibility get-publicity of sales. She also offers hints on how to chains, artist-run publishers who attend will be further discussed in “Resources visualize an intended niche public, and book fairs or who deposit books on con- and Resourcefulness.” ∞ → http://anel.qc.ca/perfectionnement/pro- then manage the project in order to signment with independent bookstores gramme-dactivites/ attract this public, making sure the re- don’t want the publications returned sources are in place for sustained promo- to them. Booksellers typically return Esther Vincent, “Networking and Distribu- tion, a typically underestimated facet of unsold copies of books to the distributor tion: It Doesn’t Happen by Itself,” in Tiré à part. Situer les pratiques d’édition des centres publishing projects. (or destroy them) after an agreed-upon d’artistes. Off printing: Situating Publishing time period; however, many artist-run Practices in Artist-run Centres (RCAAQ, Distribution systems have tended toward publishers and artists would rather make 2005). consolidation, with large e-commerce connections for future collaborations by aggregators such as Amazon becoming letting their books continue to circulate, near-monopolies in the field. Access to often for free, hand to hand, reader to these systems can be expensive; in many reader. Recent developments in self-ar- cases the publisher must first pay for dis- chiving and long-term conservation of tribution service and also give a percent- digital files increase further the potential age of sales. In a sector where narrow (or for these anachronistic stocks of books to non-existent) profit margins are the norm, be rediscovered through search engines the focus upon successful commercial and social-media platforms. distribution makes it harder to appreciate successful circulation that artist-run pub- If the work of circulation begins with pro- lishing projects have achieved. Often this ducing a publication, it does not end when occurs over many years, as these publica- it is placed within a brick-and-mortar tions gained recognition through time- store or online sales platform. As Vincent based processes, of which sales is only states: “You need to support your book” one of various outcomes. Many artist-run by letting people know that your book publishing projects are produced not only exists and how to find it. Conventional to achieve maximum and immediate modes of publicity (press releases, book sales or critical recognition, but also seek launches) continue to create conditions of to have long-term impact on discursive visibility; however, the network effects of 33

Networking and by Esther Vincent Distribution: It Doesn’t Happen by Itself

it has been a privilege to take part in this conference and it has been exciting and inspiring to see and hear about all of the activity that is going on with publishing in artist-run centres.

I come to this conference with two parallel back- grounds. The first is in my capacity as a professional bookseller. The other is through my involvement with artist-run centres. My mother, Bernice Vincent, was one of the first members of the Forest City Gallery, in London, Ontario, so I spent my youth from earliest memory playing in the gallery during openings and events. Most recently I have been a member of an art- ist-run theatre and am currently working with others to establish a multi-use artist-run centre in Peterborough, Ontario. However, it is the first capacity that brings me to this conference. Specifically, my experience operat- ing Marginal Distribution, a national book distribution company which specialises in representing independent and small press publishers as well as carrying titles from several artist-run centres.

Marginal Distribution was opened in 1985 by three people who, dissatisfied with the book company they were working for, decided to start their own. Their focus was on politics, art and music. Bookselling is a difficult, 34 Esther Vincent Networking and Distribution: 35 It Doesn’t Happen by Itself

time consuming and barely rewarding economic climate as their most common would support a work of art, a video, or innovative art book project that will be business. And over the next four years, reasons. We, too, have reached our limit a performance. years ahead of its time. But as with all two of the three owners left the company, and, in fact, have just sold Marginal to things that fit that bill, it probably won’t and ultimately the remaining owner had another company. We have had the good This means that you have to find a place sell. If what you want is to sell your book, had enough of the book industry and sold. fortune to find a company that is willing for your book and you have to get it then you have to consider your book pro- The second owner of the company took to take over the operational aspects of the there. Your distributor may do this for duction plans, your booksellers, and your over the book side of the business and the business while we are able to continue you, but they have dozens or sometimes, market, the end reader who you want original owner kept the music portion. with the company in the capacity of cat- as in our case, hundreds of other books to take your book home. Design and Eventually the second owner, too, became alogue editors, product developers, mar- to sell, so your book is only going to get produce your book for that person. Figure disenchanted and decided that it was time keters, and consultants. so much attention. In order to really do out how many people are out there who to leave the book industry. That was when your book justice, you personally have to want to read what you have to say and my partner and I purchased the busi- This, we hope, will give us the time to give it as much attention and assistance produce that many copies. And then find ness to try our hand at making it work. work on the tasks which actually get as you are able. out where those kinds of people go and We continued to sell books on politics, books into stores. display your book there. pop culture, and cultural theory as well This has to happen before you even put pen as publications and book-works produced This brings me to the question that I am to paper. The way you produce your book After that, follow up on the progress. by artist-run centres. here to answer. How does one get a book will have an enormous effect on who will Send your book out to book reviewers into a bookstore? pick it up, how it will be displayed, and in magazines, newspapers, and radio. It has not been an easy time in the book ultimately, on who will buy it. Right now Hand-sell your book at events and open- industry. Two years before we purchased I have been listening to the various panel in the book industry things are so stream- ings. Arrange to have your author, artist, Marginal, Canada’s two major booksell- discussions over the last two days and the lined, and policies are so tight, that books subject, or exhibit to do a tour. Tell book- ing chains, Coles and Smithbooks (W. H. subject of distribution has come up in just have to adhere to a very strict format in stores in the cities where the events are Smith), were bought and merged to form about every case. There seems to be an order to find their way onto shelves. A going to happen and give them enough Chapters. This merger was a shock to the impression that all a book needs is distri- book is most likely to be picked up if is has notice (at least six weeks) so that they book industry and the aggressive business bution and it will fly off the shelves. I’ve an ISBN, a bar-code on the back, and a fat can be sure to have your book in stock. tactics of this new, very large company heard it said many times that “a book has spine with the title and author clearly dis- Ask bookstore owners if they would be drove many small booksellers out of busi- a life of its own.” But if this life is to sit in played. Also, the production has to be ac- willing to host an event centred around ness. In the first six months after we pur- a box on a shelf, that is not much of a life. cessible and attractive. If the book comes your book. chased Marginal, 16 of our independent It is true that a book is an event and an with information about a marketing cam- bookstore customers declared bankrupt- object. It can be a work of art in and of paign and especially if there’s an author’s It is time consuming and requires a great cy or otherwise closed their doors. In itself, but as you all know, no work of art tour it will be even more attractive. deal of commitment. And yes, this is what the months and years after, many other is going to be noticed without exposure. I try to do for each book I represent, but independent store owners left the busi- The same is true for books. You need to This is not to say that you must forgo with three to four hundred new titles ness, citing burn-out and the changing support your book, the same way you your dream of making the world’s most added to our catalogue annually, this 36

kind of individual attention is not possi- ble. I always tell my publishers that they have to follow up on much of the promo- tion themselves.

That said, I will be continuing in my ca- pacity as consultant with Marginal for some time to come. I am always on the other end of the phone or e-mail. A large part of my job is to answer questions and to give advice, so I extend the offer to everyone here. If you have an idea, a concern, or a book to promote, please feel free to give me a call. I will be happy to tell you whatever I can.

I look forward to hearing from you and to seeing your publications. ∞

Esther Vincent, “Networking and Distribu- tion: It Doesn’t Happen by Itself,” in Tiré à part. Situer les pratiques d’édition des centres d’artistes. Off printing: Situating Publishing Practices in Artist-run Centres (RCAAQ, 2005). Reproduced by permission of author and publisher. 39

Material Conditions by Felicity Tayler

“The publication IS the artistic medium.” — this essay considers the unstable economics of writing First two quotes opposite: and publishing both within and beyond artist-run Eryn Foster, notes taken at the “Deeply invested in writing in connec- Art Publishing Forum, East of culture. In Canada and Québec, fiction and non-fiction tion to visual arts ... looking at the book There, June 23, 2013, Saint writers must learn to navigate the standard practices of John, New Brunswick. as a medium itself and recognizing its multiple publishing milieus, all the while augmenting heightened popularity in and outside of Third quote opposite: this activity with other sources of income. The essay the art world.” Gina Badger, notes taken at “Economics and the Writer,” reproduced here, provides the meeting of the TXT–Cana- dian Art Publishing Network an overview of the systemic challenges involved and the “A few centres support publishing in all Meeting, November 7–8, 2014, adaptability required in pursuing a writing and publish- forms as part of their services to artists, Artexte, Montréal. ing career. Longevity in the field requires opportunities

curators and as a contribution to the Fourth quote opposite: for national and international circulation. The essay’s knowledge economy.” Frank Davey, “Economics and author, Frank Davey, is an academic, poet and small- the Writer.” press publisher who developed his career throughout “Authors who were able to support the same late-twentieth-century period during which themselves or their families through artist-run culture took form. their writing have been sufficiently rare in Canada to become the subject of Davey’s essay allows present-day challenges in art- gossip and legend.” ist-run publishing to be understood as an extension of historical processes of systemic inequalities in domes- tic and international trade. These challenges are more often framed in terms of the impact that digital technol- ogies have had upon traditional publishing sectors, im- plying that adapting to the digital media environment is the common-sense solution for success. Davey’s essay shows that this narrative of technological determinism deflects attention from the role of public funding for the 40 Felicity Tayler Material Conditions 41

arts in ensuring freedom of expression in • 54% of visual artists generated income writer as their work continues to circulate. fiction or poetry in a literary field. This a democratic tradition. This relationship from studio practice. However, the Significantly, Davey stresses that copy- distinction can be frustrating to artists between public funding and freedom typical (median) artist made $360 from right legislation was strongly influenced in and visual arts publishers, who wish to of expression will be further expanded studio practice. the late twentieth century by the advoca- be funded for their creative exploration of upon in the essays “Moral and Legislative • 41% of a typical artist’s studio revenue cy of writers’ unions and professional as- the discursive properties of a non-fiction Economies of Artist-Run Publishing” and is from sales, 43% from grants and 16% sociations. This trend is paralleled in the publishing or writing genre as an artistic “Situating Artist-Run Publishing Within from artist fees. visual arts by the advocacy and fee scales medium. Or, in poetic terms, the book as Digital Culture. ” • In 2012, the average artist worked developed by groups such as Canadian a unit of composition. 24 hours per week on studio prac- Artists Representation/le Front des Many of the statistical patterns Davey tice, 17 hours on art-related employ- artistes canadiens (CARFAC) and its For some artists and writers, this overlap discusses mirror the data gathered in a ment, and 8 hours on non-art-related Québec counterpart, Regroupement des between visual arts and textual produc- recent survey, Waging Culture: A Report employment. artistes en arts visuels (RAAV). tion is not simply a means of supplemen- on the Socio-Economic Status of Canadian • In the 2007 version of the same survey, tary employment, but has actually pro- Visual Artists (2012). Essentially, these 65% of artists considered spousal support Davey ultimately cautions that the role duced a genre of art writing, which the statistics show that the economics of art- necessary to cover basic living expenses. of contests and prizes has not been poet Lisa Robertson describes as a paral- ist-run publishing are dependent upon a to secure a living wage for writers in lel text tradition: complex combination of competition for Davey’s essay likewise recognizes that Canada, but rather to gain visibility for public funding, sales and reproduction most writers, even when widely published sponsors; likewise, he suggests that indi- There’s a tradition of art writing in Canada and exhibition fees paid to the artist or and translated into multiple languages, vidual grants to writers are conceived of that gave me the space to develop what I do— author for permission to use their intel- need to augment their income through as a reprieve from otherwise participat- it used to be called the parallel text tradition. lectual property. spousal support, patron relations, related ing in the labour force. One created a text that was parallel to an artistic work (freelance journalism, editorial po- practice by discussing with the artist, by taking • Receiving a grant is positively cor- sitions, academic tenure), or non-related Many artists explore literary writing on some of the artist’s research materials and related to receiving artist’s fees. The work. Public funding and arms-length modes within their creative work; research means, and making a textual object relationship between grants and sales agencies such as the CBC, Radio-Canada however, when artists pursue writing as which could parallel the installation or video is less direct. Grants do not increase and the National Film Board emerged in a form of supplementary employment or painting—whatever the medium was. That’s recipients’ living standards so much as the twentieth century as essential em- related to their visual arts practices, being going on in Canada at least since the ’80s. buy time and resources for studio prac- ployers for writers (and artists) as they they are generally writing in non-fiction In recent years, in the international art world, tice. Small grants (up to $5k) buy a little pursued parallel careers. genres, or creative non-fiction (i.e., exhibi- art writing has been developing as a genre, and time in the studio; larger grants buy tion catalogue essays, criticism, reviews). it seems to basically resemble what I understand both time and resources. Davey also emphasizes the importance of This is why it is possible for funders to to be the parallel text tradition that we have in • The typical (median) artist’s annual copyright legislation to the economic life classify artists as non-fiction writers Canada. And so the kind of writing that I do for income was $21,603, compared to the typical of the writer, as it is the source of the roy- (critics), rather than as authors who are art has been welcomed more widely. ∞ (median) national income of $31,320. alties (or artist’s fees) that compensate the producing comparable genres to prose 42

further readings

Frank Davey, “Economics and the Writer,” in History of the Book in Canada, volume 3, edited by Carole Gerson and Jacques Michon (University of Toronto Press, 2007).

