Category: Uncategorized

Article By Lawrence Darmani

“Sometimes we find ourselves involved in niche marketing without knowing it. I thought I was only being pragmatic, but in fact I was reaching a specialized market.”  

“Brighten the Corner Where You Are,” counsels an old hymn—those who have ears to hear take advantage of this wise advice. At Step Publishers, we have plugged into niches in the wider market to produce, promote, and sell books and magazines on a regular basis. Looking out for unconventional marketing opportunities and maximizing their potential has added value to all our efforts. 

What is niche marketing? 

Susan Ward, a Canadian business consultant, writes: “Establishing a niche market gives you the opportunity to provide products and services to a group that other businesses have overlooked.” She believes that “there are always going to be segments of the population whose needs for particular products and/or services are going unmet, leaving room for the small business to succeed by meeting those needs.” Gordon Burgett, author of Niche Publishing and other books related to writing, publishing, and public speaking, defines it concisely and categorically as, “Find a demand, double check it, and create the supply.” 

Sometimes recognizing a group of people interested in our books may not require any special skill beyond inclination, which is why we sometimes find ourselves involved in niche marketing without knowing it. Years ago, when I visited the St. Paul Theological College near Nairobi, Kenya, to promote special issues of interest to the students, I was only being pragmatic. These future pastors, who would be interacting with the youth our ministry sought to reach, needed to know the value of our literature as a tool for evangelism and discipleship. This method of establishing a niche has been a hallmark of our work down through the years. 

The best is what works 

No matter how rocky the marketing grounds are—and they can be stone-hard in this part of our world where illiteracy is high and the limited number of readers’ purchasing power is low—a cleft can be found. In our marketing activities, we have two models open to us: either we reach the general market with products we hope will interest people, or we focus our attention on specific audiences and give them what they demand. Some people think the future belongs to the latter strategy—but does it really matter? Whichever works best in your own circumstances is the best way. 

Education 

In Ghana, as in many parts of Africa, publishers have focused on the huge book hungry education sector as a niche worthy of attention. It is perhaps the most critical market due to its size and unique disposition as the consumer of both general and niche-oriented merchandise. Publishers who have discovered this niche go beyond simply supplying books; they organize seminars and support conferences for teachers and heads of institutions to maximize their market share within this niche. 

While the products of Christian publishers may not be considered specific to educational needs, they do have a place in that niche. Is a hymnbook an educational requirement? No, if your definition of educational requirement is limited to academics. Students will not face examinations on the content of a hymnbook or a book on prayer. But Asempa Publishers in Accra, Ghana, has carved a niche in this sector and markets their hymnbooks in schools nationwide. 

Even at the lower educational levels such as primary and junior high schools, Step Publishers has consistently marketed our Christian youth magazines and children’s books. Our presence at Speech and Prize-Giving Days as well as Parent-Teacher Association meetings are effective avenues for marketing our products to this niche. We argue that students need religious and moral education, and that Christian faith and worship should play an important role in their lives, since students are the future leaders of our nations. 

Devotional products 

The market for devotional books is a niche in Africa.  Scripture Union, which is not a mainstream publishing house, is nonetheless a custodian of mass content for that niche. It sells hundreds of thousands of Daily Guide and Daily Power annually in different African countries. Ministering to millions of students on the continent through camps, Easter conferences, counseling, youth leadership training, and school groups, they have a strong hold on that niche. Scripture Union Ghana has become a community leader trusted by youth to provide the much-needed products year after year. 

Some Christian publishers produce devotional books in local languages. This is another sustainable niche due to the strong presence of vernacular readers. All this gives credence to finding niches and strongly marketing our products to that niche. 

 First printed in Cook Partners, May 2008. David C. Cook Global Mission (published with permission). 

Article By Africa Speaks

UBI Publishing is a non-profit publishing enterprise of the Union Bible Institute that serves the Institute as well as the churches of southern Africa by providing materials to encourage believers’ devotion to Christ, commitment to biblical truth and ability to minister in a changing world. UBI publishes Bible commentaries, expositions of passages of Scripture, evangelistic tracts, children’s and youth ministry materials for leaders as well as for the youth and children themselves.

The call to publish Christian literature in isiZulu

South African Bernard A. Johanson, co-founder of the Union Bible Institute, was standing beside his father’s grave in October 1945, when he strongly sensed God calling him to carry on the work of writing Christian literature in isiZulu that his father had begun. Having grown up speaking isiZulu from childhood and after eleven years of editing isiZulu manuscripts at Mission Press, Johanson was uniquely qualified for this ministry.

It was five years later at a UBI council meeting, as principal of Union Bible institute, that Johanson suggested starting a literature department for publishing books in isiZulu. The first publication was a small book of meditations on the Lord’s Prayer. In the years that followed, UBI published commentaries on books of the Bible compiled from UBI class notes as well as other titles useful for building the church and encouraging personal devotion to Christ.

From the beginning, UBI was committed to providing Biblical instruction and training in isiZulu, the language most of the students used in their work. Johanson felt that the Bible message would remain foreign unless it was communicated to the hearts of people in their own language. Because of this heritage, UBI Publishing remains committed to providing printed material for building up the church in the languages of southern Africa, primarily isiZulu.

