CAROL STREAM, IL, July 29, 2022.  Robert B. Reekie, founding President of Media Associates International (MAI) and a pioneer in global Christian publishing training, died peacefully on July 18, 2022. He was 92.

Bob co-founded MAI in 1985 with the late James F. Engel, then Professor of Communication Research at Wheaton College Graduate School, and the late James L. Johnson, author and founder of the Communications Department at Wheaton Graduate School.

“Our vision was to be a catalyst for indigenous Christian publishing,” Bob said in a 2010 interview. “We were fervently committed to finding ways through training and guidance to see increasing print-media products conceived and published by Christians in the same countries where those materials would be sold and distributed.”

Starting with no salary or staff and only a typewriter and table in modest rental space, Bob assumed his duties as MAI President in May 1985. It was a step of faith that God would honor by ultimately growing MAI into a significant global work that to date has conducted trainings in more than 90 countries for 10,000 Christian publishing staff and writers.

“Bob was an inspiration and mentor to so many around the world,” said John Maust, who succeeded Bob as MAI President in 1998 when Bob retired. “His legacy will be felt for years to come.”

Bob was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, on October 27, 1929, to Scottish immigrant parents. He held management positions with industrial firms there before leaving South Africa to pursue theological studies in America.

Completing his studies, Bob became a seminary professor of New Testament, as well as an ordained Baptist minister.  In 1962, he accepted a position with the David C. Cook Foundation.  As Executive Vice President and Director of the Foundation, he started its on-site training program and traveled extensively around the world.

Leaving Cook after 23 years and starting MAI presented Bob with perhaps the biggest challenge of his life. It was a decision lacking guarantees of success, but one Bob never regretted and that would help equip thousands of Christian communicators to create excellent culturally relevant content to nurture the Church and influence society for Christ.

“When Jim Johnson, Jim Engel and I planned, dreamed and talked about forming MAI, we knew the risk was mammoth, the future and sustainability uncertain, and the support for such a program quite unknown,” Bob said in the 2010 interview. “But we also believed that God’s leading was pressing us, and that it was opportune for MAI to launch into the deep.

“We called upon God to grant wisdom and strength to begin, reminded of Paul’s words to the Church in Corinth: ‘Therefore, since we have this ministry, we do not lose heart.’”

Bob is survived by his wife, Barbara Reekie, in Palatine, IL.  A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 6, at 1 p.m. at Community Church of Barrington, 407 S. Grove Ave., Barrington, IL  60010 (corner of Lincoln and Grove).

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to:  Media Associates International, 351 S. Main Place, Ste. 230, Carol Stream, IL  60188, tel. 630-260-9063, www.littworld.org.

I’m So Glad You Were Born by #1 New York Times bestselling author Earhardt releases September 27, 2022

Grand Rapids, MI – July 27, 2022 – Zonderkidz author and FOX & Friends co-host Ainsley Earhardt will be on tour this fall sharing about her new picture book, I’m So Glad You Were Born. Tickets for the following events are now available for purchase:

• Tuesday, September 27, at 3 pm ET, Live Signing, nationwide virtual event, in conversation with Caitlin Houston.  https://livesigning.com/soglad
• Wednesday, September 28, at 7 pm ET, Norwalk, CT at the Wall Street Theatre, in conversation with Megan Alexander. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ainsley-earhardt-im-so-glad-you-were-born-tickets-376730339587
  
• Friday, September 30, at 6:30 pm ET, Charleston, SC at the Charleston Museum, in conversation with Leyla Gulen. https://www.citypapertickets.com/events/127060122/ainsley-earhardt-book-release
• Sunday, October 2, at 2 pm ET, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL, at the Ponte Vedra Beach Concert Hall, in conversation with Sean Hannity. https://www.ticketmaster.com/event/22005CF5E07EC7D7

Each ticket purchased will include a signed book. Additional tour appearances are being considered. Visit https://books.ainsleye.com to see all the information as it is updated.

The virtual “Live Signing” with Earhardt will take place for those fans who cannot travel and want to receive a signed copy of the book, on Tuesday, September 27 at 3 pm ET. Earhardt will appear on Facebook and talk about her experiences as a mother and how the book came together, while signing copies for fans.

Dedicated to her daughter Hayden, this book is meant to be shared with children to remind them just how thankful you are they are in your life and that they were created to be extraordinary. The book releases Tuesday, September 27 and is available for pre-order anywhere books are sold.

“My mother always told us on our birthdays each year how glad she was that we were born—and now I love saying that to my daughter, Hayden,” said Earhardt, during her book announcement this spring. “This book celebrates all the reasons we are so glad our children are born and how special they are. It reminds children they have a purpose, there’s a plan for their life, that God loves them and they are worthy of having a wonderful life. This book is about noticing the traits that make a child special, and I hope it helps parents, grandparents, and caregivers to slow down and take the time to tell the children in their lives how grateful and appreciative they are for all the special things that make a child who they are.”

Ainsley Earhardt is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, including two #1 childrens bestsellers, Through Your Eyes and Take Heart, My Child. She hosts a Bible Study with Fox Nation and has over one million followers on her social media platforms combined. Earhardt has been a co-host on the popular FOX & Friends morning show since 2016.

For more information, please contact Zonderkidz Publicity Director Jessica Westra at jessica.westra@harpercollins.com or Velvet Kelm at velvet@theMcollective.com.

Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imaginative, innovative and educational resources that represent a Christian worldview and build up God’s children and teens. For additional information, please visit www.zonderkidz.com.