Waging Culture: A Report on the Socio-Eco- nomic Status of Canadian Visual Artists (AGYU, 2012). → http://theagyuisoutthere.org/every- where/?tag=waging-culture

“Lisa Robertson on Close Listening,” interviewed by Charles Bernstein on Jacket2, PennSound. → http://jacket2.org/commentary/ lisa-robertson-close-listening

Traversals: Five Conversations on Art & Writing, ed. Anna-Sophie Springer (Berlin: K. Verlag, 2011–14).

Anne-Marie Ninacs, “Écrire sur une œuvre ou faire œuvre d’écriture? Quelques ré- flexions sur la place des auteurs au sein des centres d’artistes,” in Tiré à part. Situer les pratiques d’édition des centres d’artistes. Off printing: Situating Publishing Practices in Artist-run Centres (RCAAQ, 2005). 45

Economics and by Frank Davey the Writer

authors who were able to support themselves or their families through their writing have been sufficiently rare in Canada to become the subject of gossip and legend. Charles G. D. Roberts has been cited as such a writer, al- though throughout the 1920s he was recurrently in debt and in 1931 he was rescued from poverty by supporters who obtained for him a government pension.1 Al Purdy has been described as self-supporting, although in the 1940s and 1950s his wife, Eurithe, provides significant household income, and from the late 1960s most of his earnings came from grants and positions as a writ- er-in-residence, rather than from sales of his poetry.2 Apart from journalists and a few novelists, such as L. M. Montgomery, Mazo de la Roche, Gabrielle Roy, and Yves Thériault, who achieved international success and benefited from royalties earned by foreign sales and film rights, most Canadian writers in the 1920–1980 period needed to augment substantially their earnings from writing in order to meet life’s basic needs. The biog- raphy of Leslie McFarlane, best known for ghost-writ- ing many titles in the Hardy Boys series, illustrates the energy and versatility required of a “journeyman writer” whose goal of maintaining middle-class family comfort led him to the editorial offices of the National Film Board and the CBC.3 Two best-selling non-fiction authors of the post-war era, Farley Mowat and Pierre 46 Frank Davey Economics and the Writer 47

Berton, first achieved financial stability income for all members of the Canadian reside in Canada, become, economically in royalties after taxes.8 A year later, through print journalism before branch- labour force was $11,400. Writers sur- at least, a member of another nation and Gabrielle Roy fared much better with sec- ing into book publication, and parlaying veyed for this study reported an average civilization,” and that none of these was ondary rights, receiving $67,000 for the their distinctive personalities into public income from writing of $6,761 with a likely to lead to substantial Canadian liter- film rights to The Tin Flute, and 50 per images with media appeal. median of $2,500. Those writing full-time ary production.6 Reflecting on both com- cent of the $110,000 reprint fee paid by had an average income of $14,095 with mercial and literary writing in 1955, pub- the Literary Guild of New York, a book income from writing a median of $7,000, while for part-time lisher John Morgan Gray estimated that club that ordered 700,000 copies.9 writers the average was $3,628 and the a Canadian writer selling to American Government methods of reporting the median of $1,380.5 In addition, the study’s mass-market magazines could earn more Genre has been a considerable factor in income of writers during much of the analysis of full-time writers by genre re- than $18,000 a year, a significant income Canadian writers’ incomes. Journalism, period under discussion make it dif- vealed significant disparities in all catego- at that time. However, a best-selling especially salaried work for a newspaper ficult to establish definitive financial ries between the average reported income Canadian novel would bring its author or magazine, has provided much econom- figures for those engaged in a writing life and the median: book sales ($6,077 and only $1,000 to $1,500, unless it found a ic security for writers. As an alternative to of any description. From 1921 to 1961, $1,050), sales to periodicals ($4,392 and publisher in Britain and he United States, full-time employment, print journalists the Dominion Bureau of Statistics (later $2,500), sales to radio and television in which case it would produce “much have sometimes done part-time or free- Statistics Canada) grouped the earn- ($13,591 and $6,000), writing for cinema more satisfactory” returns.7 Yet, the ex- lance writing, producing a regular column ings of editors and reporters with those ($8,710 and $2,000), and writing for the perience of Hugh MacLennan reveals for a particular newspaper or magazine, of writers engaged in all other forms of theatre ($3,110 and $800). The striking that exceptionally lucrative writing did or undertaking journalistic writing in writing activity. Reporting improved differences between the average and the not necessarily provide financial inde- tandem with creative writing. Freelance somewhat in 1971, when the census median indicate that the former was pendence. Although his Barometer Rising or salaried writing for film, radio, and divided “Occupations in writing” into being elevated by a few exceptional- (1941) was a best-seller in Canada, the television also paid the bills. Journalism three categories, “Writers and editors,” ly well-paid individuals, and that most United States, and Britain, the Canadian has been a significant component in the “Translators and interpreters,” and writers surveyed were earning consider- government taxed his foreign earnings writing careers of authors ranging from “Occupations in writing, n.e.c. [not else- ably less than the “average.” so heavily that MacLennan was unable Pierre Berton and Scott Young to poets where classified].” The difficulty with to leave his teaching post. In addition, Clément Marchand and Jovette Bernier. these categories is that they could as Anecdotal sources offer significant -in in the 1940s Canadian taxation laws did For poets, public readings became a signif- easily include writers of advertising copy sights, if not comprehensive data, about not allow a writer to spread a book’s earn- icant source of income during the 1970s, as writers of articles and books. the finances of Canadian writers during ings over several tax years, even though welcome compensation from a genre for the twentieth century. E. K. Brown de- the volume might have taken several which royalties remained minimal. Hard figures on the state of profession- clared in 1938 that the economic base of years to write. Consequently, although al authorship are to be derived from a literature in Canada was “unsound,” and MacLennan’s Two Solitudes (1945) also For playwrights, there were very few Statistics Canada study of 1978, the preci- that the only three options for Canadian proved an international best-seller, by sources of income until the establish- sion of which underlines the inadequacy writers were to emigrate, take second- March 1946 the book had earned him ment of public broadcasting in the of earlier statistics.4 In 1978, the median ary employment, or “while continuing to $3,354.21 in secondary rights and $12,000 1930s, which led to the purchasing and 48 Frank Davey Economics and the Writer 49

commissioning of radio plays and, later, contests and prizes, the impact of which du Cercle du livre de France (1949–87), initiatives: its Writer-in-Residence television scripts. In Québec, the need is discussed in greater detail by Marie- generated publicity for book publishers Program, which is described in the fol- for French-language radio and televi- Pier Luneau and Ruth Panofsky later in and often encouraged more substantial lowing case study by Nancy Earle; its sion programs created lucrative oppor- this chapter. After the First World War, sales—and therefore greater royalties— funding of public readings; and its grants tunities for several writers whose novels the earliest recorded annual prizes were for winning authors. to Canadian periodicals and book pub- became serial dramas broadcast from the the Concours littéraires et scientifiques lishers, which in later years would require 1930s through the 1960s—Claude-Henri du Québec (first awarded in 1923), known Newer resources for writers arose from publishers to pay royalties to authors. The Grignon’s Un homme et son péché (1933) as the Prix David, and the Imperial Order various state interventions, many direct- council’s financial support of new writers’ and Roger Lemelin’s Les Plouffe (1948). In Daughters of the Empire (IODE) Awards ly or indirectly resulting from the Massey organizations, such as the Writers’ Union the 1970s, Victor-Lévy Beaulieu contin- for the short story and one-act play Report of 1951 and the subsequent cre- of Canada (WUC), the Union des écriv- ued this pattern by adapting many of his (1923–33). Although prizes have been rel- ation of the Canada Council for the Arts ains québécois (UNÉQ), and the League novels for the small screen. Authors for atively numerous—Statistics Canada re- in 1957. Further improvements to the of Canadian Poets, led indirectly to children, such as Tante Lucille (Lucille ported in 1976 that Canada had as many economic situation of writers developed greater income from public readings, to Desparois), Grand-Père Cailloux (André literary and journalistic prizes as did each through a series of post-1960 government contract reform, and to progress toward Cailloux), Maman Fonfon (Claudine of Britain, Austria, and Switzerland (but inquiries—into culture, copyright, the the public lending right and copyright Vallerand), and Henriette Major, also fewer than France)10—the vast majority arts, publishing, and what became known collectives, both of which would become adapted their stories for radio and tele- offered less than $1,000. Some lucrative as the “cultural industries.” Juried grant- significant sources of income for writers vision. After 1960, the vitality of live prizes did become available in the 1970s, ing programs, offering monies to writers in the 1990s. By the early 1970s, the and televised theatre in Québec enabled when the Governor General’s Award was on the basis of past accomplishment and number of granting agencies had multi- several francophone playwrights, includ- raised to $5,000 in 1975 and the Seal First programs of current work, were first in- plied, and the funds available had greatly ing Marcel Dubé, Françoise Loranger, Novel Award of $50,000 was established in troduced by the Canada Council in 1960, increased. For example, many writers in and Michel Tremblay, to live off their 1976. Apart from the Seal award, prizes and replicated by several provincial arts this decade were eligible for grants from royalties. In English Canada, script-writ- have not been conceptualized as pur- councils founded soon afterward (Ontario the federal Local Initiatives Program and ing for the CBC was a major source of chasing time for writers to create. While in 1963, Manitoba in 1965). These grants Opportunities for Youth; in some prov- income for Gwethalyn Graham from many early contests sponsored by news- offered writers substantial blocks of un- inces, younger writers could count on up 1958 to 1965, while the proliferation of papers or magazines encouraged new encumbered time. During the 1960s, to four years of continuous grant support. small theatre companies in the late 1960s writers and provided a bit of income for however, these programs were relatively As well, the Canada Council Public and 1970s enabled popular playwrights, the winners (for example, the Maclean’s small; H. R. Percy complained in 1964 Readings Program enabled popular such as David French, to acquire a live- Magazine Short Story Awards, 1927–55), that only $30,000 of the Canada Council’s writers—Susan Musgrave and Al Purdy able annual income from repeated perfor- their purpose was also to create a news 1962–63 grant budget of $1.6 million among them—to give up to twenty coun- mances, both national and international. event for the sponsor. Later prizes, such had gone to writers—an amount equal cil-funded readings per year at universi- as the Ryerson Fiction Awards (1942–60), to the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra’s ties and public libraries, and additional An intermittent and unreliable source the Doubleday Canadian Prize Novel grant that same year.11 In the mid-1960s, readings through the council-funded of income for writers has arisen out of Award (1961–67), the Seal, and the Prix the Canada Council created further League of Canadian Poets. 50 Frank Davey Economics and the Writer 51

In the late 1960s writers’ manuscripts and a donation, 100 per cent deductible from credits, have been able to acquire signif- journalists like Scott Young often had other archival materials became another the writer’s taxable income. However, a icant collections at very little expense an editorial component built into their potential source of income. While a few writer who donated under the act could, to themselves and modest benefit to the salaried positions. F. P. Grove taught university libraries had accepted occa- depending on his or her tax bracket, and writers. public school from 1909 to 1923, failed sional donations before this period, the the taxation rates of that year, receive as a farmer in southern Ontario in the systematic building of Canadian manu- at best 43–45 per cent of the appraised other sources of income early 1930s, and was then supported by script collections for research purposes value. Under the somewhat less generous his wife’s private teaching. Lucie Robert did not begin until Canadian literature 1985 legislation, a writer who donates re- Few Canadian authors of either lan- has shown that in Québec, before 1920 was established as a doctoral program ceives a tax credit of approximately 30 per guage enjoyed the advantage of Alain writers’ vocations were nearly equally field. The first significant purchase by cent of the appraised value. Grandbois, whose personal wealth divided between the Catholic Church and the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library at enabled him to travel the world and write the professions (42.8 per cent) and teach- the University of Toronto was an acces- Most writers, who do not have sub- to his own schedule. With the notable ing and journalism (43 per cent); after sion of Earle Birney’s papers in 1966. The stantial incomes against which to use exceptions of journalists and a few com- 1920, teaching and journalism prevailed National Library of Canada’s collection tax credits, have not benefited from the mercially successful novelists, until 1960 (73 per cent).12 Similar patterns of pro- began with the Arthur Bourinot fonds in two cultural property acts, and have re- Canada’s best-known writers all followed fessionalism obtained in both language 1969. The University of Calgary inaugu- mained better off selling rather than do- other careers. The challenge for a writer communities: Montreal poets F. R. Scott rated its Canadian Collection, described nating their papers. A few who have built was to find a congenial career that left and A. M. Klein were practicing lawyers; in the following case study by Apollonia lucrative writing careers, or who have time for writing, or that did not interfere, Ringuet (Philippe Panneton) and Jacques Steele, with the purchase of Hugh had high-paying secondary careers, have physically or psychologically, with the Ferron were medical doctors. Québécois MacLennan’s papers in 1973. made better use of the acts—Margaret energy required to write. children’s authors Marie-Claire Daveluy Atwood, for example, who sold her early and Claude Aubry were librarians, while Most acquisitions of writers’ papers in the manuscripts to the University of Toronto For Canadian writers unable to live solely their anglophone counterpart Janet Lunn 1965–80 period were by purchase rather in 1969 and again in the early 1970s, by their pens, principal areas of employ- worked as an editor of children’s books. than donation. This was partly because has since made additional donations. In ment have been education, broadcasting, Sinclair Ross and Raymond Souster, by federal tax provisions regarding the dona- Québec, the selection of a home for a writ- government, publishing, and the legal and contrast, held relatively low-level jobs in tions of literary materials were unfavour- er’s papers can be a delicate topic. In 1980, medical professions. The cultural pattern Canadian banks until retirement. able until the Cultural Property Export after being courted by many institutions, of women beginning professional writing and Import Act of 1975 (23-4 Elizabeth 2, Gabrielle Roy arranged for her papers to while living—and often raising chil- Authors found some of their most con- 1975, c. 50) came into effect in 1977. For go to the National Library of Canada after dren—in households nominally financed genial livelihoods in broadcasting, film, income tax purposes, cash sales before her death, with posthumous payment to by their husbands existed throughout the and government. During the 1950s 1977 were treated as capital gains. Under the Fonds Gabrielle Roy. The main benefi- period, as in the early years of the careers and the 1960s, many Québécois poets the 1975 legislation, the appraised value of ciaries of the federal legislation have been of Margaret Laurence, Alice Munro, (Jean-Guy Pilon, Paul-Marie Lapointe, manuscripts sold or donated was exempt libraries, who, by negotiating various Marian Engel, and Jane Urquhart. In Fernand Ouellette) and novelists (Robert from capital gains tax and, in the case of permutations of cash payment and tax the world of paid employment, even Charbonneau, Gilles Archambault, 52 Frank Davey Economics and the Writer 53

