Le Regroupement des éditeurs: It's a beautiful language…
French is alive throughout Canada, vibrant in its regional accents. This fact is borne out in the publishing industry, which brings together 15 publishers who are active outside Quebec (New Brunswick, Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan), under the banner of Le Regroupement des éditeurs canadiens-français. Since 1989, the organization has supported the publishers' professional development and marketing activities.
While some promotional activities have been in place for years, others are more recent, resulting in a successful well-defined strategy. But how do publishers know if the strategy is optimal, or if resources could be better used in other ways?
With the support of the Canada Council, the Regroupement hired publishing expert Ginette Péloquin. She met with the publishers and reviewed their practices in order to develop training to meet their needs. An introductory training activity with Jean Baril, director of communications for the Librex group, resulted in several new initiatives, demonstrating the publishers' interest in issues relating to marketing issues.
By participating in book fairs and literary events, producing group catalogues and an on-line purchasing centre, the Regroupement allows Canada's francophone voices to resonate and be heard by bookstores and the media. Thanks in part to this organization, “cette langue belle,” as Yves Duteuil sang, retains the many accents of its people.