UBI publishes nearly 60 different Bible commentaries and devotional books, but also books of interest to the general Christian reader. About 15,000 of these books are sold every year, making UBI one of the largest publishers of isiZulu Christian literature in southern Africa. They also produce books and literature in the other languages of southern Africa.

Susan and Eric Binion have been at the Union Bible Institute since 1993. Eric is a lecturer and serves as Academic Dean. In the beginning, Susan’s primary ministry was the care of their four children, but she found time to assist with the music and children’s ministry departments at UBI. As children have left the nest, she has found more time for teaching and for the publishing department.

Student workers in the Publishing department.

Susan and Eric Binion’s ministry

When Susan joined the Literature Committee, which oversees the operation of the publishing department, she was running an occasional project. During that time, they produced a devotional for people recently diagnosed with HIV, children’s book to help caregivers talk to children about grief and loss, and a book for pastors’ wives.

After attending LittWorld in Kenya in 2009, a Christian publishers’ conference organized by MAI (Media Associates International), Susan was inspired to get more involved and put everything she learned there into practice, updating their covers, developing their online presence on Facebook, and launching a monthly prayer and newsletter for their clients.

” Everything that we know about publishing we learned from MAI, either through conferences, publications and webinars or personal visits by members of the staff,” says Susan. “We are grateful for MAI’s vision for helping indigenous publishing gain ground and make an impact for the Kingdom in culturally and linguistically relevant ways.”

The challenges

The development of these kinds of books is costly, but the economic reality is that the niche market (isiZulu speakers) is unable to afford expensive books. Younger isiZulu speakers prefer to read English, even though isiZulu is their home language. They want to become financially sustainable but still be able to meet the demand for quality and relevant materials in the isiZulu language at a price that their market can afford.

“We are developing our website so that we can sell from there. We are also re-doing our old books to give them a fresher look, while trying to translate some of our good sellers into English so that all of the second language English speakers in South Africa will have access to them and not just isiZulu speakers.”

Another challenge is to produce more children’s books. UBI Publishing is committed to increasing its visibility and accessibility through radio advertising and a greater online presence. They have applied for a grant to accelerate the implementation of some of these measures.

Join Africa Speaks as we pray for the flourishing of UBI Publishing. May God provide for all their needs so that they meet the challenges that come their way.

Article By Phoebe Mugo

If the Apostle Paul were writing this article, he might say something like he did to the Corinthian church (I Cor. 5:1): “It is reported that there is failure among Christians to pay their debts, in a manner that is not even found among non-believers. Indeed, the very concept of ‘believers who don’t pay their bills’ should not even exist in the Body of Christ.” Unfortunately, it does exist.

In Uzima Publishing House (The Anglican Church of Kenya arm of publishing), we often end each fiscal year with about 55 percent of our debtors being Christian institutions such as churches, church bookstores, and privately owned Christian bookstores. While most are debtors who should have paid within the fiscal year, some have debts incurred 6 or even 8 years ago. The non-Christian institutions that make up 45 percent of our debtors rarely exceed 12 months before paying, and their outstanding balances tend to date only from 2 to 12 months. We can honestly, but sadly, say that we do better business with non-believers than with those from the same household of faith.

A wrong worldview about business and ministry

Whereas many of our customers’ problems are due to the economy or poor management, a general lack of professionalism in the Christian business sector is also a major factor. In fact, the problem begins there. Christians—including publishers—tend to recruit staff on the basis of how much they love the Lord. Sales representatives hired on this basis may spend hours expressing their love by sharing testimonies with customers—and waste valuable work time. They may offer hefty credits to their beloved brothers or sisters in the faith. The business decision is made based on – “We go to the same church,” – without considering whether the customers can pay for their purchases. Indeed, we must recruit employees who love the Lord, but this must never be at the expense of their qualifications for the job they are hired to do.

Recruitment is key

Related to this is our tendency to hire unqualified workers because we do not want to pay high salaries. Often, we do not have a lot of money. We need to weigh the losses against the benefits that may be incurred by hiring unqualified personnel. In my experience, the company performs better if I hire qualified staff. Eventually they bring in enough money to justify their salaries. Solve in-house problems. Evaluate your recruiting practices. Develop an effective sales policy with guidelines on who is credit-worthy and what credit ceiling should be maintained for each customer.

Bookstore is both a business and a ministry

When a bookstore manager is not well trained, he or she may not understand stock management. They may order more than their store requires and have the books sit on the shelves indefinitely. Because the books are not selling, they cannot pay us. When we visit bookstores around the country, at times we find such a situation. We then work with the store and take back the books that are in good condition in exchange for other books. We cannot always do this (for example, if we revised the book and gave it a new cover design). In such cases, we expect our customers to take responsibility for their error of judgment and pay us.

Another common problem we have found among church-owned bookstores is poor financial management. Often the bookstore manager does not put the money back into the business but gives it back to the church, for payment of church bills or other church expenses. At the end of the day, there are no funds to pay the supplier or to purchase more books. We have encountered this problem over and over again and seen the collapse of many church bookstores as a result.