André Langevin, Hubert Aquin, Wilfrid by the professionalizing of poetry and country in the 1960s, university or teach- Although largely modelled on the British Lemoine) worked as producers, editors, criticism by the New Critics, many ing careers, often part-time, became act of 1911, it gave Canadian authors im- or directors in radio or television for English-speaking poets from the 1940s almost the norm for literary writers in portant new protections, extending the Radio-Canada, and Phyllis Webb was a onward obtained tenured university po- both official languages. The growth of term to life plus fifty years, granting pro- producer with the English-language CBC sitions—Earle Birney, Ralph Gustafson, creative writing courses in universities in tection to works by Canadians in other radio and television, beginning in 1943 Louis Dudek, James Reaney, and Eli the 1960s and 1970s not only opened new countries, granting authors various sec- as a paid participant in various programs Mandel foremost among them. The frus- employment opportunities for writers, ondary rights such as film and radio ad- on current and cultural affairs, such as trations that a parallel career in the uni- but also guided many aspiring authors aptation, setting penalties of fines and/ Citizens’ Forum, Fighting Words, and versity could bring to creative writers toward university study, thereby equip- or imprisonment for infringement, and Now I Ask You. In 1957, Jacques Godbout were voiced by Birney, who in the late ping them with credentials for at least prohibiting the commercial importation joined the National Film Board, where 1950s wrote several scholarly articles and the part-time teaching of creative writing of books into Canada to compete with Anne Hébert worked briefly in 1953 and won a Nuffield grant to complete a book or positions in community colleges. The Canadian-licensed printings. The act, 1954, as had Leslie McFarlane and Irene on Chaucer, but complained to a friend many teaching positions opened by the however, also specifically denied that Baird in the 1940s. Some writers worked that the “academic chains” were “almost initiation of Québec’s CEGEPs in 1967 copyright was a “natural” right, declaring in the civil service: Québec’s Ministry crushing” and that he had “written likewise produced good jobs for the gen- it to be only a creation of “statutory enact- of Cultural Affairs, established in 1961, nothing of a creative nature for nearly eration of young poets who filled the little ment”—a view that would be disputed in created administrative positions in the four years.” Yet Birney’s academic post magazines and ran the new publishing later copyright discussions. arts and letters that were filled by poets was a financial necessity: in 1957, when houses of the 1970s. and writers, while Naïm Kattan became his salary rose from $8,500 to $10,000, While the act remained substantial- head of the Canada Council’s Writing his income from “royalties, radio work the business of writing: ly unrevised for sixty years, copyright and Publication Section in 1967. and permissions” was $557.43.13 Novelists copyright, literary agents, issues arose periodically. In 1928 Canada were less likely to make long-term com- and contracts formally ratified the Rome text of the For writers who placed their focus on mitments to teaching—possibly because Berne Convention, a convention which an academic career, and whose primary the genre requires long uninterrupt- Copyright was a complicated business respected copyrights internationally and output would be scholarly in nature— ed periods of writing, and possibly also in Canada until 1911, when the United to which Canada had become a member such as Northrop Frye, A. G. Bailey, and because the economic potential of fiction Kingdom passed a revised Copyright Act indirectly in 1886 through Britain’s ad- Roy Daniells—a university appointment was greater. Before 1980 male writers were (1-2 George 5, c. 46), which allowed its hesion. In 1954 the St Laurent govern- was essential. Robertson Davies’ twenty more likely to secure university positions “self-governing” dominions to repeal im- ment appointed a Royal Commission on years as master of Massey College (1961– than were women, although in the 1970s perial copyright legislation and pass new Patents, Copyright, Trade Marks, and 81) provided an opportunity for colourful they were joined by novelists Aritha Van legislation without the threat of imperi- Industrial Design, giving it a mandate to leadership. However, university teaching Herk and Bharati Mukherjee. al disallowance. Canada’s first effective seek a balance between the rights of cre- was a mixed blessing for many creative copyright act was realized a decade later, ators and the public benefits of access. writers. Following the examples of E. J. With the tremendous expansion of when a new act (11-12 George 5, c. 24) was The commission’s report of 1957 had Pratt and A. J. M. Smith, and influenced post-secondary education across the passed in 1921 and proclaimed in 1924. little effect on legislation, although its 54 Frank Davey Economics and the Writer 55

recommendation that Canada join the of users, and to strengthen Canadian a brilliant lawyer and copyright special- for both writer and agent to place a man- Universal Copyright Convention was culture. ist, who for the next ten years expertly uscript first with an American publisher, enacted in 1962, giving Canadian authors steered her professional transactions. In and to split off the Canadian rights for important “national-treatment” protec- The election of the Mulroney government the early 1950s, Farley Mowat broke into separate sale and thus better domestic tions in the United States. In 1966 the later that year resulted in the abrupt re- the major American periodicals such as royalties. In the 1970s, John Goodwin was Pearson government asked the Economic placing of the white paper in 1985 with Saturday Evening Post under the guidance the agent for many internationally known Council of Canada to undertake a further the Charter of Rights for Creators. The of a New York agency.15 However, many francophone authors who were widely study, but with emphasis on economic Charter, and subsequent copyright leg- American agents did not grasp the cul- translated, including Marie-Claire Blais, policy and the well-being of consumers. islation, moved in much different direc- tural or literary goals of their Canadian Roch Carrier, and Michel Tremblay.17 The council’s 1971 Report on Intellectual tions, defining copyright as containing clients. MacLennan’s agent, Blanche and Industrial Property, while making both property rights and moral rights, al- Gregory, advised him after the success Prior to the 1970s there had been very significant mention of the cultural goals lowing corporations and co-operatives to of Barometer Rising to write articles for little change in publishing contracts in of copyright legislation, recommended possess such rights, expanding the rights Reader’s Digest, while Alice Munro’s Canada—partly because there was so that there be little change to present pro- of creators without expanding those of American agent, Virginia Barber, urged little money to be made in the Canadian tections. Much more influential was the users, encouraging copyright collectives, her to write novels instead of stories.16 market by either publisher or author, but Keyes-Brunet report of 1977, Copyright and raising the financial penalties for in- also because few Canadian writers used in Canada: Proposals for a Revision of the fringement to a maximum of $1 million Although a few Canadians advertised literary agents. The introduction of agents Law, commissioned by the Department dollars. While the federal government editorial and agency services in the caused an increase in the royalty advances of Consumer and Corporate Affairs, al- oversaw the collective rights of authors Canadian Author and Bookman in the paid by Canadian publishers and generat- though it too did not lead—at least direct- through copyright legislation, it was left 1930s, probably the first anglophone ed contracts that committed publishers to ly—to legislation. Keyes-Brunet argued to authors and their agents to monitor the Canadian literary agent of note was Matie spending certain amounts on promotion. that it was inconsequential whether copy- copyright and other contractual arrange- Molinaro, who began working out of her By contrasts, the standard contracts or right was a natural property right or a ments made with publishers. Toronto home in 1950 and pioneered the earlier years had been highly restrictive statutory privilege—effectively validating concept of agents within Canadian pub- in favour of the publisher: they granted the former by the back door—and implied Before the 1970s, most of the literary lishing. Most of her business before 1970 the publisher world rights rather than as well that the rights of the creator, to- agents who represented Canadian writers focused on arranging lectures rather than ones to particular markets, and substan- gether with the national cultural interest, were based in New York, along with a few placing manuscripts. With the expansion tial percentages of all possible subsidiary could outweigh any right of public access. in London. In the 1920s and 1930s, the es- of writing and publishing in the 1970s, rights; they specified a deadline by which The Trudeau government’s response to tablished agencies of A. P. Watt and Paul new agencies emerged, including those of the author was to deliver the manuscript Keyes-Brunet was the white paper From Reynolds represented best-selling writers Nancy Colbert and Lucinda Vardey, and but no deadline by which the publisher Gutenberg to Telidon (1984), which pro- like Robert Stead and Arthur Stringer.14 book manuscripts and book contracts was required to publish; they contained posed to expand creators’ rights in the Gabrielle Roy understood the importance became agents’ primary business. The no reversion clause for the return of copy- context of new technologies, to balance of an agent; in 1945 she retained as her new agencies helped to internationalize right to the author should the publisher the rights of creators and the needs business manager Jean-Marie Nadeau, Canadian writing, it being more lucrative allow the book to go out of print; and they 56 57

granted the publisher first refusal rights work’s going out of print. notes 8. Elspeth Cameron, Hugh McLennan: A Writer’s Life on the author’s next book, regardless of its (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1981), 193. 1. John Coldwell Adams, Sir Charles God genre. The Canadian Authors Association The trajectory, over the course of the Damn: The Life of Sir Charles G.D. Roberts 9. François Ricard, Gabrielle Roy: A Life, trans. (CAA) had routinely warned its members twentieth century, was clearly toward (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1986), Patricia Claxton (Toronto: McClelland and to challenge contract terms and, in the greater economic stability for Canada’s 130, 138, 146, 172–73. Stewart, 1999), 264–68. 1940s, at the initiative of Gwethalyn writers. This development arose through 2. Louis K. McKendrick, “Al Purdy and His 10. Canada, Statistics Canada, Education, Science Graham developed its own “Standard increased sales of their work, and also Works,” Canadian Writers and Their Works, ed. and Culture Division, Literary and Journalistic Book Contract,”18 which, however, re- through a growing infrastructure of Robert Lecker, Jack David, and Elle Quigley Awards in Canada, 1923–1973 (Ottawa: Statistics (Toronto: ECW, 1990), 161–62. Canada, 1976), 7. ceived little acceptance. Small presses support that included grants, congenial founded in the late 1960s and early 1970s post-secondary teaching posts, employ- 3. Marilyn S. Greenwald, The Secret of the Hardy Boys 11. H. R. Percy, “The Canada Council and the frequently copied the established publish- ment in broadcasting and film agencies, (Athens, OH: Ohio University Press, 2004), 263. Writer,” Canadian Author and Bookman 39:3 (1964): 7. ers’ standard contracts, even though they and sales or donations of their papers 4. Canada, Statistics Canada, Education, Science and had no staff or expertise for the sale and to archives. Theses opportunities have Culture Division, “Preliminary Statistics on Writers 12. Lucie Robert, “Les écrivains et leurs études: management of subsidiary rights, and no been supported by a network of social in Canada,” Service Bulletin 3.8 (December 1980). Comment on fabrique les génies,” Études littérai- res 14:3 (December 1981): 534. ability to distribute outside of Canada. and government commitments—at both 5. A study by the Ministère des affaires culturelles federal and provincial levels—that un- du Québec shows that in 1983, of 428 authors 13. Elspeth Cameron, Earle Birney: A Life (To- Although individual authors with access derscore a belief that Canada’s cultural questioned, more than 60 per cent earned less ronto: Viking, 1994), 391, 389. than $5,000 per annum, approximately 27 per to lawyers were able to have contracts industries are too important—and too cent earned between $5,000 and $25,000, and 14. Clarence Karr, Authors and Audiences: rewritten, it was through the efforts of fragile—to be left to the whims of the only 6.5 percent declared an income above Popular Canadian Fiction in the Early Twentieth the WUC and UNÉQ, as well as the in- global marketplace. ∞ $25,000. The average income from writing was Century (Montreal: McGill-Queens University $7,500, and the median income was $2,000 (Syl- Press, 2000), 77–78. terventions of agents, that industry-wide vie Provost and Rosaire Garon, “Auteur: Pleine- changes to publishing contracts began to ment ou à demi?” Chiffres à appuie: Bulletin de 15. James King. Farley: The Life of Farley Mowat be made in the 1970s. With better financ- service de la planification, des politiques et de la (Toronto: HarperFlamingo, 2002), 109–11. recherche, no. 3, Quebec: Ministère des Affaires ing and more high-profile authors among culturelles du Québec, May 1986, 8–9). 16. Elspeth Cameron, Hugh McLennan: A Writ- its membership than the CAA, the WUC Frank Davey, “Economics and the Writer,” er’s Life (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, was able to publicize contract inequi- in History of the Book in Canada, volume 3, 6. E. K. Brown, “The Contemporary Situation in 1981), 161; and JoAnn McCaig, “Alice Munro’s edited by Carole Gerson and Jacques Michon Canadian Literature,” Canadian Literature Today: Agency,” Essays on Canadian Writing 66 (Winter ties, offer contract-evaluation services to 1998): 92–93. (University of Toronto Press, 2007). Repro- A Series of Broadcasts Sponsored by the Canadian members, and propose a set of “minimum Broadcasting Corporation (Toronto: University of duced by permission of author and publisher. terms,” many of which became part of Toronto Press, 1938), 10. 17. R. Bernatchez, “John Goodwin, le monde des arts, en deuil,” La Presse, November 25, 1985, p. C1. the WUC’s own model contract and were 7. John Morgan Gray, “Book Publishing,” Writing widely adopted by publishers. These in- in Canada: Proceedings of the Canadian Writers’ 18. Lyn Harrington, Syllables of Recorded Time: The cluded a fixed date for the publisher Conference, Queen’s University 28–31 July, 1955, ed. Story of the Canadian Authors Association 1921- George Whalley (Toronto: Macmillan, 1956), 61-62. 1981 (Toronto: Simon & Pierre, 1981), 221–24. to publish, fixed terms for subsidiary rights, and reversion of rights on a 59

