Prominent indie bookseller Richard Bachmann has spoken out about the More Canada initiative, in which several Canadian publishers are seeking funding to subsidize display placement for their titles in Indigo and indie bookstores.

In a statement issued today, Bachmann, the owner of A Different Drummer Books in Burlington, calls the scheme “outrageous,” arguing that “public money should not be used to underwrite marketing expenditures.” He also takes a pragmatic position – saying “we do not quite believe that advertising and focused display tables will work any wonders; those methods are already being employed” – and goes on to wax philosophical about the Indigo-dominated book market (“publishers have co-authored some of their own problems”).

Download a PDF of the full Different Drummer release right here.