In retirement my wife and I established Poplar Publishing, a home-based business to shepherd first-time local writers, with niche market books, to market. We considered this our ministry to help authors who had a work of merit but could not find a trade publisher or were only writing for family and friends. 

We provided editing, lay-out and design, and all production services to get copies of their book in hand. Authors were required to provide their own marketing. In return we asked only that authors make a donation of a portion of their sales to a charity of their choice. 

We were delighted to see the spirit of giving kept alive with local, national and international charities benefiting, e.g. L’Arche Comox Valley, Comox Valley Transition Society, Ukrainian Studies Society in support of Lester B. Pearson College of the Pacific, Multiple Sclerosis Society of Canada, Mennonite Central Committee BC for forestry projects in developing countries, Doctors Without Borders. Writers are known for both the power of the pen and the generosity of heart—both make the world a better place. 

At the time of the Covid-19 pandemic we drew closure this activity. Poplar Publishing continues to publish some of my own work.

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