Moral and Legislative by Felicity Tayler Economies of Artist- Run Publishing

“Cuts in funding meant new kinds of pub- — this essay proposes that artist-run publishing is pres- lishing formats that have consequently sold Quotes opposite: ently responding to a legislative environment in which very well; reshaping the structures and 1. Eryn Foster, notes taken at formats of publishing; shorter runs; less ex- the Art Publishing Forum, East creative activity is defined as an economic resource, that pensive production; digital publications not of There, June 23, 2013, Saint is, as intellectual property, which necessitates an opposi- John, New Brunswick yet investigated.” tional relationship between copyright owners and copy- 2. Gina Badger, notes taken right users. Generally speaking, “authors” and “pub- “We hand out a lot of publications for free, at the meeting of the TXT–Ca- lishers” are names given to the owners of intellectual so it’s clearly not primarily about revenue nadian Art Publishing Network property, while “readers” or “audiences” are words used generation.” Meeting, November 7–8, 2014, Artexte, Montreal. to describe the users of intellectual property. In the essay “Because margins are so small, most publish- titled “Material Conditions”, we looked at how the eco- 3. Doug Sigurdson, notes from ers do not solely operate as publishers, but Consultation on Art Books in nomics of artist-run publishing depend upon a complex run other business aspects such as a gallery.” Canada, Visual Arts Section, combination of competition for public funding, sales and The Canada Council for the reproduction and exhibition fees (royalties) paid to the Arts, June 18, 2012. “Most organizations present at the meeting artist or author for permission to use their intellectual are unable to pay artists’ fees due to the 4. Mariane Bourcheix-Laporte, property. In this essay, we begin to consider the tensions extremely limited financial resources. While notes from the Pacific Asso- that arise when the cut-copy-and-paste logic, dialog- most organizations present at the meeting ciation of Artist-Run Centres are unable to monetarily remunerate ex- (PAARC) Meeting of Emerging ic, pluralistic and participatory ideals of digital culture hibiting artists, all organizations uphold as and Developing Artist-Run mean that the identity of an individual or publishing or- a value to remunerate artists for their work Centres and Organizations, ganization frequently oscillates between being the owner March 29, 2014, Vancouver. (through monetary, in-kind or service ex- and the user of copyrighted content. change), and no organization present at the meeting indicated that they charge Digital culture encourages fragmentation and fluidity artists to hold exhibitions.” of identity across networked media platforms. Print and other analog media continue to be important venues for expression, as they complement the unique capacities of digital technologies. At times, print culture can also 60 Felicity Tayler Moral and Legislative Economies 61 of Artist-Run Publishing

offer a space of resistance to digital cul- rhetoric of cultural industry” is a sign that found it difficult to gain eligibility for -ad take their place. The affective labour prac- ture’s tendency to value speed and quanti- a society is having difficulty adapting to ditional funding programs in cases where ticed in creative milieus such as artist-run ty of consumption over engagement with the democratic potential of an open, par- projects were conceived of as publications, culture can lead to the development of content. In a similar manner to these ticipatory digital culture. The field of art- such as artists’ books or exhibition cata- parallel moral economies in which ac- overlaps of media spaces, the tendency ist-run publishing is particularly affected logues. When the Council’s New Funding ceptable practices are determined not by toward mutable identities echoes a long- by this paradox, as it has conventionally Model comes into effect in 2017, literary law, but based upon community consen- term critical interest, shared between conceived of its products and purpose publishing will be explicitly separated sus and self-policing. Affective labour en- artists and writers, in exploring how to be a public good, a dematerialized art from visual arts publishing. Furthermore, compasses all the personal relations and language and socio-economic systems object, a practice of community build- eligibility will no longer emphasize the ethical negotiations that go into main- structure our sense of self and activities ing, of knowledge sharing, or as a “gift” form, medium, or genre that an orga- taining good feelings, conviviality, or es- in daily life. Lorna Brown has described to readers involved in an economy based nization or artist selects for a proposed tablishing a sense of community between the experience of working in artist-run on non-monetary and non-reciprocal ex- project. Instead, an organization will be those who work for the artist-run pub- culture, for instance, with an emphasis change (a gift economy). From this point defined by its primary mandate (exhibitor lisher and the people who have agreed to upon how “economic context and fluid of view, robust public funding ensures or visual arts publisher), while eligibility provide a service for the duration of the practices have led to multiple public iden- that the arts can continue to perform this for either project-based or operational publishing project (editorial, translation, tities, a categorical impurity.” democratic function—that of creating funding will be determined according design) or content (research, writing, publics—as it removes economic barriers to an array of activities that have various images). Affective labour is also a signif- Advocates of cultural policy in the digital to the circulation and sharing of content. creative modes, which may, in turn, con- icant part of creating long-term distribu- era often espouse ideals such as open stitute different publics. Artist-led pub- tion networks for these works. access, transparency and participatory Because of its historic role as a funder of lishing may thus be one among multiple modes of engagement; however, the cu- both publishers and artist-run culture “activities” in which an artist-run centre It could be said, then, that publishing in mulative effects of austerity budgets in in this country, it could be said that the may engage as a creative mode and as a artist-run culture mobilizes both creative the arts, education and research has pro- Canada Council for the Arts occupies means to create publics. While the long- labour and affective labour. Because pub- duced a paradoxical restriction upon the a symbolic place in the imaginations of term effects of these changes remain to lishing projects tend to be irregular, the sharing of publicly-funded cultural ex- aspiring artist-led publishers. In 2014, be seen, the new model does hold out creative labour is often done on a free- pression. This restricted access arises due ARCA commissioned a study in response promise for greater flexibility in respond- lance or contractual basis. Frequently un- to the pressure to generate “new revenue to a complaint common among art- ing to how artist-led publishing works as accounted for, affective labour is crucial streams” by monetizing access to these ist-run centres, that the Canada Council’s a creative practice. to ensuring that these publishing projects cultural objects, as Rosemary J. Coombe, support for their publications had dimin- cohere, reach completion and then circu- Darren Wershler and Martin Zeilinger, ished since the year 2000. ARCA’s report In the meantime, when the legislative late widely. scholars of the political economy of digital seemed to suggest that due to several frameworks of intellectual property law, culture, have observed. These scholars program changes over the years (in both and related public funding policies are also provocatively argue that, “the re- the Visual Arts and the Writing and perceived to restrict or shut down cultural placement of public funding with the Publishing sections), artist-run centres exchange, “moral economies” can arise to 62 Felicity Tayler Moral and Legislative Economies 63 of Artist-Run Publishing

copyright as a practice of a form such as a text or an image are au- The core of these minimum-fee sched- which represents the interests of non-fic- daily life for artists and tomatically copyrighted under Canadian ules is the special category of exhibition tion writers (e.g., $0.30–$2.00 per word in artist-run publishers law. Within this legislative framework, rights, which Parliament added to the “special interest magazines,” or $30–$60 creative labour is considered to be a lim- Copyright Act in 1988, in recognition per hour for editing). Artist-run culture and the related publish- itless resource. Copyright is the legal of the precarious economics of labour ing milieu is disproportionately left-lean- mechanism by which the limitlessness of in the visual arts. The exhibition right The contracts most often adopted by art- ing or anarchist in its politics, and often ideas can be transformed into intellectu- is based on the assumption that visual ist-run publishers—because they are pro- understands aesthetics to intersect with al property, which can be contractually artists produce unique or limited-edi- moted by CARFAC, RCAAQ and RAAV— social justice issues. Its moral economies negotiated for exchange. All contractu- tion objects. Unlike writing, these cul- recommend freelance writers grant the are preoccupied with the ethics of repre- al arrangements are open to negotiation, tural objects do not reach an audience publisher a one-time publication license, sentation and cultural appropriation in but there is a history of collective action through mass publication; instead, their in one language only, in return for pub- the content of work, and also extend to and advocacy by writers’ and artists’ as- circulation relies upon repeated acts of lication rights typically paid in the form concerns that the writer/artist be fairly sociations that has set guidelines and tacit public exhibition. The exhibition right of a flat fee based on word count. Authors compensated for their creative labour. rules of conduct for how these negotia- applies only in contexts that are public- (who are often also artists) generally retain Historically, copyright legislation has tions take place in artist-run culture. ly funded, and does not set the condi- copyright on the texts they produce, a po- been an imperfect mechanism for achiev- tions for contexts where art works are sition in keeping with advocacy for artists ing this latter goal. However, much con- Reproduction fees (royalties) are paid to for sale. Since 1975, the payment of these to retain their rights for exhibiting works. temporary art and writing is now recom- artists for their contribution of visual reproduction and exhibition fees has Authors remain free to grant further re- binant in content and form, as the works material to artist-run publishing. This been consistently enforced in artist-run production or translation rights, or not cite previous avant-garde or conceptual compensation is based in the assump- culture, since it is an eligibility require- to, according to terms of compensation movements and/or rummage through the tion that the image is documentation, ment for the programs that support agreed upon in negotiation with a publish- remnants of the media archives of a dom- or the reproduction of an art object that ARCs’ operating budgets at the Canada er. For instance, there may be a clause in inant culture. This double-role of artist exists elsewhere. These fees are stan- Council for the Arts and the Conseil des the contract that grants permission for the as both user and creator of copyrighted dardized according to a Minimum Fee arts et des letters du Québec. Funders do publisher to give free online access to the content can pose inconvenient challenges Schedule jointly negotiated on behalf of not specify which fee schedules need to work in PDF format. While it may at first to the principles underlying artists’ and all visual and media artists in Canada be applied, however! seem beneficial for authors to retain all of writers’ claims to economic rights. The by CARFAC and in Québec by RAAV. their rights, there are consequences. For next essay will address the concepts of fair Canada’s federal Status of the Artist Fee schedules for the visual arts do not instance, it means that artist-run publish- dealing and the public domain as excep- legislation and Québec’s Loi sur le statut cover related activities such as writing ers have the potential to generate revenue tions to the binary dynamic of owner/user de l’artiste give these organizations the and publishing. A comparison could be through initial sales of the publication, and permissions/compensation, which legal status to negotiate working condi- made, nonetheless, between the genres of but have little financial incentive to pursue structures intellectual property law. tions for visual artists. In practice, the writing produced in artist-run culture and subsequent reprints, translations, or trans- payment of these fees is inconsistent a fee schedule prepared by the Professional positions to other media platforms. It All expressions of ideas that are fixed in across publishing contexts. Writers Association of Canada (PWAC), also means that access to the text may be 64 65