The strange ‘hand of fellowship’

Even when Christian bookstores make the mistakes mentioned above, they still expect the Christian publisher to extend the “hand of fellowship” to supply more books to them. If we publishers continue to supply literature even when we are not being paid, then we are making a fundamental error that will eventually lead to deep financial problems.

In Uzima, extending the “hand of fellowship” in this manner cost us dearly over the years. In the 1990s, outstanding debts almost led to the collapse of our company. Uzima had to close down its printing press and use what little money it still had to salvage the publishing house. We revamped our business, recruited better-trained staff, and developed a strict sales policy. We also developed a multi-faceted response to believers who do not pay their bills:

• Pray for your customers.

Since inception, we at Uzima have always had morning devotions before we begin the day’s work. We dedicate one morning to prayer for ourselves and for our customers. We know that some bookstores have good intentions but are financially struggling, so we need to intercede for them. As we pray, we express our dependence on God. We ask for His guidance on how to recover very difficult and long-standing debts. We have seen amazing results to these prayers.

• Build relationships.

Booksellers need to know Christian publishers love them and care about their struggles. In our case, every year we develop a list of activities that we will undertake together with churches and bookstores in Kenya. We have visited cancer patients and AIDS orphans together. We have helped clean up and renovate institutions, and we have attended various functions over the years. Team-building activities help our customers to see us as friends and co-laborers in Christ—rather than as foes who only ask for money whenever we meet. When the time for debt collection comes, it becomes much more friendly and easier to handle. In relationship-building, we also look for ways to give back to our customers. For example, with some of the royalties from the sale of worship books, we partially financed the Liturgical Committee of the Anglican Church in Kenya that developed an indigenized worship book in 2000. We have since sponsored churches to translate this prayer book from English into various Kenyan languages. This year, we plan to use royalties to offer stock control and financial management training to some of our bookstore managers who make greater efforts to pay us.

• Create understanding.

At one time, Uzima’s relationship with the Church was very sour because they felt our debt collection tactics were insensitive. It became necessary for me to attend the House of Bishops—an annual meeting held by the primates—to address the matter. It helped a great deal to have the top church leadership understand the problems we face when we are not paid. At the end of the meeting, they agreed to take responsibility in this matter—and some debts that had been outstanding for over eight years were paid! As a continuation of this process, I have found it necessary to present a debtors list at the Annual General Meeting each year. Creating understanding with church leadership has really helped in our debt collection process.

• Communicate your sales policy.

Communicating our sales policy to bookstores also has helped us with credit control and debt collection. The management categorized all bookstore accounts into three color codes:

BLACK: For those who are creditworthy. These are the bookstores who pay within the 30-day credit limit; even when late, they generally do not exceed 90 days. During our 30th anniversary celebration we awarded the best-paying bookstore with a plaque.

GREEN: For those who must be handled with caution. These are bookstores who may exceed the credit time given but eventually pay. Some frankly explain their financial difficulties, and we allow them to pay in installments, waiting until they clear previous debts before re-opening their accounts. Often, we require the sales representatives to seek the appropriate authorization before allowing a sale in this category.

RED: For those who should not be sold any more books. These are clients that have not made any payments in over three years, whether this is due to mismanagement of their funds or genuine financial difficulties. From time to time we have seen them sort out their financial problems, pay outstanding debts and re-open their accounts.

• Avoid lawsuits.

There are times when we wondered whether we should take some difficult cases to court, but after much prayer and negotiation we were able to work out an out-of-court settlement. It is unfortunate for any publisher to sue a fellow Christian for non-payment; this goes against our beliefs and witness. In church-owned institutions it is advisable to take the case to the highest office in the church for a judgment to be reached. None of us should abuse the grace given us by our gracious Father in heaven by failing to honor our debts. When we hurt our suppliers, we also hurt the work that God is doing and fail to build His kingdom.

Phoebe Mugo, former chief executive of Uzima Publishing House in Nairobi, Kenya, holds a bachelor’s degree in book publishing from Oxford Brookes University and a master’s degree in Bible exposition and theology from the Nairobi International School of Theology.

The original article was done for Interlit, David C. Cook (published with permission)

Article By Benjamin Kouadio

A powerful communication tool 

In my opinion, there are numerous opportunities to publish comics and graphic novels in Africa. The primary target audience is African youth. They are active and resourceful, but are often lacking direction. They are exposed to the many vices that plague society like alcohol abuse, immoral sexual behavior, violence, laziness and rebellion. 

At the same time, young people are interested in their history. But they also have their own daily struggles and fears, their own questions about the future. Comics and graphic novels can be an appropriate means of responding to these questions. They can provide information young people need. They entertain, raise awareness and educate. 

 Comics and graphic novels are particularly attractive because of the way they use text and images together. This makes them a powerful communication and conscience-stimulating tool that can reach a broad range of audiences. Through them young people can be warned about the dangers they are exposed to in society. Through them and more importantly, the hope found in God’s Word can be communicated to them so they can be enlightened, freed and transformed. 

Some thoughts on comics and graphic novel publishing in Africa 

As an author, when one of my books is released, I participate in book signings: 

• In bookstores
• In schools (elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools)
• At book fairs
• At conferences organized by Comix35 and PJA

My work as a young publisher starts only after I’ve done my work as an author, that to say, after the files I’ve created that make up the pages of my book have been sent to the printer. Even before this step, I must read and correct all the text in my books. I spend a lot of time on this aspect. I am a writer after all! 

