Cook Partners

Discerning the Times

This is the last entry of the Cook Partners blog, as we announced some time ago:

Among those who joined King David’s army at Hebron, there was one group “from the tribe of Issachar … 200 leaders of the tribe with their relatives. All these men understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take” (1 Chron. 12:32, NLT).

In Romans, Paul admonishes the Church to go about the business of everyday living and loving “understanding the present time” (Rom. 13:11).

And Ecclesiastes reminds us, “There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.” (Eccl. 3:1).

At David C Cook, the time has come for change.

Our mission is "to equip the Church with Christ-centered resources for making and teaching disciples who obediently transform today's generations."

As we engage in ministry on a global scale, partnering with organizations in China, Cuba, India, Vietnam, and other countries, we have increasingly sought to discern the times and to make the best use of our resources to accomplish His purposes. For example, Cook is currently raising funds to provide Sunday school curriculum and pastors’s libraries to over a third of the churches in China.

Now, this same desire to serve Him effectively, and well, leads us to announce that we are reallocating our limited funds. The May/June issue of Cook Partners magazine will be the last issue and the blog will be updated until May 29, 2009...

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). This is the time for Cook to move in new directions.

And if you would like to learn more, and to pray for David C. Cook, please contact us.

Recession is Sowing Time

Chris Anderson, editor of Wired, has this to say about print publishing in a recession:
 

The print [publications] that add value to the Internet are going to be fine in this economy. But some kinds of print don’t make sense right now. I’d argue that books don’t add value to the Internet...

Book publishers are likely to differ, stating that it is the Internet that should add value to books, and not the other way around! Nevertheless, Anderson adds:

The companies that are using this time right now are the tiny ones that are starting up. That’s what downturns are for, I think—sprinkling the seeds.

Publishers, are you sowing? Because the Bible says, "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well." (Ecclesiastes 11:6). More than that, God's Word encourages those who sow in the downturns: "He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with him." (Psalm 126:6)

May the seeds you sow yield amazing returns.

Philippines: WWJD For Religion Publishers Today

ABS/CBN News reports,

Although faith comes in endless supply, the demand for spiritual and theological books are reportedly slowing in the economic crisis, such that some religious publishing houses are asking: What would Jesus do?

Fr. Benedict Dilag, executive director of the Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI), said that their small publishing house-cum-book retail business has been feeling the crunch.

Read more here.

Zambia: Books Bring Empowerment in Recession

At the fair organized by the Book Publishers of Zambia, education minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa hailed books as tools to mitigate the impact of the current economic crisis, reports The Lusaka Times:

Professor Lungwangwa said there is [a] need to promote ...  books [as] sources of knowledge that can enhance economic empowerment of citizens if properly utilized.

He noted that as the nation continues to experience high levels of illiteracy, [efforts should be made to adopt a] culture of reading [via] a national reading strategy.

An In-Depth Look at Canada's Publishing Industry

The National Post has a series of articles "examining the ecology of books, the complex interrelationships that, taken together, form Canada’s publishing industry — from small-press proprietors to the country’s biggest houses, from booksellers to book bloggers to book reviewers." Here are links to the series' articles so far:

• License to Deal (on literary agents)
• Literary Journals: The Writers' Sandbox
• Mark of an Editor
• A New Breed of Penguin (on new imprints in Canada)
• The Jacket Racket (on designers)
• Book Publicists: A Tale to Sell

India: Market Could Surpass Canada Within 10 Years

From India's Business Standard:

The National Readership survey 2005 revealed that the time that people in India spend on reading has gone up significantly — from 30 minutes per day to an average of 39 minutes per day over the previous three years. The increase was sharper in urban India (from 32 to 42 minutes per day). This increased reading habit augurs well for the future of the book market.

Though the proportion of Indians who speak and read English-language books is very small, given India’s billion-plus population, this stills adds up to pretty substantial numbers in terms of the potential readers that can be targeted by publishers. A potential market of 65 million persons is second only to the 215-million English-language speaking population in the US, and more than the 60 million of the UK and 20 million of Australia. Which is why Penguin’s David Davidar says India is the fastest-growing English-language market in the world today. In the coming decade, India’s book market could be bigger than that in Canada.

Read the rest of the article here.

Russia: Concern For Bible Society, Other Christian Publishing Activity

Forum 18's newest article on Russia begins this way:

The powers of the Russian Justice Ministry's Expert Council for Conducting State Religious-Studies Analysis were considerably widened in February 2009, allowing it to investigate the activity, doctrines, leadership decisions, literature and worship of any registered religious organisation and recommend action to the Ministry. The subsequent appointment of renowned "anti-cultists" and controversial scholars of Islam to the Council – and the choice of prominent "anti-cultist" Aleksandr Dvorkin as its chair - have led a wide range of religious representatives to liken the Council to a new "inquisition", Forum 18 News Service notes. If the Council is given free rein, it is likely to recommend harsh measures against certain religious organisations. At the Council's first meeting, Dvorkin named the Russian Bible Society as a possible target for investigation, but its acting director told Forum 18 no action has followed. Forum 18 asked the Justice Ministry how many commissions it is likely to give the Council each year, whether the Ministry will automatically accept its conclusions and, if not, who will decide. However, the Ministry has so far failed to respond.

