Vancouver Indie Authors

We are not accepting submissions to our Indie Authors collection at this time.

If you are an author and want us to know about your book or other publication, please visit our information page on Selling Your Book or Other Publication to VPL.

Thank you, Selections Team, Vancouver Public Library.

As part of our commitment to helping residents share their own stories, Vancouver Public Library is creating a collection of self-published books by local authors. The goal of this collection is to promote local books that might not be available through traditional channels, both to increase exposure for local writers and to increase the selection for local readers. We welcome both print books and ebooks.

Eligibility & selection criteria

We're looking for books in print or EPUB format for an audience of any age that meet all of the following criteria:

The author resides in Vancouver or is a member of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, or the book is about Vancouver.
The book meets basic formatting requirements. (See submission form, Section 2 & 3.)
The book was published in the past two years and is not already in the library’s collection.
The book fits VPL’s Collection Development Policy.
The book does not contravene Canadian law.

Defining ‘Vancouver/Local Author’

The primary objective of this collection is to highlight authors who reside in the City of Vancouver or are members of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations.

Neighbouring Municipalities

Staff may also consider authors from neighbouring municipalities for the collection, evaluating based on expectation of local interest and the criteria above.

Before you submit

Before submitting, we encourage you to get an ISBN for your book and to validate your EPUB file if you are submitting an ebook. Both steps can be done free of charge.

Getting an ISBN for your book

We do not require an ISBN, but there are several advantages to having one. For instance, having an ISBN might make you eligible to receive annual payments under the Public Lending Right Program as compensation for free access to your book in Canadian public libraries. It also makes it easier for the library to acquire additional copies for the collection. If you want an ISBN for your book, we encourage you to acquire it before submitting this form. Please visit Library and Archives Canada for details.

Validating your EPUB file (ebook submission only)

In order for library patrons to read and enjoy your book, it is critical that your EPUB file work on whatever make and model of eReader they are using. (Imagine the frustration of getting halfway through a book, and then discovering that the remaining pages cannot be turned.) For this reason, testing your ebook on your own personal device is not sufficient; you should also run your ebook through a file validator to make sure that there are no hidden errors in the file. There are several free online tools which will analyze your EPUB file and identify errors in the formatting.

VPL financial processes have changed. If your submission is accepted, you may be contacted for further personal information prior to our ordering your material.

Submission form

We are not accepting submissions to our Indie Authors collection at this time.

If you are an author and want us to know about your book or other publication, please visit our information page on Selling Your Book or Other Publication to VPL.

Thank you, Selections Team, Vancouver Public Library.