•  Next, I hire one or two freelance proofreaders that are paid to read and correct any errors I have missed. 
• After that, I hire a graphic designer. I can do this kind of work too, but I prefer to give this work to someone who does full-time graphic design. This allows me to move on to the next step… 
•  I deliver my book files to a printer. 

Please note I make it a point not asking people to work for free or that I am unable to pay. That’s not good practice! Doing so would be unprofessional, unhealthy and void of Christian attitude. For that reason, I hire freelance specialists on an order-by-order basis that I can pay as I go. 

I have traveled as an author to Senegal, Kinshasa, Yaoundé, Abidjan, Bouaké, Abengourou, Yamoussoukro, Daloa… Everywhere I go, kids love comics! It’s an undeniable fact. This enthusiasm has encouraged me to keep going, to continue to create comics and even to add another arrow to my quiver, publishing, specifically, the comics and graphic novel publishing.  

Comics and graphic novels can be an appropriate means of responding to these questions. They can provide information young people need. They entertain, raise awareness and educate.

The challenges of comics publishing in West Africa 

Currently, there is no other publisher that specializes in the publication of comics and graphic novels in Ivory Coast and there are very few in West Africa. My experience as an author and publisher has taught me that the publication of comics and graphic novels in Africa is not an easy road! However, my experience as a Christian allows me to look to the future with hope knowing that with God much can be accomplished. 

I am also an art teacher. This gives me a big advantage when I am with young people, teaching and educating them through my books. 

Some books authored by Benjamin Kouadio

 Money Misery (Galère pécuniaire) is Kbenjamin Studio’s first publication. Money and people’s attitude toward it is the main theme. (1 Timothy 6:10 addresses these issues). I published and printed 2,000 copies of this book in Ivory Coast and at my own expense. I have many other projects in development and waiting to be financed. It is my goal to progressively become a financially autonomous publisher. At present, I don’t receive any funding from outside sources. This proves that it’s possible! This also shows that my commitment to publishing comics and graphic novels is serious. 

I am a prolific, rigorous and meticulous author. I spend four or five years working on each book project. From the writing of the scripts all the way to putting on the final colors, nothing is left to chance.  

The comics and graphic novel publishing profession has many obstacles like: 

• High printing costs
• And because of this, High book prices
• High cost of access to media in order to promote books
• Having a target market made up of people that can barely afford to eat three times a day, much less buy books
• The limited financial resources of comics and graphic novel publishers

 As you see, in comics and graphic novel publishing, there is a lack of substantial financial means, And the road is long and strewn with pitfalls. Because of this, often, the result is that the adventure ends before it is given the chance to get off the ground. This said, I am not without hope that the tide will turn for comics and graphic novel publishing in Africa. 

My vision 

 In Africa, the governments must work to reduce the cost of the materials needed to produce books (ink, paper, etc.). They should work to provide subsidies for publishers that would help publishers pursue their publications and allow them to sell books at lower costs. These things could help publishers become autonomous. A book is not a commodity like bread. In publishing, becoming economically profitable takes time; return on investment takes longer to achieve. This requires perseverance and courage on our behalf. Although publishing is not easy, it is exciting!  

With GOD, we will be victorious. 

Article By Ivanova N. Fotso

Reverend Professor Ibiladé Nicodème ALAGBADA, Director of the publishing house Éditions CLÉ in Yaoundé, was called to the Lord on the morning of February 6, 2023. 

Born in 1959 in Takon, Benin, Rev. ALAGBADA was President of the Protestant Methodist Church of Benin from 2010 to 2017. He has also served as Vice President of the Cadre de Concertation des Confessions Religieuses (CCCR), President of the Board of Directors of the Protestant University of Central Africa (UPAC) in Cameroon, and member of the National Coalition for Peace in Benin.  

A professor of the Old Testament, he is the author of several religious and theological publications, including the following works dealing with the fight against corruption in the church and in society. 

Le prophète Michée face à la corruption des classes dirigeantes (The Prophet Micah and the Corruption of the Ruling Classes), Globethics.net, 2013. In this book, Rev. Alagbada recounts the socio-political, economic, and religious contexts of the 8th century BC that fostered the outbreak of multifaceted corruption in the kingdom of Judah. The prophet Micah, faced with the corruption of these leaders and animated by the breath of God, filled with courage, strength and a spirit of judgment, presents himself as a paradigm of the responsibility or prophetic authority of the Church in the face of these deviances of his time.  

Résister à la corruption. Réflexions théologiques sur Michée 3.1, 8 (Resisting Corruption. Theological Reflections on Micah 3.1, 8), Editions Croix du Salut, 2020. In this work, the author presents the prophet Micah as a prophet of our century in the matter of resistance to corruption, impunity and iniquity in all its forms. The resistance of the believer in the face of corruption is an expression of the credibility and audacity of the faith that animates and revives the breath of God that fills him with strength, courage and discernment. To resist corruption by faith is to demonstrate knowledge of the law and to defend it so that social justice and righteousness are respected.  

