COLORADO SPRINGS, CO – Eight Christian magazines in Eastern Europe, Asia, and South America will gain a new edge in the digital publishing world as a result of a gift of FlipViewer Xpress Creator software by E-Book Systems. The magazines won the award in the Digital Publishing Platform Giveaway created by Magazine Training International (MTI) for E-Book Systems. The company donated the software as a support to MTI’s efforts to help Christian magazines in developing countries, according to E-Book Systems President Richard Wan. "E-Book Systems is proud to be associated with Magazine Training International in helping Christian publishers in developing countries embark on the technological wave of digital publishing," Wan said on making the award. "Through digital publishing over the Internet, more readers can be reached with minimal cost."
The magazines to receive the license, valued at $3,700, are Tapati in Lithuania, Harvest Times for Your Family in India, Evangelski Vestnik in Bulgaria, Zivot Viry in Czech Republic, Khristianskaya Semya in Ukraine, Ultimato in Brazil, Dlya Tebya in Ukraine, and Leah in Bulgaria. The response of the magazines on receiving the award was ecstatic. "This software is a real answer from heaven to a very real need," said Tomas Coufal of Zivot Viry. "We’ve already started to offer the electronic subscription to our subscribers and we want to start building an electronic library of the magazine for our readers," he said. "Our whole team here is thrilled and excited to hear this news," said Sam Jacob of Harvest Times. "We hope to begin regular email editions from January." "I don’t have enough words to say how great this news is," said Daniela Cabral of Ultimato. "This will be a big help as we are passing through a time of changing and rearranging." Representatives of each magazine completed a four-part questionnaire designed to determine their ability to use the technology and to evaluate their goals in pursuing digital publishing. Since most of the magazines are published in countries with a significant Diaspora, the most commonly-expressed goal was to make their magazines more widely available in places where literature in their native language is limited, but where distribution of a print version is impractical. Magazine publishers also hope to reach non-believers or seekers in their own countries who are Internet savvy, but who would not otherwise have access to or interest in print editions. "We are pleased to have been able to help E-book Systems put their valuable software into the hands of these solid and capable Christian magazine publishers, who would not have been able to purchase such software," said MTI President Sharon Mumper. "I expect this new tool will greatly expand their influence and ability to impact their audiences with the Gospel of Jesus Christ." Founded in 1998, E-Book Systems provides software tools and services for the digital publishing market, using their patented Digital Flip™ technologies. Their digital publishing solution is sold to customers around the world from their offices in the U.S., China, Japan, Germany, and Singapore. Magazine Training International is a non-profit mission whose goal is to equip publishing professionals and develop leaders who can strengthen Christian magazine publishing in their regions and around the world. Since 1989, MTI has conducted some 50 international training conferences and courses on every facet of magazine publishing. MTI provides a variety of resources for magazine publishers, including DVD and audio training courses, print manuals in multiple languages, and an informative Web site. A recent addition to MTI’s Web site–the feature which first attracted the attention of E-Book Systems’ Wan–is an extensive section on digital publishing news and resources. For more information:
Sharon Mumper, President
Magazine Training International
smumper@magazinetraining.com
Tel: (719) 598-9743
Fax: (719) 598-1007 http://www.magazinetraining.com | 