Quill and Quire

by Q&Q Staff

The plight of the publicist

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Book publicists are a beleaguered lot.They do their best to accommodate their employers’ demands, fulfill their role of plaything for authors, and use any means at their command to get somebody, anybody, from a bored ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

Money for nothing

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Ever wondered about the real estate value of a bookstore’s cash counter? According to the bean-counters at Chapters, the answer is a whopping $39,000 a year.Put in those terms, it’s mildly surprising there hasn’t been ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

Independents’ days

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Among veterans of the Canadian book trade, the Canadian Booksellers Association convention in Vancouver has earned a reputation as the carefree sibling of the Toronto show: more relaxed, naturally beautiful, and a generous host.But between ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

CLA marks 50th

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The Canadian Library Association (CLA) will celebrate the past with an eye to the future at its 51st annual conference, being held June 5-9 at the World Trade and Convention Centre in Halifax. This year’s ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

Hybrid how-to’s

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Some cooks will find at least one revelation in Rose Reisman’s Enlightened Kitchen: the easiest way to stuff manicotti is to cut the tubular noodles open and wrap them around the filling instead of trying ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

Copyright hearings expected by summer

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After eight years of negotiations, promises, new ministers, and false starts, Ottawa has finally moved to update the country’s federal copyright laws, and the amendments will include the long-awaited distribution right for book publishers. And ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

Switching gears

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In January, Paul King ran the first sale ever at his Food for Thought bookstore in Ottawa’s trendy Byward Market district. He slashed 25% off the price of everything in the store, and thus gambled ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

No way out?

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For most of the three frustrating years Tundra Books was up for sale, founder May Cutler “never got a serious offer” for her well-respected children’s house in Montreal. Which is not to say there were ... Read More »

March 24, 2004

Next Chapters

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While federal officials mull over a deal this winter between Borders and a Canadian consortium, architects and designers for Chapters Inc. are working around the clock on the roll-out of the chain’s flagship store, set ... Read More »

March 24, 2004