In April 2018, Rev. Ibiladé Nicodème ALAGBADA became Director of Editions CLE, succeeding Rev. Dr. Simon Kossi Dossou. Editions CLÉ (Centre de Littérature Évangélique) was created in 1963 by the Protestant churches of several African countries, becoming the first publishing house in French-speaking Africa. Located in Yaoundé, Cameroon, Editions CLE’s mission is to produce books dealing with general literature, theology and anthropology.  

“His death leaves a great void in the LivresHippo consortium, the platform of evangelical publishers in French-speaking Africa,” says Georges Late, manager of Editions PBA in Benin.   

“His death leaves a great void in the LivresHippo consortium, the platform of evangelical publishers in French-speaking Africa,” says Georges Late, manager of Editions PBA in Benin.   

LivresHippo is a co-publishing platform in which Editions CLÉ in Yaoundé, Editions PBA (Presses Bibliques Africaines) in Benin, and CPE (Centre de Publications Évangélique) in Côte d’Ivoire collaborate to produce French-language reference books written by African authors. This was one of the many projects Rev. Alagbada was working on in the days before his death.   

 Join Africa Speaks as we pray that the Lord will comfort the family, church and mission partners, and that He will sustain and guide them through this trial. 

Article By Africa Speaks

There are many obstacles that hinder Christian publishing in Africa—finances, inexperience, infrastructure, political instability. But ultimately, we must remember that our calling is from God, and our greatest obstacles are spiritual. “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places” as Ephesians 6:12 says.

Authors and Content

There is not enough quality local content or truly great books written by Africans. Africa is used to reading Western content, thus making it a struggle for local content by local authors to find readership.

Emerging authors need training to improve their writing skills. There is too much dependence on translation, and as a result, little initiative to train writers or to undertake the time-consuming work of developing inexperienced authors.

The perception of African writers, unfortunately, has also created an obstacle. Due to the lack of quality training and publishing options, many have chosen to self-publish, which has created a bad perception of African writers. When the quality of the works is low—badly written, full of mistakes—it discredits the authors.

Market

Africa suffers from a lack of a culture of reading and writing. Many associate reading with “work” (as in schoolwork) and not with “pleasure” (enjoying reading in contexts outside of education). It is necessary to develop strategies to motivate African readers living in oral contexts and to seriously consider audiobooks or electronic books in visual format.

Poverty (including low-income levels outside major urban centers) means readers are unable to purchase literature, which makes publishing financially unfeasible.

There is also a very large and very young potential market, but few children’s books and a very small buying public because of the low purchasing power of households, schools, and churches. In the DRC, for example, teachers receive between $50 and $120, a salary too low for survival, much less to afford the luxury of buying a book.

Industry, Infrastructure, and Cost

Traditional, more centralized publishing methods have had limited success in establishing a truly African publishing industry. The cost of publishing is very high. Indigenous publishing initiatives languish without unending Western subsidies, and yet the majority of African readers still have little access to, and all too often cannot afford, most books that are produced.

There needs to be adequate infrastructure within stable economies for a Christian publishing industry to grow and thrive. Appropriate infrastructure includes technology, human resources, competencies, etc. In certain places, political instability disturbs economies, which in turn thwarts the growth of adequate infrastructure.

There is a need for more publishers who know the socio-cultural realities of African readers and pay attention to contemporary realities. African authors have few places to publish what they write and too few publishing professionals to assist them, including editors and marketers. With a lack of initiative, entrepreneurship, and financial means, the few Christian publishing houses that exist can only provide a minimum service. As a result, potential authors are not identified, and existing authors are not motivated or supervised. Publishers also lack control and access to bestselling products that can build their business.

Christian publishing initiatives have rarely started with a trade/entrepreneurship model. Sooner or later, the founders realize that publishing is a business concept as much as it is a ministry venture. Most Christian leaders are not prepared or do not have the skills to run the business aspect, and so they become disillusioned. Many publishing projects collapse in less than five years.

Many authors and publishers are not aware of publishing standards or cannot afford professional services to ensure their books are up to standard. Training is needed to improve skills at all levels of production. When people do have a vision to publish, lack of experience and training often holds them back.

There is no easily identifiable structure for the African book trade as seen in Europe and North America. As such, authors in Africa often self-publish. And whatever the publication method, the distribution network is very informal, such as non-business relationships with churches. Often well-intentioned initiatives foster unrealistic attitudes concerning the creation, production, and distribution of Christian literature, as well as distorting the “normal” functioning of a Christian publishing industry. Members of the book industry in Africa more often operate as stand-alone businesses, unable to listen and to engage in real partnership. And when Bibles and other products are dumped in large quantities, prices fall to unsustainable level (as exemplified in Walking with the Poor).

The cost of publishing remains a significant barrier. Africa contains some of the poorest countries in the world, yet expenses can only be reduced by so much.

There are few good-quality professional printers, and the ones that exist are too expensive. African printers are yet to match the standards, excellence, and quality of the more advanced printing countries like India and China. Printing, paper, ink, electrical power, and the physical distribution of books are very costly. A 200-page book printed in 3000 copies costs locally $3 while in Asia it can be produced at $0.80. African governments may exempt paper and ink for import, but that outcome is uncertain. Taxes on books and other literature have greatly contributed to the higher retail price of books.

