Hey man, it’s not just the US that’s shitting bricks, it’s also the UK and Canada. Might I suggest a name for this new trend in books: misery publishing. Where all books that see print are tinged with hints of abuse, regret, envy and hatred.

While some in Canadian publishing circles believe that business will not be as bad in that country as in the U.S., others have already taken belt-tightening measures. Last week, Corus Entertainment, the parent company of Kids Can Press, made staffing changes that included the departure of v-p of sales and marketing Judy Brunsek. According to Sally Tindal, director of communications for Corus, a review of KCP’s operations resulted in shifted job responsibilities and the elimination of three positions—one in sales and marketing, one in editorial and one in production. With the changes, Lisa Lyons, president of KCP, will add sales and marketing to her responsibilities, with the director of sales and the director of marketing reporting directly to her.

Additionally, Thomas Allen Publishers, part of Thomas Allen & Son, is “postponing” the release of most books on their spring 2009 list until next fall. Requests for comments on this change were not returned by the company. Over at HarperCollins Canada, CEO David Kent confirmed that they “have a corporate-wide freeze on salaries announced last week,” but added, “Other than the obvious belt-tightening objectives, we haven’t made any draconian steps.”