Lebanese Novelist Inspired by Prisoners’ Lives

Author Samy Maarouf of Lebanon often gets inspired by his frequent talks with inmates. “I hear a lot of tragedies and true stories,” he said. In the last five years, five of his novels have been published, including an e-book that was posted online chapter by chapter. His second novel, The Lost Dances, (Dar Al
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Twenty-Year Tribute to John Maust

By Dan Elliott, MAI Board Chair On Saturday, May 12, the MAI Board held our annual meeting at the Awana Headquarters  in Chicagoland. The evening’s schedule called for a relaxed time as we said goodbye to departing member Keila Ochoa Harris and welcomed incoming member Jay Link. What MAI President John Maust did not know
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That fumbling publisher was me!

Will Christian publishing in the Majority World always require subsidies in order to survive? Or can publishers flourish on income generated from their publishing operations alone? This daunting goal may be difficult to achieve, but is possible, according to author Ramon Rocha III, MAI director of publisher development.  In our new book, Profit and Purpose:
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God can have a voice

Last month eight men and women gathered in a secluded hotel for their first-ever clandestine Christian writer workshop. Christianity is not recognized in this Asian nation, and the consequences of following Jesus are daunting. Faith can land believers in prison, exclude them from family and community, and deprive them of employment. Although sharing the Gospel
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Japan: Christian publishing alive and vibrant

“The nail that sticks up gets whacked down,” warns the Japanese proverb. Cultural pressures to conform make it difficult for people to convert to Christianity and to live a Christian lifestyle. But publishers there are taking advantage of Japan’s 99% literacy rate and appreciation of books to create powerful tools to reach society and nurture
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I was tempted to cut it down…

By John Maust, MAI President About 15 years ago I gave my wife, Elsa, a pink dogwood tree for Mother’s Day. The kids and I planted the tiny tree in the front yard and waited impatiently for gorgeous flowers to bloom. One year passed, then two, then three. Still no flowers. We wondered if the
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Scared of digital piracy?

By Ramon Rocha III Is the fear and real possibility of digital piracy stopping you from venturing further into digital publishing? Authors and publishers can protect copyrighted content through Digital Rights Management (DRM). But DRM has a downside. Valid customers may get annoyed by its features, plus DRM does not guarantee your ebook is 100
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Italy: Simple Visit Opens Door

By John Maust We don’t get many international visitors at our office near Chicago.  So, I was surprised and pleased when Italian publishing manager Daniela Benevelli stopped by one day. As Daniela talked about the work of The Bible House/Geneva Bible Society in Turin, it became apparent that our two ministries shared a similar vision
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Ten Key Outcomes of MAI Ministry

In the last 14 months, MAI ministry has yielded these outcomes: 1. Trainings in 22 countries for 370 publishing staff and writers, representing more than 90 different publishing houses 2. Our first-ever screenwriting workshop, involving 10 writers from a closed Asian country 3. Launch of Christian publisher training in Italy in partnership with the Geneva
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Writing goes places where we cannot

“We now see that writing is a way to serve the Lord,” said a young man after MAI training. “Writing can reach people in places where we ourselves cannot go.” Last year he and friends in a closed country of Southeast Asia formed the first Christian publisher in their nation, an exciting outcome of our
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