An Interactive Webinar Series
February 13-27, 2024
About Doors Open Publishing | FAQ | Session Recordings | Land Acknowledgement
Demystifying the Business of Publishing
While Doors Open Publishing has concluded for 2024, our doors are always open!
With the Doors Open Publishing webinar series, the Canadian Publishers’ Council (CPC) introduces you to our colleagues from different publishing companies who all work in the creation of books and digital resources, spanning everything from design to distribution. A career in publishing combines a love of books with a keen sense of business and offers a variety of work environments in large or small publishing firms. Whether your interests lie in literary, children’s, or educational publishing, Doors Open Publishing provides you with a resource to learn more about—and eventually join—this growing industry. Webinar speakers cover a wide range of experience from various trade and educational publishing houses across Canada, including Penguin Random House Canada, HarperCollins Canada, Oxford University Press, Wiley, Scholastic Canada, McGraw Hill Education Canada, and more.
Speakers share the challenges and rewards of their publishing experience, in addition to providing insights on some of the biggest issues in Canadian publishing today. All webinar sessions have in-depth discussions on topics ranging from equitable representation in publishing to building customer success with sales, and so much more!
This webinar series
- Provides an overview of a wide range of publishing departments including Editorial, Sales, Marketing and Publicity, and more from industry professionals of all levels of experience before providing a Q&A session;
- Promotes publishing as a career option to those just starting their careers, those looking for a career change, and anyone who previously believed that publishing didn’t hold a place for them;
- Demystifies the publishing industry—from day-to-day duties to industry-wide issues—in order to foster a more inclusive Canadian publishing landscape for years to come.
The 2024 Doors Open Publishing webinar format has been extended to allow you to learn more from our panel of publishing professionals. Each session includes a 45-minute panel discussion and a 30-minute Q&A session.
Doors Open Publishing is a webinar series curated by the Canadian Publishers’ Council in a commitment to transparency, accessibility, and diversity within Canadian publishing. We welcome all participants, including those who identify with communities that are traditionally underrepresented in the Canadian publishing industry including, but not limited to, those who identify as Black, Indigenous, or people of colour; members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community; and persons with disabilities.
How you can participate
The recordings for all Doors Open Publishing webinar sessions are available to view now! To view the recordings, you will need to register with your name and email. Please follow the links below to access the recordings. Transcripts of all recordings are also available.
Frequently Asked Questions
While Doors Open Publishing has concluded for 2024, recordings for all Doors Open Publishing webinar sessions are available to view now! If you can’t watch the recordings, the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) are posted below. To learn more about specific insights from each Doors Open Publishing session, register to watch all recorded sessions!
Q: Do I have to live in a big city like Toronto or Vancouver to work in Canadian publishing?
A: While a lot of major publishing houses are based in cities like Toronto or Vancouver, there are plenty of local publishing houses across Canada. Explore presses in your area! Some publishing houses may also offer remote opportunities.
Q: Are there a lot of remote opportunities in Canadian publishing?
A: Remote opportunities may be available depending on the position you apply for and the publishing house you apply to. Many roles are often hybrid positions (a combination of in-person and remote work).
Q: Do I need to have a publishing degree or certificate to work in publishing?
A: Publishing degrees and certificates can be assets, but they are not necessarily requirements to work in publishing. Always check the requirements for the position you apply for.
Q: I have professional experience in a different industry. Can I transition to publishing late in my career?
A: It’s never too late to transition to publishing! Your experience, even non-publishing experience, can be invaluable to any publishing department.
Q: Do I have to be an editor to work in publishing?
A: Publishing offers a variety of different roles and departments. Doors Open Publishing offers a look inside various different publishing departments: Production, Art and Design, Marketing, Publicity, Sales, Digital, Legal, and more!
Q: Where can I find opportunities in Canadian publishing?
A: You can find opportunities in Canadian publishing on the Canadian Publishers’ Council Careers page. Quill & Quire, FOLD Canada, and the BIPOC of Publishing in Canada Directory are also great resources.
Q: How can I learn more about Canadian publishing?
A: All Doors Open Publishing sessions from 2023 and 2024 are available to view now! Register to watch all sessions!
Session Recordings
All Doors Open Publishing sessions are available to view!
View 2023 Session RecordingsView 2024 Session Recordings
Land Acknowledgement
The Canadian Publishers’ Council operates within the city of Toronto, on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples, and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13, signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
We acknowledge that our speakers and attendees come from a wide range of territories and lands across Turtle Island. To learn more about the traditional Indigenous lands you are on, please visit Whose Land or Native-Land.