Logistics

Logistics remain a problem—how to get books from the writer or publisher to the reader. Book imports into Africa are very expensive, which makes the retail price prohibitive for many readers. Shipping within the continent can be exorbitant, necessitating more print-on-demand local printing solutions. Poor (or nonexistent) postal services and poor (or nonexistent) internet service providers disrupt content delivery. Distances, inadequate roads, and problems crossing borders all make distribution difficult and expensive. These problems in transnational commerce hinder pan-African distribution.

Movement of funds and currency fluctuation also cause problems. When a book is published in one country and sold in another, it is often very difficult for bookshops to find foreign exchange to pay for the books they want.

Due to these cost and distribution issues, books are not readily accessible to the population. Localized distribution is unable to generate needed scale and markets. There are not many bookstores or traditional distribution channels outside main commercial centers; and even in several major cities, there are too few stores. Local bookstores are often too small to have a good selection of titles.

Marketing is almost nonexistent because of the very high cost. Broadcast networks often do not work properly, and Francophone Africa in particular lacks broadcast networks. Without marketing opportunities, the vast market never learn about new products, and unsold goods languish.

The explosion of digital technology, mobile applications, and other interactive tools is creating a new scene in the industry. But e-books and virtual libraries depend on devices that are still very expensive.

War, local conflicts, and terrorism contribute to instability in numerous countries. Corruption often remains an issue, whether in government or in organizations. Civil wars, import duties, sales taxes, high interest rates, bad or inadequate national and local leadership, and political and social crises all hinder publishing, marketing, and distribution efforts

Weak research and lack of effective market dynamics mean the industry does not have the information it needs. Data about published books, who reads them, and where they are is very hard to come by for planning purposes, even within one country.

But despite these many obstacles, the church in Africa is trusting in God Almighty to accomplish his purposes through the sound teaching and biblical content they produce. And God’s purposes cannot be thwarted.

Article By Eric Immer

Whether you are a student or a teacher in theology, a simple reader or a retailer, if you are looking for a Bible commentary, a Bible or a Christian book in Yaoundé, you will inevitably be directed to the Christian bookstore L’Eau Vive, which is Livr’Afrique’s relay point in Yaoundé.

Livr’Afrique is an association based in Valence, France, whose goal is to promote the distribution and sale of Christian books at low prices in Africa and in French-speaking countries. Created in 1996 with the help of the main French-speaking evangelical publishers, this ministry is a great support for local missions and churches. This is because Bibles, commentaries and study books are given priority.

From publishers to booksellers

Livr’Afrique works from France leaving the local distributors the responsibility to make partnerships with local publishers. There are currently 13 distribution points in 10 of the main French-speaking African countries and Haiti: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Congo, Ivory Coast, Gabon, Haiti, Madagascar, DRC, Chad and Togo. These distributors are visited, trained and supplied regularly. Local booksellers and retailers can easily obtain supplies and receive goods on site, according to their needs.

Meeting the challenges of the health crisis

Since the Covid-19 crisis, Livr’Afrique can no longer function with deposits as in the past. Buying books in large quantities from publishers has become difficult because digital printing has become commonplace, and the lack of cash flow affects us all. We have changed our practices and now work on a just-in-time basis with our partner publishers from whom we order according to our customers’ requests and then ship. The books are available via the website www.livrafrique.com and distributed through a network of ” relay point ” (former deposits). The rates of Livr’Afrique displayed on the website are “transport included” until the point relay. For the booksellers who are too far from the relay points we send to their post office box. The customers, according to their status have discounts on the public prices displayed.

The biggest challenge today is the cash flow. On the French side, Livr’Afrique has negotiated prices on annual volumes and orders according to the publisher’s needs. Many Western publishers are also in crisis due to the covid and the war in Ukraine which has caused purchase prices to increase significantly in recent months (up to 40% on paper). This is very detrimental to small publishers who are less and less represented by Livr’Afrique, because small orders cost more to purchase and deliver, which increases the selling price.

Livr’Afrique for a thriving Christian publishing industry in French-speaking Africa

The basic objective was to create local distributors capable of distributing the titles of Western and local publishers. The economic and financial difficulties as well as the very rapid evolution of the whole administrative and fiscal system of French-speaking Africa have added many difficulties. We note that more than 60% of the bookshops are not yet properly registered in the commercial registers and from a fiscal point of view, few bookstores have management tools that allow them to keep their stock and to make a profit and loss statement and a financial balance sheet. This is very detrimental in international trade and will soon become so for them at the local level. Ideally, Western and African publishers could be printed on demand in different countries, but they still need to find trustworthy people to whom they will agree to give the printing rights. Livr’Afrique facilitates the link between publishers and distributors in different countries.

Where to go

To get in touch with us at Livr’Afrique, booksellers and other clients can contact them by email, telephone or the website. As for publishers, there is a restriction. Since we respond to the demand of the distributors and booksellers we serve, if a title is never requested, there is little chance that it will be present on our website. We regret it because we would like to make it visible, but sometimes it’s not economically viable, but we generally respond to all requests.