restricted because it does not (legally) cir- the reprint because he was pleased that an further readings CARFAC, “Federal Status of the Artist Cer- culate through digital networks. academic text would reach a new public tification.” through this alternate publishing context. Lorna Brown, “Category Drift.” → http://www.carfac.ca/about/federal-sta- → http://gruntarchives.org/essay-catego- tus-of-the-artist-certification/ Reproduction royalties from copyright Nonetheless, we also contacted Access ry-drift-lorna-brown.html collectives such as Copyright Visual Copyright and Copibec to secure per- Regroupement des artistes en arts visuels du Arts/Droits d’auteur Arts visuels (for- mission from the publisher, who retained Rosemary J. Coombe, Darren Wershler Québec (RAAV), “Contrats et licences.” merly known as CARCC), SODRAC, the reproduction rights. In the end, the and Martin Zeilinger, eds., Dynamic Fair → http://www.raav.org/arts-visuels-au-que- Access Copyright and Copibec are paid University of Toronto Press gave us per- Dealing: Creating Canadian Culture Online bec/contrats-et-licences to authors or publishers based on the in- mission directly to reprint the original (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2014). dividually negotiated terms of reproduc- English-language text on the condition Professional Writers Association of Canada Mariane Bourcheix-Laporte, Review of the (PWAC), “What to Pay a Writer.” tion license agreements and according to that they be compensated $150; Copibec, Art Book program criteria and recommen- → https://www.pwac.ca/What-to-pay-a-writer collective agreements regarding compen- for its part, representing Les Presses de dations to support writing and publishing by sation for reproductions used in educa- l’Université de Montréal, required a $300 visual art professionals and organizations, Union des écrivaines et des écrivains Québé- tional settings and libraries. Authors and fee for permission to reprint the French- Artist-Run Centres and Collectives Confer- cois (UNEQ), “Grille de tarifs.” publishers must be registered with such language translation. ∞ ence / Conférence des collectifs et des centres → https://www.uneq.qc.ca/services/grille-de-tarifs/ copyright collective societies in order to d’artistes autogérés (ARCA), May 28, 2014. receive their royalties. → http://www.arccc-cccaa.org/en/resources/ study-the-canada-council-for-the-arts-support- of-artist-run-centres-publishing-activities- The purpose of copyright collective so- through-the-writing-and-publishing-section/ cieties is to represent the interests of copyright owners. These societies can Laura J. Murray and Samuel E. Trosow, Ca- also make it easier for a user to gain per- nadian Copyright: A Citizen’s Guide, 2nd ed. mission to reuse copyrighted material, (Toronto: Between the Lines, 2013). a time-consuming and difficult process Explication de la Loi sur le statut de l’artiste. if the copyright owner is undisclosed or → http://www.artere.qc.ca/ressources/statut- hard to find. However, while many copy- de-lartiste/ right owners might give permission to use their material with little or no remu- McKenzie Wark, “Communicative Capitalism.” neration, these societies tend to restrict → http://www.publicseminar.org/2015/03/ access in order to increase revenue. For communicative-capitalism/#.WFwcQIV54fo instance, we initially contacted Frank Canadian Artists Representation / le Davey for permission to reprint his essay, Front des artistes canadiens (CARFAC), “Economics and the Writer,” along with “Minimum Fee Schedule.” its French translation. Davey approved → http://www.carfac.ca/tools/fees/ 67

Situating Artist-Run by Felicity Tayler Publishing Within Digital Culture

“Publishing a collection of essays in — this essay will take the concept of the public domain First two quotes opposite: as a starting point to reflect upon why publishing in the form of a final publication that is Eryn Foster, notes taken at given away as a gift, published as a the Art Publishing Forum, East artist-run centres is sometimes conceived of as con- limited-edition publication, then still ac- of There, June 23, 2013, Saint tributing to a gift economy that does not follow a mar- John, New Brunswick. cessed free in the form of a PDF online.” ket-based model of commodity exchange. Instead, Third quote opposite: artist-run publishing is idealized as an act of sharing “Using the publication as a gift, a Doug Sigurdson, notes from resources, or as the circulation of ideas as an unlimit- Consultation on Art Books in calling card, an archive; shorter print- Canada, Visual Arts Section, ed resource. When this kind of language is used to de- run costs, but does not eliminate the The Canada Council for the scribe artist-run publishing, it suggests that this milieu physical object.” Arts, June 18, 2012. shares a “structure of feeling” with counter-publics arising within digital culture, including those drawn “Not enough time is spent discussing to the open-access, open-source software, or Creative the actual conservation of books. [A Commons movements. participant] advocated that one copy be held in all universities and import- Raymond Williams’ term “structure of feeling” is used ant libraries across the country. There here to describe technologically enabled shifts in social is an illusionary market that includes organization that conflict with formalized legal struc- giving books away, but there is also tures. In artist-run culture, a sense of community is the library to consider.” often formed through a process of self-identification with an avant-garde, artistic tradition invested in com- munications technologies and countercultural posi- tions. Utopian movements arising from digital culture can similarly be understood as extensions of counter- cultural strategies of self-organization fuelled by sensa- tions of affective belonging. “Digital culture” can some- times be used as a term to describe a mediated social 68 Felicity Tayler Situating Artist-Run Publishing Within 69 Digital Culture of Artist-Run Publishing

environment which arises as content cir- copying, sharing and collaboration are information and cultural expression in a digital recording technologies was legally culates as binary code through electron- forms of speech, thought and identity. It networked society. ambiguous. Users tend to find these pro- ic networks—the focus in this discourse can be argued that these limits constrain visions too restricting, whereas copyright are the functions of digital platforms. It artists’ ability to perform their demo- It is important to note that the public owners (ranging from individual artists should be clear by now that this Guide cratic function, which is to create a plu- domain is a Euro-centric concept. It has to large media conglomerates) tend to find considers digital culture to be intrinsi- rality of publics of many different sizes systematically enabled the global (mis)ap- they infringe upon their economic rights. cally bound up with a physical world in and concerns. propriation of concepts, symbols and cer- Finding a balance between owners’ and which multiple communications tech- emonial rites that non-European cultures users’ rights is important in the Canadian nologies, including the internet, shape fair dealing in the consider to be the bases of their tradition- and Québécois contexts because, as cultural content and social settings. public domain al knowledge. This systemic inequity is Coombe, Wershler and Zeilinger observe, Recourse to older print media forms, or made particularly visible through the ad- “the borders between artists, academics, to cross-platform publishing projects can The public domain is a conceptual space, vocacy of Indigenous groups, who recog- audiences, and arts administrators are offer a post-digital mode of resistance to upheld in liberal democracies, which nize that a legislative framework based on particularly permeable and individuals ideologies that promote the immaterial includes all forms of creative expres- the property relations of liberal economic act in all these capacities simultaneous- structures of digital networks without sion that lack commodity status because theory conflicts with the customary laws ly.” Most importantly, the courts tend to consideration of material and human re- copyright has expired or does not apply. of each tribal nation from which the cre- rely upon the customary practices of a sources costs or negative social effects. This means there is no copyright owner ation, use and transmission of such cul- particular field to determine when an in- from whom permission must be request- tural practices and traditions arise. stance of dealing is “fair.” Laura J. Murray In a digital environment where the ease ed or who must be compensated for the characterizes fair dealing as a practice in of cut-copy-and-paste makes appropria- use of this material. The function of the Fair dealing is those exceptions, written the daily life of artists and writers, which tion a common grammar, legal scholars public domain is to allow artists, authors into Canadian copyright law, that allow means that the moral economies devel- and cultural critics have suggested that and their heirs to benefit economically copyrighted material to circulate as if it oped in artist-run publishing are “legally the restriction of public funding to artists from their creative labour for a limited were in the public domain. Fair dealing weighty”; as she further insists, the law and arts organizations can be likened to time, but also to recognize that there is a makes no distinction between autho- does not tell artists what to do: “we make a restriction of freedom of expression. social benefit derived from longer-term, rized and unauthorized use of content. it, the law waits for us.” Forcing artists and artist-run publishers unrestricted access to a shared heri- Activist scholars and cultural critics to prioritize private means of revenue— tage of ideas and cultural expression. In often frame fair dealing exceptions as practice-based challenges that is, gallery sales of objects, sales of digital culture, the concept of the public “citizen’s rights,” which enable access to intellectual property books or magazine subscriptions, and domain is a symbolic battleground where to copyright-protected works without in the digital era fees or royalties derived from copyright— international intellectual property law is seeking permissions. Artists have been has the consequence of restricting the contested by post-national “free culture” able to practice fair dealing through the The link between the right to free speech circulation of ideas and cultural objects. movements that do not identify with appropriative modes of parody and satire and the “fair use” of intellectual proper- These economic conditions limit freedom social and economic inequalities arising since 2012—prior to these policy reforms, ty is a central concern of digital culture of expression in a digital culture in which from laws that restrict the circulation of appropriation through mechanical or movements, like open access, open source 70 71

and Creative Commons. These are global fair-dealing exceptions in Canada. Also “free reading commons.” Furthermore, Alessandro Ludovico, Post-Digital Print: The movements that develop through local- important to note is that the emphasis the code and file formats are non-propri- Mutation of Publishing since 1894. Ono- ized responses to policy decisions. An on public-domain sharing in Creative etary, ensuring long-term preservation matopee 77, 2012. → postdigitalprint.org/wp-content/ ethos of sharing serves as a counter-po- Commons licensing continues to enable and accessibility as technologies evolve uploads/2013/08/Post-DigitalPrint_ALudovi- sition to unbalanced intellectual prop- (mis)appropriation from non-European and become obsolete. ∞ co_Singles.pdf erty legislation, which stifles debate and knowledge systems. discussion in the public sphere. It is not Chantier sur l’adaptation des droits d’auteur possible to “speak” if one must first buy Open access is a global movement that further readings à l’ère numérique. Synthèse de la valida- the rights to the content or structure of developed in response to prohibitive tion Jonathan Roberge, Georges Azzaria, Val Napoleon, Thinking About Indigenous language. Also significant is the role that pricing monopolies in academic pub- Guy Bellavance et Christian Poirier (avec la Legal Orders, National Centre for First collaboration de Martin Bonneau, Guillaume software plays in enabling or disabling lishing. This movement recognizes that Nations Governance, June 2007. Sirois et Martin Tétu). freedom of speech in these movements; in some contexts (such as academia) the → http://fngovernance.org/ncfng_research/ → http://www.chairefernanddumont.ucs. as Coombe, Wershler and Zeilinger remuneration of the author or publisher val_napoleon.pdf inrs.ca/publication/chantier-sur-lad- have observed, “the software we use to through royalties is secondary to the ci- aptation-des-droits-dauteur-a-le- manage digital publishing will deter- tation economies within which the work Laura J. Murray, “Deal With It,” in Dynamic re-numerique-synthese-de-la-valida- mine how open/closed the future of pub- circulates. What is important is that their Fair Dealing: Creating Canadian Culture tion-2/?an=&ty=&th=&au= Online, ed. Rosemary J. Coombe, Darren lishing will be.” authorship is attributed and that the text Wershler and Martin Zeillinger (Toronto: is freely available and openly distributed, University of Toronto Press, 2014). Creative Commons is a global movement increasing the likelihood that it will find that emerged in response to alarmist a public. e-artexte is an example of an Mél Hogan, “Opening e-Artexte with Corina anti-piracy campaigns and the draconi- open-access digital repository model that MacDonald.” an enforcement of copyright legislation has been developed for visual-arts pub- → http://nomorepotlucks.org/site/open- in the United States. In Canada, there lishing outside of academic institutions. ing-e-artexte-with-corina-macdonald/ are few comparable legal precedents, The repository recognizes that visual-arts e-Artexte and the courts have, in general, taken a publishers both desire, and struggle, to → http://e-artexte.ca/ user-centered approach. At their most attain widespread circulation of publica- extreme, the license options made avail- tions. The software used to build the re- AAAARG.org able through the Creative Commons pository is search-engine-optimized, en- → http://thepublicschool.org/node/27202 system enable authors to renounce their suring that digital files that are uploaded economic rights and release their work have a higher ranking in search results Publication Studio, “Free Reading Commons.” immediately into the public domain; than if they were distributed on social → http://www.publicationstudio.biz/ however, many of the more moderate media, blogs, artists’ or publishers’ web- license options do not differ significantly sites, or other cloud-storage projects, such Creative Commons from the usages already permitted under as AAAARG.org or Publication Studio’s → http://creativecommons.org/ 73

Resources and by Felicity Tayler Resourcefulness

this essay introduces “How to Make a Boring Book,” the last section of the guide with its reference documents that approach print-based publishing and distribution as a practical undertaking, rather than a theoretical en- gagement or conceptual project. While these “how-to” checklists are useful entry points, they are also remind- ers that these are complex fields of activity whose shape and purpose are both enabled and constrained by the language used to describe them.

how to make a “boring” book

A key resource, which we have affectionately titled “How to Make a ‘Boring’ Book,” is a sample production schedule that was developed in 2005 for an artist-run centre with a mid-size annual operating budget of ap- proximately $175,000. It follows a process typical of museums and public galleries as they publish printed catalogues or thematic anthologies to accompany their exhibition programming.

