By Joseph Healey, M.M.
Maryknoll, New York, USA
12-13 December, 2018
NOTE: This 2018 Report presupposes the comments and suggestions made in previous reports.
- Interactive Book Event Rather than a Book Launch: A New Strategy
This new strategy involves both content and process. We had a successful Book Event to launch two 2018 Orbis Books at Hekima University College, Nairobi, Kenya on Thursday afternoon, 27 September, 2018. It followed the traditional format of a one hour 15-minute session for each book including a short introduction by author, respondent(s) and questions and answers. What if we had a whole day when the book presentations were in the morning and Small Breakout Groups on specific topics followed by reporting back to the plenary were in the afternoon? Here are some possible scenarios.
- Ahern Kevin, and Christopher Derige Malano, (eds.), God’s Quad: Small Faith Communities on Campus and Beyond. Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2018. Available on Amazon as an Ebook and paperback, retrieved on 10 December, 2018,
During the question period a young Kenyan woman explained that she had been a leader of her Young People Small Christian Community (YPSCC) at Kenyatta University, but now a year later after graduation she was working for Caritas Kenya in Murang’a Diocese and found that there was no Young Adults Ministry and no YPSCCs in her rural parish. What to do? It was agreed that this challenge needs to be discussed further under the topic “After College, What?” An afternoon session (which we did not have) would have been the ideal follow-up.
It is noteworthy that several chapters in God’s Quad explore this same topic. For years the St. Thomas More Chapel and Center at Yale University (Chapter 15) has been encouraging members of its Small Faith Communities to continue this experience as alumni in either physical or online communities especially in large urban areas like New York City. The Duke Catholic Center at Duke University has a major research project on “faith life post-Duke” that includes peer group faith sharing communities continuing among alumni.
A new approach is to make these Book Events including the Small Breakout Groups interactive. The Book Event at the Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana on Friday, 2 November, 2018 was entitled “Listening to Young People Around the World: A Report on the Synod and Book Release.” The Loyola Institute for Ministry used Facebook Live to connect with young people and other interested participants around the world. The discussion and discernment developed follow-up strategies for youth and young adult ministry in the Catholic Church today. The Facebook Live session reached 424 people, had 246 views, 156 engagements, 58 comments, 12 likes and 1 share. For the edited video of the one-and-a-half-hour event go to: http://cnh.loyno.edu/lim/synod-young-people
NOTE: Similar Book Events that used Facebook Live took place in New York City in September, 2018 and in Rome in October, 2018. We continue to use the many types of social media to promote the book.
- Orobator, Agbonkhianmeghe E., Religion and Faith in Africa: Confessions of an Animist.
Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2018. Available on Amazon as an Ebook and paperback, retrieved on 10 December, 2018, https://www.amazon.com/Religion-Faith-Africa-Confessions-Animist/dp/1626982767/ref=sr_1_3/144-8468685-0558106?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1544458437&sr=1-3&refinements=p_27%3AA.E.+Orobator
Professor Philomena Mwaura’s response to the book emphasized the dialog between Christianity and African Religion. She focused on inculturation and contextualized African marriage customs. From her presentation came the stimulating question for Small Breakout Groups (which we did not have): “How can the Catholic Church in Africa inculturate the spirit dimension (spirit element) in its customs and rituals as the Pentecostal Churches in Africa have done?”
Our market research so far indicates that this new strategy above has brought a new
awareness about these two books (the educational value), but sales are slow. For example, as of 7 December, 2018, 605 print copies and 8 Ebooks have been sold of God’s Quad.
We are promoting a vigorous Social Media Campaign for God’s Quad led by the editors Kevin Ahern and Christopher Derige Malano, but it hard to determine how this strategy has increased the sales. Bernadette Price will give a Report from Crux on the ad stats on God’s Quad. So far most individual chapter writers have been slow to promote the book. An exception is Alloys Nyakundi who one of the writers of Chapter 7 and has been promoting Young People Small Christian Communities (YPSCCs) – of Youth and Young Adults. A Theology on Tap event is planned at a restaurant in Mahopac in January, 2019.
- Go Digital or Die
One of our favorite mantras in Eastern Africa is go digital or die. Postage for print books published in Eastern Africa to be shipped to USA is prohibitive. So we are selling more and more of our books on Amazon – both Ebooks and Print on Demand (POD). An example is:
Chimombo, Emmanuel, Joseph G. Healey, Rita Ishengoma, Rose Musimba, Febian P.
Mulenga and Alphonce C. L. Omolo, (eds.), Strengthening the Growth of Small
Christian Communities in Africa — A Training Handbook for Facilitators, Nairobi:
AMECEA Pastoral Department and Nairobi: Paulines Publications Africa, 2017. Second Revised Edition, 2018.
- Paperback and Ebook available on Paulines Publications Africa. Ebook available through Paulines Publications Africa on Android Platforms only (smartphones, tablets, etc.) – not on Apple or Microsoft.
http://e.paulinesafrica.org/index.php/book/bookDetails/1356
- Paperback (Print on Demand — POD) and Ebook available on Amazon.
A major challenge is marketing Orbis Books in Eastern Africa. If we publish 50 new books a year and four are co-published with an African Publisher like Paulines Publications Africa (PPA) or Acton Publishers, what about the other 46 titles? Some African Credit Cards do not allow purchase of books on Amazon (Ebooks or paperbacks). We have not figured out a realistic working plan of POD (using a local digital printing company) yet.
Some other experiences.
- Being able to sit with Maria Angelini for 15 minutes and give her simple updates for God’s Quad (like a change of address) that will be updated in the Amazon Ebook version in a couple days is just amazing.
- Visiting America Media House in New York City I saw their social media metrics displayed on a large monitor in their newsroom. Real time statistics and data on social media activity and followers including the use of Facebook, Twitter, etc. are constantly flashed on the screen. Can we do this for all the Maryknoll Media including Orbis Books? One large monitor could be located in the rotunda of our Main Building at Maryknoll and another large monitor could be located in the Price Building.
- During a SCCs Workshop with the new Maryknoll Lay Missioners on Tuesday, 20 November, 2018 we revisited a proposal made several years ago with a new twist. We unanimously agreed (with clapping) that every new Maryknoll missionary (lay person, Sister, Brother, seminarian, priest) should receive a “Selection of Orbis Books in Ebook Format” to use on a reading device of his or her choosing. The selection would include:
- Foundational books on mission such as David Bosch, Transforming Mission.
- Books related to the specific geographical area where the person is being assigned.
Rev. Joseph G. Healey, MM
Maryknoll Society
P.O. Box 43058
00100 Nairobi, Kenya
0723-362-993 (Safaricom, Kenya)
973-216-4997 (AT&T, USA)
Email: JGHealey@aol.com
Skype: joseph-healey