Our ministry is limited to the Francophonie. But there are missions and publishing houses that make great efforts to support publishers, booksellers and the dissemination of English literature. Connect to Africa Speaks and join the network!

Article By Solomon Andria

Consumerism 

In a consumerist world like ours, producing a lot of products as fast as possible can easily become the norm. Publishers are no exception to this! The emphasis on the message is easily lost while all the attention goes on to marketing. 

Christian publishing houses must be different. We must produce works that are in alignment with the purposes of God, and that meet the exact needs of this century’s reader so that after reading a book, the reader is one step closer to knowing the Truth of God and God Himself. 

Challenges for publishers 

The first challenge is to resist trendy titles or themes just for the sake of attracting potential readers. We have been in the postmodern world for a few decades. It is a world that is less interested in deep reflection and more interested in trivialities. It encourages attachment to sensational phenomena. It promises immediate happiness without effort, prosperity, and visible success. This is easily evident in the material success of the proponents of prosperity theology in Africa. 

Secondly, publishers may be tempted to produce what the reader demands. They opt for writings whose content attracts and whose literary form seduces. This inevitably leads to doctrines that appeal, teachings that confuse and mislead.  

Another challenge is how to interest the younger generation in literature. The present generation is attracted by the visible and the audible more than by the readable. Images and colours replace the written word, and the tablet replaces the book! This impoverishes and even paralyzes intellectually. 

The responsibilities of publishers 

Faced with these challenges, responsibilities are required of publishers but also of editors. They must: 

• To be attentive to the world in order to know the intellectual and cultural realities and the founded or unfounded concerns of the present generation. 
• – To identify the trendy subjects and themes, such as prosperity, business success, marriage for all, promises of happiness, and such in order to challenge them. 
• Identify sensationalism at the expense of the spiritual — some authors consider the sensational to be spiritual. 
• Be familiar with current language, as each generation is marked by a specific language – language itself evolves in time and space.  
• Be familiar with the history of the Church, especially the history of dogma. The major doctrinal controversies took place during the first five centuries of our era. Most theological debates were dealt with during this period.  
• Differentiate between the essential and the secondary in Christian doctrine. The essentials of Christian doctrine are summarized by the three cardinal truths of the Reformation: by Scripture alone, by grace alone, by faith alone. These truths emphasize the full inspiration of Scripture and the interpretation of Scripture in the light of the Spirit. 
• Consider the biblical triad in interpreting and understanding biblical data: Creation, Fall and Redemption. 
• To verify the biblical basis of the ideas expressed in the text, since some authors invoke biblical verses to justify their own ideas, to justify themselves. 
• Look for factual accuracy in the story, appropriate use of quotes or sayings… 
• Consider the consistency between title and content, but also between content and form, knowing that literary form helps to understand the content or to hide a message! Form includes vocabulary, syntax, spelling and even punctuation! For example, the placement of a comma in a sentence is critical to the meaning of the message expressed. 
• Develop a brotherly dialogue with the editor, and especially with the author, knowing that in the publication process, the author proposes his manuscript to the editor, and the editor submits the revised text to the publisher. 

In short, the Christian publisher must have a basic knowledge of Scripture and the culture in order to be able to spot intentional and unintentional subtleties in the text and false doctrines presented in an attractive literary style.  

The publisher’s role is to help the author communicate the great truths in an intelligible and enjoyable way. In the whole process, the publisher’s role is decisive, because he is at the end of the chain. This is how publishing houses in Africa help the Church to witness until the return of Jesus Christ. 

Article By Gathuku Kibunga

Alfirin Seeds

One of the movie series I watched with Maggie and the children during the Christmas break was Lord of the Rings: Rings of Power based on the novel The Lord of the Rings and its appendices by J. R. R. Tolkien. When faced with an imminent gloom of darkness and annihilation in the battle for Southlands, both (Arondir)the hero and (Adar) the villain, plant the alfirin seeds in the ground – in the hope of something new growing after the war passes. In the Elvish tradition, this represents the undying hope of life after the darkest darkness. They both recite the declaration while holding the seeds… ‘life in defiance of death’!

2020-2022 felt like a scene from the Lord of the Rings with one battle raging one after another: Covid-19, Tigray war in Ethiopia, terrorist attacks in northern Nigeria, military coups in Burkina Faso, unrest in Mali and not to mention the war in Ukraine. For many Africans living in these nations must have felt the despair.

2023 

And there’s still so much to fear in 2023  

Africa is holding a whopping six presidential elections in some of its politically volatile nations. What will this mean for the life and peace of these nations? What about their economies and the ripple effect on cross-border trade? The recent outbreak of Covid in China in December 2022 now threatens to raise its head again. How will Africa survive it this time? Will the Ukrainian war that has extended longer than anyone would have imagined – triggering a devastating ripple effect on the economies of Africa – become worse in 2023?  
 