Beginning with a series of questions one ought to ask from the onset of a publishing project, this production schedule may serve as a useful guideline for producing standardized genres in visual-arts publishing. However, it also leaves ample room for creative interpretation and 74 75

subversion of these genres through ar- according to the metaphor of a supply conceptual book-works, artists’ maga- further readings tistic strategies. The conceptualist affili- chain, which can constrain a publica- zines and Fluxus distribution models. ations of artist-run publishers lead them tion’s potentially rhizomatic circulation Corinn Gerber and Benjamin Thorel, to call into question the aesthetic forms within a linear set of accumulative stages, A recent glossary titled A Book About— eds., A Book About—There’s More to Life that visual-arts publishing can take—as with clear start and end points (from con- There’s More to Life Than Books describes Than Books (Toronto: Art Metropole; Portland: Publication Studio; Paris: Para- well as these forms’ discursive power to ception to sales). As discussed in Brief the activities involved in book publishing guay Press, 2014). Free reading commons: name and confer value upon artists and 2—“From Dissemination to Circulation”, as an act of “creating publics” or acti- → http://a.nnotate.com/php/pdfnotate. artistic practices. In the expanded media this linear concept of book production vating the “social life of a book.” Edited php?d=2014-06-05&c=Tsd1tlTO&aac=LyDH- spaces of digital technologies, the aesthet- and distribution does not reflect the way by Corinn Gerber, then director of Art g54hFs6J&asig=guest ic effects of splitting or migrating content many artist-run publishers conceive of Metropole, and Benjamin Thorel, member between print and online platforms can their purpose or process. ARCA, in con- of the Paris-based gallery and bookshop Vincent Bonin and Michèle Thériault, eds., also be explored much in the same way sultation with Corinn Gerber, has pro- castillo/corrales, A Book About compris- Documentary protocols (1967–1975) / Proto- coles documentaires (1967–1975), (Montreal: as we, in producing this guide, have ex- duced a glossary. In addition to defining es the voices of participants in a public Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, 2010). plored expanding its format from cam- key terms, the glossary provides some seminar that took place at Art Metropole paign format to print to interactive PDF. background on the traditions and ideals in 2013. That the book has a social life is Arjun Appadurai, The Social Life of Things: A lack of resources (human, technologi- that have shaped and still influence how a concept arguably indebted to anthro- Commodities in Cultural Perspective (Cam- cal, financial, etc.) will also force a poten- artist-led publishers understand and re- pologist Arjun Appadurai. His theory bridge, MA: Cambridge University Press, tial publisher to deviate from this “ideal” define “access” in a cultural climate that that cultural objects (such as books or art 1986). process, as it is illustrated in this guide. promotes public engagement and less works) move through different commod- Guy Bellavance, The Visual Arts in Canada: reliance on public funding through the ity phases, and across globalized cultural A Synthesis and Critical Analysis of Recent publicizing publications, or: adoption of business models. Other met- networks, allows present-day artist-run Research (Montreal: Centre – Urbanisation how to give your books a aphors, such as a “document life cycle” or publishers to understand that economies Culture Société, Institut national de la re- social life a “communications circuit,” drawn from of gift exchange (access to free digital cherche scientifique, 2011). the domain of libraries and archives, copies and free public events) can work → http://visualartsvisuels.ca/en/resources/#- Complementing the production sched- might better describe the long-term, mul- alongside and in relation to sales and bellavance ule guidelines is a list of industry-specif- tifaceted process of creation, distribu- public funding sources to attract publics ic references and a glossary of key words tion, collection, reprinting and reuse to and counter-publics. Print-on-demand used in this guide. Among the resources which many artist-run publishers aspire. copies of A Book About may be purchased is a template for making a pitch for your For the last fifty years, the metaphor of from Publication Studio, and a digital book, a standard publicity tool used in a “connective tissue,” “eternal network,” file is also available for consultation and book distribution. This template should or “réseau autogéré” has inspired think- annotation through their “free reading be used as an entry point for understand- ing around publishing within art- commons.” ∞ ing a system wherein the book is a com- ist-run culture in Canada and Québec, modity that is produced and distributed likely due to the strong influence of 77

by Anne Bertrand The Post-Digital Now and Felicity Tayler

the Grey Guide was disseminated as a series of bi-week- ly electronic newsletters from March 1 to June 21, 2017. These newsletters, or essays, were then printed as a series of essays bound as a paperback book in a limited run distributed for free to the ARCA membership and to be sold to wider publics at future gatherings, such as at several programmed launch events. A digital version of the publication has been made freely available on the ARCA website, while a PDF is archived in the e-artexte repository (following a year-long embargo). With con- certed effort and a little luck, these digital copies will be linked to by our readers across multiple platforms, will be commented upon (positively or negatively) and will be shared internationally through social media. The guide, and its immediate and long-term circu- lation, was made possible through ARCA’s multi- year operating grant from the Canada Council for the Arts, and the financial support of Department of Canadian Heritage (for translation) and l’Association des groupes en arts visuels francophones, as part of their L’art visuel s’écrit project.

We (Anne and Felicity) hope that the Grey Guide will provoke debate around structural issues in artist-run publishing that are often difficult to articulate due to their complexity. Although dense at times, the tone of 78 79

this guide assumes that its readers are Some important topics that we wish we throughout their proprietary networks. already committed actors within digi- had been able to address in more detail On the other hand, online archives like tal-culture debates, as the issues inform in this guide include: the role that crowd- UbuWeb stand as examples of artist-run their daily activities. ARCA and RCAAQ, funding has played in the success of spe- platforms where access to cultural objects our institutional sponsors, hope the Grey cific kinds of print and digital publish- is prioritized over remuneration for the Guide will set the stage for future ad- ing projects; the expanded forms that artists. The provocative question in this vocacy, leading, for instance, to a ded- publishing and publicity can take in moment continues to be: how do we un- icated fee schedule for visual and media cross-platform digital media, as well as in derstand the economies of the art world, arts writing. The difficulty in accessing print; which attributes of artist-run pub- when notions of economic sustainability grants for translation of creative non-fic- lishers are more likely to attract interna- have been removed from the equation? ∞ tion through Department of Canadian tional co-publishing opportunities than Heritage is also of concern, particularly others; and the role of private galleries as the paradigm of official bilingualism and collectors in fundraising or fostering appears to be giving way to an approach co-publishing relationships. that uses multiple registers of languages, including Indigenous languages, dias- Alongside the advocacy presently taking poric dialects, Braille and Sign Languages, place at the level of cultural and econom- to speak to diversified publics on their ic policy, artists and artist-run publishers own terms. Furthermore, ARCA and continue to grapple with day-to-day deci- RCAAQ hope that the Grey Guide will sions regarding how the free circulation fan the flames of artists’ already-existing of some aspect of their work will enable a desires to establish international distri- commercial transaction elsewhere. In the bution and co-publishing relationships. post-Internet moment, the presentation Global conferences on art-book publish- of objects in gallery settings is deliberate- ing are highly anticipated, as are future ly conceived in terms of how the images of book fairs, with the view to continuing the objects and installations circulate across work that already takes place in artist-run digital platforms. A similar post-digital culture: collapsing disciplinary boundar- logic applies to artist-run publishing, as ies, destabilizing institutional structures, print-based forms are released in parallel shifting social strata and transcending in- digital formats. Information services such ternational borders—in short, promoting as e-flux and Akimbo shift the responsi- the ideals of open access, transparency bility for copyright clearance of images and participatory modes of engagement to their clients, as they generate revenue that define democracy in a digital era. from their ability to circulate publicity Guide 83

the following guidelines, proposed as an open con- How to Make ceptual framework, were originally produced by Skol (an artist-run centre located in Montréal) in consultation a Boring Book with curator Lesley Johnstone. Johnstone has extensive experience in visual-arts publishing in Québec, Canada and abroad, and in museum, public gallery and artist-run centre environments. These guidelines are intended to assist ARCs that wish to continue to produce printed or digital publications as part of their dissemination activi- ties and services to artists and curators.

where to start

• Assess organizational capacity (personnel and resources already involved in regular operations). • Assess requirements for expertise (additional resources needed for editing, planning, design, copy-editing, translation and production). • Assess coherence with mission (which values of the organization are embodied in the production). • Understand that, with few exceptions, publications produced in artist-run networks no longer benefit from commercial distribution. • Be aware that most publication projects typically underestimate how much work is required to get books into the hands of readers. • Plan resources for long-term promotion and dissemination. How to Make a Boring Book 85

Seek out partners or a co-publisher Note: At this point, authors and publishers ought to ◆ think about open-access versions of their publica- Consider the support and format: print or digital tions. To be authorized to deposit in e-artexte, pub- (PDF, epub, blog, etc.), or both. Some examples of lishers need to have the right to do so. By planning digital print-on-demand publishers: in advance, they can establish conditions that respect → https://pressbooks.com/ all parties; for example, a publication could be made → http://www.marquisbook.com/en/ available following a 12- or 24-month embargo period. ◆ Publications can be made available digitally under a Define the type of publication: exhibition catalogue, Creative Commons licence. artist book, directory, thematic anthology, etc. See faceted taxonomy: → http://www.arca.art/ The following specific clauses could be added to greyguide/taxonomy/. contracts: ◆ Define concept and role of specific project: We (name of publisher) have your (name of author/ educational, documentary, conceptual. Identify needs. creator) permission to provide open access to your ◆ materials in the e-artexte digital repository. Establish textual and visual content. ◆ I (name of author/creator) retain the right to deposit a Identify collaborators and a production coordinator version of my work in the e-artexte digital repository. who will track the production until completion. ◆ Upon reception of textual content: Choose graphic designer, determine number of • Editor reads and edits texts for content and pages, decide on a format. consistency; ◆ • Revision by authors, as needed; Prepare budget (with the graphic designer). • Copy edit for grammar, spelling, syntax, ◆ punctuation and style; Look for funding programs and prepare applications. • Back to author for approval; ◆ • Translation, if needed; Based on funding responses, adjust budget. • Back to author to approve translation; ◆ • Comparison of translation with original; Determine timeline. • Copy edit of translation. ◆ Commission texts and reproductions. 86 87

Upon receipt of images: ◆ • Determine links with the texts; Upon receipt of book, make legal deposit to Library • Obtain permission to use images through and Archives Canada and the Bibliothèque et reproduction licences; Archives nationales du Québec (BAnQ). • Prepare captions; ◆ • See CARFAC reproduction fee schedule: → http:// Deposit a print copy at Artexte, and a digital file www.carfac.ca/carfac-raav/fee-calculator.php on e-artexte: → http://e-artexte.ca/membres.html ◆ Preparing materials for the designer: Register with Biblioshare. • Prepare charts, contributor bios, lists of ◆ exhibitions, etc.; Register with Copibec or Access Copyright • Prepare text and photo files for graphic designer; to receive reproduction royalties: • Obtain: → http://www.copibec.qc.ca/en-us/home/register- o ISBN (for books); ingworks/5reasons.aspx o ISSN (for serials); → https://www.accesscopyright.ca/publishers/be- o CIP from the National Library and Archives coming-an-access-copyright-affiliate/ of Quebec and Canada (editor’s note: ◆ Cataloguing in Publication service has been Promotion, launch(es) and circulation. discontinued for self-published materials); (See sales pitch and circulation o Barcode. and sales points, below.) ◆ Send all materials to designer.

During and after book design: • Approval of layout based on some sample pages, cover, etc.; • Revision of first proof by publication coordinator and authors; • Proofread laid-out page proofs for errors in text and book format issues; • Verification and correction of up to three proofs. • Send material to printer, with follow up by designer. 89

pre-production Budget Items • Research expenses; • Reprint licences and image reproduction royalties; • Fees and honoraria: − Writers; − Artists and illustrators; − Editor(s) and production coordinator; − Copy editor, proofreader and translator; − Graphic designer (web and print); − Web developer.

production • Layout; • Printing.

administration • Office expenses; • Contracts and copyright licences.

promotion and circulation • Communications; • Launches; • Shipping. 91

Media releases should be produced at least three Media Releases months before the book’s release, allowing time to work on a campaign to communicate information about the book’s launches to a media list of targeted publics and specialized venues. The media release should include:

• A paragraph introducing the book; • A paragraph introducing its authors and artists; “Take buyers for lunch!” —Kathy Slade • Links to online information about the exhibition or other events, as relevant; • Catch-phrase (slogan or positive criticism of the book, if available); • Informative data: type of work, target readership, name of publisher, scheduled release date, cover image, number of pages, dimensions, ISBN, proposed retail price.

The publisher is responsible for producing and trans- mitting this pitch to different media outlets and broad- cast networks.

93

It is important to register your book for referencing. Referencing Registering the publication in the following databas- es may seem time-consuming, but it is the only way to ensure visibility across multiple online platforms. It will be more likely that your publication will be indexed by Google or other search engines if it is linked to more than one place on the Web. Booksellers use research tools that allow them to see the availability of titles on the market—either for his or her own research, or at the request of a customer in the bookstore. When a title is taken on by a distributor, booksellers must deal with that distributor, or else possibly contact the publisher directly. To ensure that your books are listed, you as an editor must take these steps (i.e., if you are not working with a distributor). If you want your digital or print publication to be sold through services like the Google Books Partners Program or Amazon, you must create a profile and may have to pay for their referrals.

ISBN International Standard Book Number. This is an international thirteen-digit numerical standard as- signed to books.

