History

Red Deer Press was incorporated in 1975 as a not–for–profit corporation limited by guarantee. Following a 1981 reorganization, the Press grew consistently and substantially both in terms of title output and in terms of sales and marketing activity both nationally and internationally. Title output grew from a single edition to fourteen to sixteen titles plus, on average, eight to ten reprints annually. In 2004, Red Deer Press launched the Robert J. Sawyer Books a line of literate, philosophically rich science–fiction titles personally selected by the man the Ottawa Citizen calls "the dean of Canadian Science Fiction." Each book under this imprint appeals both to SF fans and to general readers who enjoy a mingling of the intimately human with the grandly cosmic.

Mandate and Objectives

Red Deer Press's mandate is to publish books by, about or of interest to Canadians, with special emphasis upon the Prairie West.

Geographic Location and Community Served

Red Deer Press is located in Calgary, Alberta, and serves general Canadian trade and literary book audiences, with special emphasis on the West. Measured by genre, the Press publishes approximately one third children's illustrated and juvenile fiction; one-third literary fiction, poetry, drama, creative nonfiction and belle lettres; and one-third literary and trade nonfiction. Measured by the market, approximately equal portions of titles are produced for international, national and Western regional markets. A consistent effort is made to develop emerging literary and artistic talent, which historically has accounted for approximately fifteen to twenty percent of title output.

Association Memberships

Red Deer Press belongs to the following organizations:
Book Publishers Association of Alberta (http://www.bookpublishers.ab.ca)
Canadian Children's Book Centre (http://www.bookcentre.ca)
Canadian Professional Sales Association (http://www.cpsa.com)
Independent Publishers Association of Canada (http://www.ipac-publishers.com)
The Literary Press Group (http://www.lpg.ca)
Publishers Marketing Association (http://www.pma-online.org)

Literary and Cultural Excellence

Red Deer Press has established a reputation for quality children's and literary publishing, especially for developing emerging talent from the prairie region. Our programs in poetry, drama, fiction, creative nonfiction, picture books, and juvenile fiction have earned numerous awards and citations for editorial, design and marketing excellence. The Press is most regarded as a publisher of children's books, which have earned secure reputations and markets domestically and internationally.

In 2004 alone, Red Deer Press titles received a number of awards and citations of excellence, including:

A Team Like No Other
CBC Radio One Sounds Like Canada Recommended Title

Falling for Snow: A Naturalist's Journey into the World of Winter
Finalist, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award
Alberta Book Cover Design Award Nominee

Heck Superhero
Governor General's Literary Award Nomination
Quill & Quire BfYP Top Five Selection
CBC Radio One Sounds Like Canada Recommended Title

Hidden Buffalo
Finalist, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award
Alberta Children's Book of the Year Nominee
Alberta Book Illustration of the Year Award Nominee
Shortlisted, Amelia Frances Howard–Gibbon Award
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Selection

In Abby's Hands
Alberta Book Illustration of the Year Award Nominee
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Selection

Let's Get Going
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Selection

Missing Matthew
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Starred Selection

Mordecai & Me: An Appreciation of a Kind
Canadian Jewish Book of the Year Award
Bronze Award, ForeWord Magazine Book of the Year Award
Alberta Trade Non–Fiction Book Award Nominee
Quebec Writer's Federation Mavis Gallant Prize for Non–fiction

My Home Bay
Alberta Children's Book of the Year Nominee
Alberta Book Illustration of the Year Award Nominee
Canadian Children's Book Centre Our Choice Selection

Ordinary Miracles
Shortlisted, Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year Award

Tom Finder
MR. CHRISTIE'S BOOK AWARD
Benjamin Franklin Award for Juvenile–Young Adult Fiction
Shortlisted, Canadian Library Association Young Adult Book of the Year Award
Shortlisted, Ontario Library Association White Pine Award