Christian publishing professionals are experiencing an equally difficult season as they serve. 
In late November, I visited Harriet, the proprietor of Beulah Christian Bookshop in Accra. She had to check with her banker for the dollar rate before we could finalize a purchase at her bookshop! The Cedi was getting so unstable that traders had to regularly check the daily rate. At one point, it had hit a high of 15 cedis to 1 USD. She was counting losses, yet she and her husband continued to keep their bookshops open! How will Ghana handle the restructuring of its foreign debt? How will other nations countries like Kenya handle the dicey issue? What will it mean for publishing?   
 
Just a few months ago, Ivanova Fotso’s editorial work was frequently interrupted by unstable electricity supply in Yaoundé. Young Cameroonians who had items such as LPG gas, cooking oil and their National Identity cards would proudly post their photos online to express their privileged standing for being in possession of such basic items. Will 2023 turn out better?   
 
As we speak, there’s an ongoing political conflict in Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo near Goma where our brother Jean Pasteur, of CBCA is based. Will DRC Congo war with the M23 rebels extend into 2023? How will that affect CBCA’s plan to set up a printing press in Goma?  
 
Burkina Faso went through a military coup where our sister Dr. Joanna Ilboudo is leading a publishing house. In addition to the political instability, her husband passed on. We mourn with her! That sounds like a really hard year for her ministry and family. 

But Even Then…

Who’d have thought that the continent that was feared to be outrun by Islam in 1910 would emerge the most Christian by 2018? Who’d have thought that Rwanda would rise from its devastating genocide and be published by TIME magazine among 50 extraordinary tourist destinations in the 2022 world’s greatest places to visit? Who’d have imagined that Egypt would be building a new city from scratch barely a decade after the Arab Spring? Who’d have thought that Morocco would become the first African nation to reach the semi-finals at the FIFA World Cup? Who knows what God will do in 2023 to turn around the grim picture that overwhelms our vision for a flourishing Christian Publishing in Africa? If you’re like me, you often forget to factor in the unseen sovereign hand of God in shaping His world according to His purposes. We get surprised by unexpected events that completely turn around the scene.

Because we believe our God is sovereign and has resources and power beyond our imagination, we respond in faith and not by sight. We commit to fervently PRAY but at the same time continue to PUBLISH by faith in and through the dark seasons!

As Christian Publishers and Booksellers, we carry that divine trust as beacons of hope and life in our nations. We pray earnestly and fervently that God’s gospel of salvation with an eternal hope be proclaimed and published, even when all political and economic realities show the opposite. We continue to publish in times of political unrest and economic hardship because we have faith in the potency of the words we write.
May you plant ‘alfirin seeds’ where only darkness is visible to your human vision. May you carry that nagging hope that refuses to resign to all the pessimistic media predictions of darkness, gloom and even death in your country, because in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.

Join Africa Speaks as we plant “alfirin seeds” in Christian publishing, connecting professionals around the world to establish a viable and thriving Christian publishing industry in Africa and become a thriving professional network.

Article By Africa Speaks

Africa Speaks member, Pieter Kwant, has announced his retirement from Langham Partnership effective the end of this calendar year. African Christian leaders are grateful to Pieter for the role he has played in the Africa Bible Commentary and the work of Langham Literature, making evangelical books available to theological institutions throughout the continent.

In a recent YouTube, Pieter spoke of the role of Ecclesiastes 11 in his life of faith, trusting God to care for the results of longer-term projects as he remains faithful in his role as a publisher and distributor.

Pieter Kwant has an appreciation for many aspects of culture, not least art, music, and film, but he has dedicated his life to books in the service of the Lord. Originally from the Netherlands, Pieter wistfully tells of his first encounter with theological books in a bookshop in South Africa where he was rooted to the spot after pulling a book off the shelf and devouring its contents. The bookshop owner no doubt looked on hoping he was going to pay for it after reading it all! Pieter did go on to buy that book along with many more and is still buying them.

It was also in South Africa that Pieter met his wife, Elria, and where he started his first job in the Christian book business. He went on to manage and own a bookshop and came up with many imaginative ways of getting his books in front of potential customers, especially students. But God eventually led Pieter back to Europe, this time to the UK where he and Elria raised their four sons. Pieter first worked for IVP, then for Paternoster where he led the way in publishing theological and biblical monographs, before eventually setting up his own publishing house and book agency, Piquant.

Eventually, Pieter was called to Langham Partnership to be the director of its literature program, focusing on resourcing institutions in the Majority World with evangelical theological books for libraries and students, developing and training writers and publishers, and pioneering partnerships to produce exceptional book projects such as the Africa Bible Commentary.

The need for resourcing colleges and seminaries with contextually relevant books led Pieter to launch a long-term publishing initiative. Langham Creative Projects was formed and has published over 160 titles.

Pieter plans to continue the work of Piquant Editions and Piquant Agency and looks forward to visiting his children in New Zealand whom he hasn’t seen for several years.

Pieter Kwant authored Inside the Rainbow: Seeing and Doing the Book of Revelation (Vol 1) which focuses particularly on Revelation 1–3, and Inside the Rainbow 2: Throne and Seals, which focuses particularly on Revelation 4–8:1.

Africa Speaks joins Langham Partnership in thanking God for Pieter Kwant incredible service to the world of Christian literature over the decades and praying for God’s rich blessings on his life going forward.

Content has been edited from the Langham Partnership Staff Profile, January 2018 ©2022 Langham Partnership