ISSN International Standard Serial Number. This is an inter- national eight-digit numerical standard assigned to pe- riodicals and serials.

cataloguing in publication (CIP) For publications with an expected distribution of 100 or more copies within the first six months (print or epub), Cataloguing in Publication is a voluntary program co- ordinated by Library and Archives Canada between 94 95

cooperating publishers and libraries. CIP enables the organizations like BookNet Canada) and facilitates cataloguing of books before they are published, and sharing these files, as well as cover images and position allows for the prompt distribution of cataloguing in- files, by serving as the central source for metadata for formation to booksellers and libraries. Editor’s note: all books available in the market. Once a book is listed Cataloguing in Publication service has been discontin- in Biblioshare, you can produce a catalogue using a tool ued for self-published materials. called Catalist.

artexte The above online catalogues are standard book-publish- A contemporary art library with a collection created by ing industry tools. All publishers produce them and use and for the Canadian artistic community. Depositing them to market their books. Catalist is a new service and a print copy at Artexte ensures that your publication is a great opportunity for the Canadian art world to bring visible to researchers and to the public. All print publi- its books into the mainstream. Once your book is listed cations are included in e-artexte. in Biblioshare, for example, it automatically enters the online consumer portal Canadian Bookshelf (→ http:// e-artexte canadianbookshelf.com/), a more consumer-friendly An online platform that provides access to the Artexte interface/service than Catalist (which is designed for catalogue and associated digital files. e-artexte cat- bookstores, libraries, etc.). On Canadian Bookshelf, alogues Artexte’s collection of publications on con- you can add keywords to listings, write reviews, rate temporary art from 1965 to the present. It offers an books, etc. Perhaps its best feature is that you can create open-access digital repository for full-text documents reading lists. → https://booknetcanada.atlassian.net/ on contemporary Canadian art. Some items in e-artexte wiki/display/UserDocs/BiblioShare+Webform are available only in print, some in digital format, some in both. e-artexte ensures both preservation standards and search-engine optimization (search-engine optimi- zation, or SEO, makes publications easy to locate on the Web, substantially increasing their “discoverability”). booknet canada’s biblioshare database A quality-controlled aggregation system that dissem- inates bibliographic data for all Canadian published books with unprecedented reach across the indus- try. It helps publishers and distributors create quality ONIX files (an XML Data format that book publishers use to submit bibliographic data to statistics-gathering 97

consignment in specialized bookstores Circulation and Books sold on consignment are not invoiced to the customer but paid for as they are resold. The Eyelevel Sales Points Bookstore (Halifax), Art Metropole (→ https://art- metropole.com/), Point de suspension (Saguenay), the Or Bookstore, READ Books at the Charles H. Scott Gallery (Vancouver), among others, carry books on consignment, offering visibility both in the shop and online. Booksellers typically pocket 40% of the sale price. For a listing of specialized book stores across the world → http://www.jrp-ringier.com/pages/index. php?id_r=12&id_pays=229

bookstores in montréal With the closure of Formats, Montréal lost its only dedicated art bookstore. However, the city has a rich inventory of street-level bookstores, many of which carry art books. They also regularly hold launch events. These include Le Port de Tête (which maintains a rich selection of magazines from Québec’s countercultur- al movements) and Drawn & Quarterly, in the Mile End; L’Écume des jours, in Villeray and L’Euguélionne, Librarie Féministe, in the Village.

book fairs Here one may sell directly to end consumers and bookshops. Many publishers attend book fairs hoping to sell in bulk to shops or distributors in attendance; this transactional aspect of book fairs remains infor- mal. Some current art-book fairs include: the Tokyo Art Book Fair, founded by a former Printed Matter employee; the LA Art Book Fair, an offshoot of the New York Art Book Fair (NYABF); the London Art Book Fair, at the Whitechapel Gallery; Miss Read, at 98 Circulation Points and Sales Points 99

Kunstwerke in Berlin; the new Amsterdam Art/Book publications represent the artists and works being pro- Fair; OffPrint Paris; PA/PER VIEW Art Book Fair, duced and exhibited in Nova Scotia and available for held in London, Brussels and Turin; the Vancouver export, either through direct sales, travelling exhibi- Art/Book Fair; the Toronto Art Book Fair, as well as tions, or new international exhibition and publishing Edition Toronto: Toronto’s International Art Book opportunities. Fair; and the I Never Read Art Book Fair, held in Basel in conjunction with Art Basel. co-publishing An arrangement between a book publisher and a mag- book launches azine publisher, using the magazine’s established sub- The most convivial platform for convening a dedicat- scription-based distribution service. For example: Faire ed public and selling books. Consider programming comme si tout allait bien, a co-production between launch events with some sort of complementary activi- the artist-run centre Skol (Montréal) and the bienni- ty. Organize a “launch tour” with multiple launches in al art journal Livraison (published by Rhinocéros, in different cities. Consider hosting launches in unusual Strasbourg). “public” spaces. Use social media to gain visibility for the publication and its related launch events—this in-person exchange is particularly effective if your community “likes” Hand-to-hand circulation by artists and authors at spe- your posts and shares the event in order to activate cialized conferences and community events. network effects. magazines community-supported publishing (CSP) Magazines continue to function as important carriers One example is the Publication Studio network. No of information and up-to-date micro-movements in the matter what the choice of distribution platform, art world today. They have greater access than books however, it must work in concert with publicity efforts to specialized publics and sectors, such as conceptu- in order to put the publication on the radar of its publics. al fashion stores, hairstylists, waiting rooms or public transport. They cross disciplines and language barriers consortia more easily, and in some cases generate a scene about Halifax INK, for one example, was formed in 2007 to themselves. One example of this is Montréal’s Editorial represent the visual-arts publishing industry in Nova Magazine. Another is New Distribution House, a Scotia at the New York Art Book Fair (NYABF). The Montréal distribution house with a focus on magazines, consortium groups four university art galleries (one founded by Didier Lerebours. of them whose local university press is the only one in North America specializing in the fine arts, media print-on-demand arts, craft and design) and two artist-run centres. Their A form of publishing in which a publication only gets 100 101

produced if and when there is a demand for it (i.e., an websites order of one or more copies). Print-on-demand offers Artist-run and self-publishers can promote book works the possibility of small print runs, and is technical- through personal and organizational websites and so- ly limited by standardization production equipment cial-media accounts, and manage sales directly using and formats. Print-on-demand is offered by online services such as PayPal, with all proceeds returning self-publishing platforms such as Lulu.com, where the directly to the publisher, minus a small commission. provider receives a percentage of each sale. Some local Antenne Books (→ https://www.antennebooks.com/) initiatives, such as Publication Studio, which shares an is a new, independent online distribution platform for online catalogue among several North American and small-press art publishing, and two similar ventures, European cities, also offer print-on-demand services. Edition Taube and Three Letter Word, are in the works. Increasingly, independent bookstores feature on-de- Other online sales platforms include eBay and online mand print equipment on site. shops offered by certain print-on-demand services like Blurb. If sellers wish their publications to be visible on temporary shops and pop-ups Amazon or AbeBooks, they must create a profile and In a specialized field like art, it may be worth looking pay for the referrals. out for temporary distribution structures. These can sometimes be more effective in terms of outreach than permanent ones, due to the attention and excitement generated by their temporary nature. Such structures can include curated sections in cultural venues, such as that at 820Plaza on rue Marconi in Montreal, Print Ready (at Dynamo Arts Association), KIOSK (at various locations, sometimes Lucky’s Comics) in Vancouver, or special displays or pop-ups in museums, galleries, or universities accompanying conferences, exhibitions, performances and symposia.

university art libraries University librarians often use recommendation services and approval plans whereby all publications within a pre- determined subject area will be ordered automatically. The main such services are YBP Books, with EBSCO (→ https:// gobi.ebsco.com/), and OASIS, with ProQuest (→ http:// www.proquest.com/products-services/OASIS.html). 103

in collaboration with Glossary Corinn Gerber

access and artist-run publication There are two distinct historical traditions in artist-run publication, which may be defined in terms of how they approach “public” access. The French livre d’ar- tiste of declining Modernism (from the 1920s onwards) was initiated by art dealers and patrons such as Henri Kahnweiler or Ambroise Vollard as commercial enter- prises. These entrepreneurs contracted artists of the Paris avant-garde and exiled avant-garde artists living in Paris, respectively, to produce limited editions for bibliophiles designed to please a distinguished commu- nity of collectors. For a livre d’artiste, frequently a visual artist would be paired with a writer. Often consisting of loose pages to be framed later, these editions emphasized material and crafts. In contrast, one of the major aims of the North-American artist’s book, the emergence of which in the 1960s coincided with the availability of mass reproduction technologies such as offset printing and Xerox coping, was to provide the “general public” with access to artworks. The new technologies allowed artists control over their production: to produce pub- lications in high volume (though rarely exceeding edi- tions of 1,000) and to sell them at low prices. With these publications, their conceptual, immaterial aspects were emphasized over material and craft. A key goal of this self-directed mode of production was to circumvent 104 Glossary 105

art-world institutions of dissemination such as galleries labour? And why is it included in the theory of imma- and museums, together with their limitations vis-à-vis terial labour? I imagine it is included because—pre- accessibility, such as the uniqueness of works and select sumably—it does not produce tangible products but clienteles. Instead, artists’ books and other forms of art- ‘states of being,’ that is, it produces feelings.... It used ist-initiated publications would be available, ideally, to be called a ‘labour of love’; Negri and Hardt instead in supermarkets, gas stations and in bookstore chains; have discovered ‘affection.’” Source: Sylvia Federici, they would be inserted into daily newspapers and main- “Precarious Labor: A Feminist Viewpoint,” lecture, stream magazines, and discussed on radio and televi- Bluestockings Bookstore, New York City, October 28, 2006. sion shows. However, contemporary numbered and signed artists’ editions in the tradition of the livre d’ar- aggregator tiste are often produced to contribute to the funding of The verb “to aggregate” means to convolute disparate other forms of artist-initiated publications, including information sources into a coherent collection. The artists’ books (e.g., Printed Matter, Art Metropole) and noun “aggregator” describes any organization or busi- magazines (e.g., Parkett, Texte zur Kunst, MAY Revue, ness which combines individual services or custom- DIS Magazine). Contemporary artists’ publications in ers into specific forms and groups for reasons of con- Québec is rooted in both traditions—the livre d’artiste venience, economy, or profit. An Internet aggregator and the tradition of the artist’s book—different from aggregates information or content relating to a single Anglophone Canada, which has a stronger connection subject from multiple online sources and presents it in to the North-American tradition. → See also: Parallel a coherent form on a single website, sometimes by cate- Distribution System. gorizing this content (such as e.g. search engines or RSS feeds). Software that performs this function can also be Sources: described as an aggregator. Source: Mehdi Khosorow- Joan Lyons, ed., Artists’ Books: A Critical Anthology and Pour, Dictionary of Information Science and Technology, Sourcebook (New York: Visual Studies Workshop Press, vol. 1 (IGI Global, 2007). 1985); Germano Celant, Book as Artwork 1960/1972, 2nd ed. (New York: 6 Decades Books, 2011). appropriation The Oxford English Dictionary defines “appropriation” affective labour as follows: “The making of a thing private property, “In ‘Grundrisse,’ Karl Marx states that with the de- whether another’s or one’s own; taking as one’s own or velopment of capitalism, less and less capitalist pro- to one’s own use; concr. the thing so appropriated or duction relies on living labour and more and more on taken possession of.” Cultural appropriation, however, the integration of science, knowledge and technology extends to how culture comes into being and how it in the production process as the engines of accumu- circulates. With colonization, Western science and lation [e.g., immaterial labour]. But what is affective cultural production extracted and claimed ownership 106 Glossary 107

of non-Western knowledge, imagery and production/ formats and print-on-demand. Source: D. M. Berry and manufacture. Western nations, and organizations and Michael Dieter, “Book Sprints: Everything You Wanted individuals within those nations, capitalized on these to Know.” (→ https://www.booksprints.net/2012/09/ appropriated assets, while dispossessing those who had everything-you-wanted-to-know/) created and developed them, sometimes even denying them the right to pursue such creation/production bookseller’s discount themselves. How we approach today’s digital technol- The usual discount that retailers require is 40% off the ogies, therefore, requires a resituation that accounts for list price. This is the minimum, and it can go higher. In the continuance of these inequitable systems of knowl- many cases, books must be returnable. This is a quaint edge up to today, and which includes multiple struc- carryover from an earlier era in publishing, which in tures of accountability and overlapping access regimes effect makes most bookstores into consignment shops. for different kinds of knowledge in the process of cul- The bookstore pays the wholesaler $6 for the book that tural innovation. it will sell to a customer in the store for $10. Online and print-on-demand marketplaces such as Amazon Literature: Linda Tuhiwai Smith, Decolonizing offer the option for artists and publishers to open their Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples own storefronts. (London: Zed Books, 1999); Sylvia Wynter, “Unsettling the Coloniality of Being/Power/Truth/Freedom,” Sources: New Centennial Review 3.3 (2003): 257–337; Kimberly → https://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/06/ Christen, “Gone Digital: Aboriginal Remix and the self-publishing-basics-understanding-book-discounts/ Cultural Commons,” International Journal of Cultural → https://sellercentral.amazon.com/forums/thread. Property 12 (2005): 315–45. jspa?threadID=2058 → http://www.lulu.com/blog/tag/distribution/#st- artists’ editions hash.8B7ca4Y2.dpbs Numbered and signed artists’ publications—prints, drawings, other objects—limited to a certain number, collaborative writing often produced for sale. Collaborative writing describes forms of writing and publishing where several authors produce a text simul- book sprint taneously, which is sometimes even published in real A “book sprint” brings together a group of editors to time. Online collaborative writing tools include Google produce a finished book in three to five days. This- in Drive, Mediawiki, Free Reading Commons, Markdown, cludes written content, illustration and design. The O’Reilly Atlas, etc. content of the finished book is often made available -im mediately at the end of the sprint in all major digital 108 Glossary 109

