Q & A with Paula

Building Belonging Ground Press

Belonging Ground Press founder Paula Sevestre reflects on becoming a publisher, bringing the press's first title to market, and creating space for stories that don't always fit neatly within traditional boundaries.

Interview

As a debut novelist, you could have focused solely on bringing your own book into the world. What inspired you to take the entrepreneurial step of creating Belonging Ground Press as a publishing house with a broader vision for the future?

As I moved through the publishing journey with Lex Tocara: Shadow of the Healer, a psychological suspense novel exploring the space between what is seen and what is understood, I became increasingly curious about what was happening beyond the production of my own book. I wanted to understand the business of publishing—distribution, bookselling, publicity, and how all of those pieces connect. Shadow of the Healer will be the first title published by Belonging Ground Press in February 2027, so I'm learning that business by actually building the infrastructure around a real book and bringing it to market. The more I learn, the more I see an opportunity to do more than simply publish my own work—to eventually create a path that others might travel too.

“Belonging Ground” is a wonderfully evocative phrase. What does it mean to you, and how does that idea express the values you want the press to stand for?

I grew up with a strong sense of belonging. Membertou was my community and, in many ways, the ground from which I grew. That is what “Belonging Ground” means to me—the people, places, relationships and experiences that give us a sense of where we belong and help shape who we become. In a world that can feel increasingly divided, I believe stories can create connection and remind us that our value comes from something deeper than what we own or achieve. I want Belonging Ground Press to be part of that.

What kind of space do you hope Belonging Ground Press can create within the Canadian publishing landscape — particularly as an Indigenous-owned independent press?

I thought writing a book and self-publishing was an overwhelming process, but stepping into the broader publishing landscape is a whole other can of worms. One of the biggest surprises has been learning that publishing a book and actually getting it into the book trade are two very different things. Distribution alone has its own language—sales representation, trade discounts, inventory, returns—and suddenly I found myself learning an entirely new side of the business. But being overwhelmed by what I didn’t know wasn’t a reason not to learn it.

Our first title, Lex Tocara: Shadow of the Healer, is also an example of the kind of work I want BGP to make room for—a psychological suspense novel that moves through questions of spirituality, healing, human behaviour, and things that aren’t always easily explained. Maybe we won’t create a new genre, but I’d like us to make a little more room between the ones that already exist.

As you look beyond your own books, what kind of list would you eventually like to build at Belonging Ground Press? What kinds of writers, stories or perspectives would feel at home there?

There are so many talented writers, but the reality of publishing is that only a small number will find representation. I also recognize that agents and publishers receive an enormous number of queries, and working through them can be a full-time job in itself. As a smaller press with a particular focus on Indigenous writers, I may have the opportunity to do things a little differently. I’m especially interested in work that crosses boundaries—stories that may not fit neatly into one category but have something meaningful to say about identity, connection and belonging. I’m imagining designated times when writers could have an initial conversation with us before a formal submission—not necessarily to pitch a finished manuscript, but to talk about their work, what they’re trying to create and whether BGP might be the right home for it. The process isn’t fully developed yet, but I want it to carry the same sense of belonging we want the press itself to represent. Writers are more than a few words in a query headline.

Starting a small press in Canada today involves navigating everything from distribution and bookselling to discoverability and reaching readers. Which of those practical realities are you thinking about most as you build Belonging Ground Press?

All of them, in one way or another. Distribution is probably the practical reality I’m thinking about most right now. I’m beginning to explore what the right distribution relationship might look like for a small Canadian press—particularly one that can provide access to established bookselling channels and sales representation. Discoverability is a shared effort—getting books onto shelves is one part of it, but giving readers a reason to pick them up is another. That means marketing, being accessible, building relationships and creating the right networks around the press. I’m learning very quickly that publishing the book is only the beginning.