Even if a a new "inquisition" does not become a reality, however, prayer for Christian publishers in Russia is still advisable, as Time Magazine and Yahoo News report that the country's economy is expected to suffer the effects of the recession for a long time to come:

Although [Russian President Dmitry] Medvedev did not give a new estimate for the GDP decline in 2009, he said this year's budget deficit will be at least 7% of GDP - "and that's an optimistic forecast." On Friday, government figures for the first quarter showed the economy shrank at an annual rate of 9.5%, a radical revision after officials forecast in February that Russia's GDP would decline by only 2.2% this year. The International Monetary Fund has predicted that Russia's GDP could drop as much as 6% this year. "In 2009, unfortunately, we expect a sharper fall in the GDP than we had thought," Medvedev said.

Inflation in Russia is expected to be around 13% this year.

Nigeria: Publisher Denouces "Cankerworm" of Piracy

The Sun News Online interviewed Sir John Odike, the managing director of Africana First Publishers, an educational publisher in Onitsha, Anambra State, Nigeria:

Book piracy is a monster that must be crushed. It is a hydra-headed evil that should be eliminated. You see, pirates produce inferior quality books, sell at cheap prices to undo us. This is the most potent threat to the publishing industries today. Which ever way you look at it, piracy threatens our existence if it is allowed to continue unchecked.

I now use this medium to call on Nigeria Copyright Commission to re-strategize so that this cankerworm does not cripple genuine publishing business.

USA: Christian Magazine Publishers in Midst of "Perfect Publishing Storm"

Christianity Today International (CTI) announced it is shutting down four more of its magazines:

To be shut down over the coming months are Today’s Christian Woman magazine, the Campus Life College Guide, the Christian history bulletin insert Glimpses, and the Church Office Today bimonthly newsletter....

 

These latest cutbacks follow similar moves made in January, when a total of three periodicals—Ignite Your Faith (formerly Campus Life), Marriage Partnership, and Today’s Christian magazines either ceased publication or, in the case of TC, was sold.

 

“We find ourselves—as does our industry—in the midst of a perfect publishing storm,” says [Harold] Smith, [CTI President and Publisher].

Other well-known Christian magazines that recently stopped printing are NavPress' Discipleship Journal and Pray!, and  Strang Communications' New Man and SpiritLed Women.

Last week also marked the final issue of David C. Cook's Cook Partners magazine. This blog, also, will end May 29. 

Philippines: Book Blockade Over

The Far Eastern Economic Review features an article from Robin Hensley, who first broke the story regarding book import troubles in the Philippines:  

One should never underestimate the collective fury of book lovers when their book supply is threatened....

Once the story jumped the tracks from the Internet to the mainstream, it started gathering an incredible amount of force that even a bureaucrat couldn’t withstand....

As I write this, I’ve just heard from a friend that President Arroyo has lifted the book blockade, that effective immediately, there will be no taxes on imported books. Together, Filipino book lovers have performed what I consider a miracle in less than a month’s time.

"The World Has No Center"

KFSM.com's Global Viewpoint offers an interview with 2008 Nobel literature prize winner  Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clezio, who says that for literature,

The world has no center ...

Literature now is the expression of a global concern, not only of the European culture, but literature emerging from all voices and from all nations. This is what interests me most. It's why I like so much to travel. I'm able to meet writers in many diverse places, such as America, Africa or India. All those writers are trying to express something particular which belongs to the universal.

... literature is essential because you create interculturality through imagination. Literature in the 21st century is the only place to understand the other, because literature is about compassion for humanity. I do not have the Christian message in mind here. I mean the capacity of understanding others and being aware of their connection to you. But, in order to be compassionate, one should be able to understand the human condition, to understand another culture's point of view, to see the meaninglessness of "otherness."

Today we see the possibility of unprecedented connections between very distant places, like some children living in a forest in Panama becoming aware of the poetry of Homer. This is amazing; it never happened before in the history of humanity.

Gender-Specific Covers Are Dominating the Market

The View From Here magazine features an article on "The Integrity of Book Jackets." Here's an excerpt:

So, whilst publishers and designers will say their ambition is to create stylish and innovative covers, the reverse seems to be true. Stereotypical jackets are increasingly the norm – and one can clearly see why publishers and retailers would want to continue with a formula that sells books, but couldn’t they be selling a whole load more by not alienating half their potential audience? ...

