Nova Scotia Publishers Assistance Program scrapped
Recent government budget cuts in Nova Scotia have eliminated the Publishers Assistance Program which provided $700,000 in annual funding to independent book publishers in the province to help cover costs such as printing and design, author royalties, and marketing. The move will significantly reduce the number of titles published. The recently tabled $1.2-billion deficit budget cuts about $130 million combined from over 280 government grants, reducing or eliminating funding for scholarship programs, arts funding, and Mi’kmaw and African Nova Scotian programs.This cut follows the recent ‘Nova Scotia Loyal’ book-industry pilot program, which supported local booksellers and authors through to February 28, 2026. Nova Scotia is the only province that doesn’t invest in its own book publishers. Despite the cuts, support for Nova Scotian stories continues through industry groups such as The Association of Canadian Publishers, the Literary Press Group, independent bookstores, and participants in the pilot program including Bookmark, Woozles, Tattletales, and others.
