How can Christian publishing organizations serve and strengthen one another through collaboration, for mutual benefit and global Church growth? Media Associates International’s (MAI) CEO Heather Pubols presented recent research on this question at the 2026 ECPA C-Suite Symposium, From Disruption to Discipleship: Reimagining Models, Developing Leaders, Expanding Global Impact, on September 14.
Insights from 87 publishing houses across 8 world regions
MAI talked to publishers working across a range of contexts—many in markets where limited consumer purchasing power, infrastructure constraints, and other local conditions shape what is commercially possible. Most work in regions that have historically had few locally authored Christian books. The report features:
- Survey Data from 87 publishing houses across 8 world regions
- Examples from the Field including conflict zones and places recovering from trauma
- Publisher Interviews revealing firsthand experiences and insights into best practices
- Discussion Questions for implementing the findings with your team and organization
Five main findings
Findings from the study challenge several assumptions that can shape publishing and licensing partnerships:
| Common Assumption | What the Data Shows |
| Partnership begins with paperwork | Collaboration requires prioritizing trust and relationships |
| Publishers in underserved contexts primarily need Western content to translate | Publishers increasingly produce locally-authored content that reach global and local audiences |
| A lack of financial sustainability signals a lack of progress | Publishers pursue financial sustainability in ways that reflect their context |
| Operational friction is a funding problem alone | Publishers face operational barriers related to their context that funding alone can’t fix |
| Expertise flows primarily from the West to the rest | Learning and expertise flow both ways |
“The findings point toward a different model of global publishing partnership: relationship before transaction, mutual learning rather than one-way expertise, and approaches shaped by local context,” says Heather. “Successful collaboration is built on healthy relationships and two-way learning. Contexts are also very different, so everyone needs to ask a lot of questions of each other.”
For more than four decades, MAI has worked in precisely this space—building relationships with Christian writers, editors, and publishers around the world through training, mentoring, networking, and long-term partnerships. To this end, the report contains not only data and findings, but also tools that publishing teams and organizations can use to improve operations and collaborate better across borders.
About MAI Media Associates International (MAI) is a global network that equips, connects, and encourages Christian writers, editors, and publishers to create locally relevant content that strengthens the Church and impacts society. Contact [email protected].