The book jacket has morphed into something that conforms to perceived stereotypes – blokes read books about war and action heroes and women about love and sex. Ultimately there is nothing wrong with jackets being genre specific – one only has to look at the original Penguins which were differentiated by colour and are now considered to be classics of their kind. Though it does seem silly to pigeon hole authors by cover image alone.

Read the rest, and see sample covers, here.

Australia: Book Design

The Brisbane Times describes the winning designs at the Australian Publishers Association Book Design Awards.

SQUIGGLY lines, wobbly handwriting and childish drawings were winning features at the Australian Publishers Association Book Design Awards last night. A reaction to electronic publishing, environmental concerns and hard financial times, perhaps? ...

Simplicity, naivety and a handcrafted feeling ran through many categories.

The Creativity Chemical

New Scientist describes the results of research into N-acetyl-aspartate, a chemical in the brain that is associated with creativity:

"People say you have to let your mind wander freely to be creative," says Jung. "For people of average intelligence, perhaps it's true that you need to utilise more areas of your [frontal cortex] for something truly novel and creative to emerge, but in more intelligent folks, there's something different going on."

Final Issue of Cook Partners Magazine Now Online

The May/June 2009 issue of Cook Partners magazine discusses why Christian publishers need training and where they can get it. Read about marketing Jesus, discover 10 ways to ride out the recession, and consider the writer as a vehicle for social progress. You will also find  greetings from Eric Thurman, Cook's president of Global Development, and information on writing and publishing in India and Ghana. Enjoy!

The issue marks the end of Cook's current publisher development efforts. This blog, likewise, will end May 29, 2009. Thank you very much for accompanying us in the journey!

Aiming for Direct Sales Channels

Author Erynn Manugm interviews Rebekah Gomez, editor of NavPress' Th1nk Books imprint:

These times are challenging for all publishers, including NavPress. Retail publishing in general is declining. People aren’t buying or reading books as fervently as they once did. While the economy plays a part in this shift, the larger reason is a move toward electronic delivery of information ...

NavPress recognizes these trends and has made some changes. Over the last two years, NavPress has been shifting from a bookstore and trade-only focus to adding Internet and church development channels alongside the trade. This will help us move from a primarily trade-oriented publisher to a trade and direct publisher, strengthening our direct side of the business. What this means for authors is that their books can be sold into both channels, trade and direct, strengthening their visibility and effectiveness of their message.

Read more here.

"Copyright Asteroid Hurtling Toward Earth, Impact Due 2013"

 E-Reads author Richard Curtis writes about the impact that a clause in the U.S. Copyright Act of 1978 may have on the publishing industry, quoting Evan Schnittman, a Vice President of Business Development and Rights for Oxford University Press, and Mike Shatzkin, "media guru."

India: Key Market for Business Books

David Wan, president of Harvard Business, just opened a subsidiary in India, and spoke to the Wall Street Journal about the opportunities for publishers in that market today:

I see the current slowdown more as an opportunity than a challenge for publishers to change the way they work and adapt to the changing needs of consumers in a rapidly changing business environment.

... There are opportunities in adversity and we are trying to explore every such possibility. To reach out to newer audiences, we are creating learning experiences that can be delivered through the Web, desktop, mobile devices and learning management systems.

A big part of our business is educational products and solutions for MBA programmes, and this segment is growing because ... many people facing company downsizing are taking the opportunity to go back to school. The fastest growing segment in India is the corporate learning business ...

... Times like these offer opportunities to change the way we work and bring along the much needed transformation required for growth. There is a huge premium being placed on leadership development, especially at a time like this. This creates strong prospects for a management practice publisher like HBP as managers look for answers in a tough economic situation.

Long Tails, Starving Legal Tails, Skinny Pirate's Tails

What impact does illegal file-sharing have on the results predicted by the long tail theory with regard to product sales? A Wired article reports,

“Consumers are ... driven to seek the same music in legal and illegal markets,” reads the report (.PDF), published Thursday by BigChampagne Media Measurement and music rights organization PRS for Music. “The most swapped files were also the most downloaded on legal music sites, indicating that what’s popular is popular.”

Though the report applies to music rather than books, publishers might anticipate similar sales curves as electronic books gain popularity.

USA: Portrait of the Book Buyer

A presentation by Bowker's Kelly Gallagher, whom many might know from his days with the Evangelical Christian Publishing Association and involvement in international training, is now on Slideshare. The presentation, one of several at the Making Information Pay event held earlier this year, paints a portrait of U.S. book-buyers. Facts shared on just one slide:

• 45% of Americans aged 13+ read books 
• 32% of readers are over the age of 55
• The average age of a book reader is 44
• 58% of readers are female

These figures apply to the U.S. and may be nothing like your market. Nevertheless, can you obtain similar statistics to paint a portrait of the book buyers in your area? If so, what does that portrait look like? If not, what can you do to get better information about the consumers you are trying to reach?