Literature: editors.ca/hire/definitions.html Markus Dreßen, Lina Grumm, Anne König, and Jan Wenzel, Liner Notes: Conversations About creative commons Making Books (Leipzig: Spector Books, 2010); Creative Commons is an American non-profit orga- Mercedes Bunz “The Returned: On the Future of nization that enables sharing and reuse of creativi- Monographic Books” (→ http://insights.uksg.org/ar- ty and knowledge through the provision of free legal ticles/10.1629/2048-7754.122/); Rodney H. Jones and tools, mostly in the form of licences for Internet use. Christoph A. Hafner, “Collaboration in Writing,” Source → https://creativecommons.org in Understanding Digital Literacies: A Practical Introduction (London and New York: Routledge, 2012). crowdfunding In the field of artist-run publication, crowdfunding consignment sale / consolidation has emerged as an alternative to traditional public and A trading arrangement in which a seller sends goods private funding sources. For instance, independent to a buyer or reseller who pays the seller in consolidat- small-press publishers use it to collect pre-orders for ed payments only as and when the goods are sold. The planned publications, thereby assembling a produc- seller remains the owner (title holder) of the goods until tion budget through advance sales. In such cases, the they are paid for in full, and, after a certain period, takes full amount of payment goes directly toward produc- back the unsold goods. Also called “sale on return,” or ing the publication. Authors, artists and publishers also “goods on consignment.” Read more → http://www.busi- frequently use corporate crowdfunding websites like nessdictionary.com/definition/consignment-sale.html Kickstarter and Indiegogo, which take a percentage of the returns. There are significant differences between co-publishing the various providers. For instance, Kickstarter keeps Joint financial investment by two or more publishers to a lower percentage, but does not allow users to keep conceive, produce and print, under their respective im- the money they raise if they fail to meet their declared prints, individual titles or collections to be sold in their fundraising goal. There are also online crowdfunding respective markets. Source → http://publications.gc.ca/col- services that specialize in the field of publication, such lections/collection_2015/pc-ch/CH41-30-2015-eng.pdf as such as Pubslush/PubLaunch.

copy editing distributor’s discount Copy editors look for grammatical and spelling errors, In traditional arts book trade, distributors act as in- and other inconsistencies, and they may make notes termediaries between publishers and bookshops. This for designers regarding production requirements. reduces shipping costs (including for the reader) for Check out the Editors Association of Canada’s defi- transcontinental distribution by ways of consolidated nitions for more information. Source → http://www. shipping. The minimum discount a distributor receives 110 Glossary 111

for books is 60% of the retail price. Of this percentage, Publishers in Canada apply for membership with GS1 the distributor passes on 40% to retailers, and invests the Canada and are assigned a unique company iden- remaining 20+% to cover costs of cataloguing, advertis- tification number, which is the first part of the EAN. ing, distribution of press copies, invoicing, administra- The remaining digits of the EAN/UPC are the book’s tion, etc. Transportation costs from the publisher to the International Standard Book Number (ISBN). Read distributor are often courtesy of the publisher. Today, more → http://www.adams1.com/upccode.html many distributors sell to Amazon as well as directly to individual customers. These conditions differ slight- eternal network / réseau autogéré ly in the case of magazine distributors. Distribution The idea of the “Eternal Network” goes back to the is based on the practice of consignment, usually with concept of a global, decentralized connective tissue of agreed payment intervals of several months and—in artistic production as developed by French Fluxus artist practice—with frequent delays in payment. For bigger Robert Filliou—a frequent visitor to Canada—in col- productions, a confirmed number of copies ordered by laboration with American artist and composer George a distributor can assist in the financing of the publica- Brecht. In its applied meaning, it describes a system for tion’s production. Such a deal is best settled in a written the production and exchange of often state-supported agreement to avoid outstanding production gaps, which artwork in Canada, together with international recog- can occur due to payment delays. nition and publicity, which initially occurred through a network of organizations and publications, and via the Book Society → http://www.thebooksociety.org/ mail. The idea of the Eternal Network subsequently led r.a.m. → http://www.rampub.com/ to the “parallel gallery system” of artist-run centres in D.A.P. → http://www.artbook.com/ Canada. → See also: Parallel Distribution System. Anagram → http://www.anagrambooks.com/ Antenne → https://www.antennebooks.com/ Literature: New Distribution House → https://shop.newdistribu- Luis Jacob, Golden Streams, Artists' Collaboration and tionhouse.com/pages/informations Exchange in the 1970s (Toronto: Blackwood Gallery, University of Toronto at Mississauga, 2002); Vincent EAN barcode Bonin and Michèle Thériault, eds. Protocoles doc- EAN used to stand for “European Article Number,” but umentaires (1967-1975) (Montréal: Leonard & Bina has retained the acronym even though it is now known Ellen Art Gallery, 2010). as “International Article Number,” also known as the Universal Product Code, or UPC. This is the barcode fifty-fifty split system by which retailers scan products at the point A term adapted from the music field to describe a con- of sale. Information about the product is encapsulat- tract between an author and a publisher upon a publi- ed in the barcode as product identification numbers. cation, which foresees that any remaining returns after 112 Glossary 113

the payment of all production costs are split in equal legal deposit measure between publisher and author. Literature: Federal and sometimes also provincial legislation re- Daylle Deanna Schwartz: Start and Run Your Own Record quires publishers to deposit, free of charge, copies Label (London and New York: Billboard Books, 2003). (usually two) of all published works within seven days of their publication. Source → http://adelf.qc.ca/content/ flat fee uploads/2014/06/LEXIQUE_final1.pdf Of a standard amount; not varying with changed condi- tions; without excess or diminution for particular cases. licence Source: Oxford English Dictionary. A license grants permission to do what would otherwise be unlawful. In the context of publication, a license free speech, freedom of expression grants a person or organization to publish content (a text, Similar to many Western liberal democratic na- image, or an entire publication) for a defined language, tion-states, the Canadian Charter of Rights and territory, or use. Usually accompanied by the payment Freedoms, a part of the Constitution Act, in its para- of a flat fee to the author upon passing of the license, graph on “Fundamental Freedoms,” guarantees while further percentage shares in sales are subject to “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, negotiation. Source: Jonathan Law, A Dictionary of Law including freedom of the press and other media of (Oxford University Press, 2015). communication.” However, free speech can be abused or restricted (including by the state), and is subject to liquid books interpretation (including by the law). → http://laws-lois. Digital “books” published under the (gratis/libre) justice.gc.ca/eng/Const/page-15.html conditions of both “open editing” and “free content.” Readers are free to compose, rewrite, edit, annotate, intellectual property translate, tag, add to, remix, reformat, reinvent and Property (such as patents, trademarks, copyright mate- reuse Liquid Books, or produce parallel versions of rial, or registered and unregistered design rights) that is them. While speed is the central characteristic in the the product of invention or creativity, and does not exist concept of a book sprint, change is the central charac- in a tangible, physical form. teristic of a liquid book. Here, the production process starts with an author (or a group of authors) who pro- Source: vides content open to change, until the content gets Jonathan Law, A Dictionary of Law (Oxford University “frozen,” i.e., can’t be altered anymore. Source → http:// Press, 2015). liquidbooks.pbworks.com Canadian Intellectual Property Office → http://www. ic.gc.ca/eic/site/cipointernet-internetopic.nsf/eng/ open access wr03585.html?Open&wt_src=cipo-ip-main Open-access publications are digital, online, free of 114 Glossary 115

charge, and free of most copyright and licensing restric- Artexte was founded as a distributor and bookstore tions, thus accessible to “all,” e.g., the “general public.” for artists’ publications. Alongside Art Metropole in Source: Peter Suber, “Open Access Overview.” → http:// Toronto, Image Bank in Vancouver and Véhicule Art legacy.earlham.edu/~peters/fos/overview.htm in Montréal, to name only a few, Artexte and its fellow artist-run institutions sought to establish a function- open source ing system to enhance the conditions for the dissem- The sharing and collaborative improvement of soft- ination of artists’ works and their strategic placement ware source code. The “open source” label was created on an international map. (→ Eternal Network) Some at a strategy session held on February 3, 1998, in Palo of these institutions are still active today, while others Alto, California, shortly after Netscape’s announce- reoriented their activities toward collection, docu- ment of the release of its source code. Source → https:// mentation and preservation (such as Artexte, or New opensource.org/ York City’s Franklin Furnace). Today’s specialized in- ternational distribution network of arts publications is parallel distribution system partially a result of this distribution system. It can be The ideal of the North-American artist’s book to traced, for instance, by running through the exhibitor reach the “general public” (→ Access and Artist-Run lists of the New York and L.A. art-book fairs. Publication) was only partially successful. As it turned out, not everyone was interested in artist-initiated Literature: publications, which therefore were not promoted by Lucy Lippard, “Conspicuous Consumption: New mainstream sales points whose acquisition policies de- Artists’ Books,” in Artists’ Books: A Critical Anthology pended on sales. Today, the art market’s internal laws and Sourcebook, ed. Joan Lyons (New York: Visual of scarcity and limitation continue to govern access to Studies Workshop Press, 1985), 49. these publications. For instance, Lawrence Weiner’s famous artist’s book Statements, available for USD $1.95 print run at the time of its publication in 1968, is today traded The number of copies printed in a single impression. as a rare collector’s item at more than five hundred Source → http://adelf.qc.ca/content/uploads/2014/06/ times its original price, often by those very institutions LEXIQUE_final1.pdf that the artist’s book was intended to circumvent. As many aspire to expand the artist’s book’s distribution self-publishing mechanisms, a “parallel distribution system” emerged, A form of publication in which the author(s) of the in its beginnings initiated and maintained by artists, publication is also its publisher(s). As such, they are such as New York’s famous Printed Matter Inc. In in full control of the production and in many cases Canada, the emergence of artist-run culture is intrin- also circulation of the publication. This includes for sically related to this system. Historically, for instance, instance the publication of zines which are passed on 116 Glossary 117

hand-to-hand; artist-led imprints; self-publishers who (including blogs such as WordPress and Tumblr; social exclusively distribute directly; or collective online media; the PDF-based e-books such as iTunes, Kindle, publishing-endeavours. iBooks, Nook and Kobo; Google Images and Books, Liquid Books, print-on-demand and e-publishing plat- Sources: forms such as Lulu.com, Leanpub, or (open-access) da- Annette Gilbert, ed. Publishing as Artistic Practice tabanks such as Wikipedia, Library Genesis, Aaaaarg. (Berlin: Sternberg Press, 2016); Christoph Keller and fail, Monoskop, UbuWeb, format is limited according to Michael Lailach, KIOSK—Modes of Multiplication the application being used, and can therefore often only (Kunstbibliothek Staatliche Museeen zu Berlin, 2009); reproduce particular text and image formats and colour Maria Fusco and Ian Hunt, Put About: A Critical schemes, and may allow access to certain networks but Anthology on Independent Publishing (London: not others. Source: Helmut Kipphan, Handbook of Print Bookworks, 2004). Media (Berlin: Springer, 2001).

standardization Offset— (of production methods) Gatineau → http://www.gauvin.ca/en-ca Every production method implies specific technical Montmagny/Québec/Montréal → http://empreinte.ca standards for production, which influence how content Montréal → http://www.marquisbook.com may be reproduced and circulated. For instance, offset Toronto → http://www.flashreproductions.com/ print requires a minimum print run of approximately five hundred copies, while the cost per copy decreases Digital Print— with higher print runs. Newspaper printing requires Gatineau → http://www.gauvin.ca/en-ca/ even higher print runs and rasterized images. The Montréal → http://www.quadriscan.com/ ability of Xerox copying to reproduce fades, grades and Toronto → http://standardform.org/ colours is limited, but allows for low print runs. Digital print, print-on-demand and Risograph printers also Risograph— allow for small print runs at low cost, but have access Montréal → http://charmantetcourtois.com only to a limited set of colours. Inkjet printing allows Toronto → http://colourcodeprinting.com for full production control, but is limited to the CYMK Vancouver → http://www.monikerpress.ca colour scheme and its respective toners, which remain expensive. Print-on-demand is based on standardized 3-D-Printing— reproduction technology, which limits choice of binding Montréal → https://library.concordia.ca/locations/ methods and covers. 3D printing is becoming more af- technology-sandbox/ fordable and accessible, even without knowledge of CAD drawing software. In most online publishing tools 118 119

Print-on-Demand— Source: Montmagny/Québec/Montréal → http://empreinte.ca Melissa S. Williams, “Access to Public Universities: Guelph → https://publication-studio.myshopify.com/ Addressing Systemic Inequalities,” conference paper, collections/ps-guelph Taking Public Universities Seriously, University of Vancouver → https://bookmachine.ca Toronto, December 3–4, 2004.

Self-publishing online— → http://www.blurb.ca → https://www.lulu.com → https://leanpub.com → https://www.newspaperclub.com/ Databanks— → http://libgen.io → http://aaaaarg.fail → https://monoskop.org → http://www.ubuweb.com/

systemic inequalities Systemic inequalities are inequalities that are reliably reproduced over time along the lines of social group differences, even in the absence of patterns of overt or intentional discrimination on the part of identifiable social agents. Such group-patterned inequalities extend across an array of social domains, including income, education, social status (including cultural affirmation or stigmatization), health, life expectancy and repre- sentation in political institutions and the law. Systemic inequalities tend to be intergenerational patterns of group-structured difference. Where systemic inequali- ties are in place, inequalities in one social domain gen- erate inequalities in other social domains and interact dynamically to reproduce themselves over time and across generations.