Zondervan is a world-leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications. Zondervan, as part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan’s offices are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

Media Contact:  Jessica Westra, Director of Publicity, Zonderkidz, Jessica.Westra@harpercollins.com

New book, “ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas,” releases by the late author Yvonne Lehman with daughter Lori Marett and Eva Marie Everson

Two-book collection now available from the South’s beloved romance novelist.

Black Mountain, NC – Late author and founder of the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference Yvonne Lehman, with the help of her daughter, screenplay writer Lori Marett, and award winning author, Eva Marie Everson have launched their new book, ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas.  This collection is made up of two novellas, Somewhere a Rainbow and Smokey Mountain Sunrise. Published by Iron Stream Media, ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas is now available.

In Somewhere a Rainbow, Brooke faces the challenge of rebuilding her life after her unfaithful husband is killed in an auto accident. With most of her money gone, she takes her five-year-old son to Hilton Head Island—to a cottage almost as broken down as her life. When carpenter Jake Randolph offers to help, Brooke immediately distrusts him, but as the months pass he begins to melt the emotional ice around her heart. Then Jake reveals he’s concealing a secret past and Brooke’s hope of a brighter future is destroyed. Or is there a rainbow beyond the storms of heartbreak?

In Smoky Mountain Sunrise, Ramona Martin agrees to be dashing Andre Doudet’s girl for a summer in the incomparable Smoky Mountains. What possible harm could it do? But when she finds herself caught in a web of deceit, Ramona finds herself face-to-face with some of the most challenging  tests of her life—as an athlete, as a woman in love, as a Christian. Is posing as Andre’s girlfriend a game worth winning?

Prolific author Yvonne Lehman (1936 – 2021) founded and directed the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers Conference for twenty-five years. During her career, she authored, compiled, or edited 59 novels and 16 nonfiction books including those in the Divine Moments series.

Lori Marett, daughter of Yvonne Lehman, has enjoyed success in the world of screenplay writing, articles, and short stories. She and husband, Rodney, directed the Gideon Media Arts Conference & Film Festival for several years and currently helms the Faith in Film Conference in Nashville, Tennessee. Lori has written a novel, several nonfiction books, and currently has scripts under consideration by movie and animation production studios.

Eva Marie Everson is a multiple-award winning author and speaker who hails from the picturesque Southern town of Sylvania, Georgia. She is president of Word Weavers International, as well as the director of Florida Christian Writers Conference. She enjoys coaching new authors through her company, Pen in Hand. Eva Marie and her husband make their home in Central Florida. They are the parents of three fabulous children who have blessed them with the world’s greatest grandchildren.

ROMANCING THE SOUTH: Finding Love in the Carolinas is published by Iron Stream Media and is now available at all major book retailers and online.

About Yvonne Lehman
The late Yvonne Lehman authored more than 70 books throughout her career. She founded and directed the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference and was beloved worldwide.

About Iron Stream Media:
Making disciples as we go. Iron Stream media derives its name from Proverbs 27:17, “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.”  This sharpening describes the process of discipleship, to one another. Iron Stream Media provides a variety of solutions for churches, missionaries, and nonprofits that include in-depth bible study curriculum, Christian book publishing, and consultative series. Iron Stream Media is the home of Iron Stream Books, Brookstone Creative Group, Iron Stream Kids, Iron Stream Harambee Press, and Iron Stream Fiction. Through the popular Life Bible Study imprint, they also provide web-based year and short -term Bible study teaching plans as well as printed devotionals, Bibles, and discipleship curriculum.  https://www.ironstreammedia.com/.

Contact: Lori Heiselman, Lori@BiscuitMediaGroup.com, 714-553-5181
or Callie Daruk, Callie@BiscuitMediaGroup.com, 615-308-5638

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (July 22, 2022) – NavPress announced today that they plan to extend their bestselling LifeChange Bible study series in September with three new studies, expanding the line into biblical topics of broad interest. “We’re excited to bring this next generation of LifeChange Bible studies to a new generation of Christians,” said Caitlyn Carlson, acquisitions and development editor at NavPress.

To date, nearly 3 million people have used the groundbreaking Bible study series. Starting in the early 1980s, over the course of forty-five titles, the series encompasses every book of the Protestant Bible. “The series focuses on learning the skills of Bible study by studying the Bible,” Carlson continues. “You discover new things in the Scriptures, and at the same time you’re discovering new questions to ask, new ways to look at the text.”

Who Jesus Is, The Fruit of the Spirit, and Christian Community are the first three titles to apply the distinct form and structure of LifeChange to studies that each look at a theme or topic spread throughout the Scriptures rather than focusing squarely on one book of the Bible.

“We adapted the LifeChange structure to accommodate this new direction,” said Jack Kuhatshek, publishing industry veteran and author of nineteen Bible studies. Kuhatshek wrote the first three LifeChange topical studies and worked with Carlson to establish the series template. “We wanted to take into account both the distinct demands of a study that seeks to understand what the Bible says about a particular subject and the changes over time to how people engage with the Bible and one another when studying Scripture together.”

Future topical LifeChange Bible studies will release regularly, starting with Women of the New Testament, written by Joyce Koo Dalrymple, releasing in summer 2023. “I’m excited to contribute to this new era for the LifeChange series,” Koo Dalrymple wrote. “These studies are an excellent tool for drawing people into the Scriptures and helping them grow more confident in their study.”

For more information and media inquiries, please contact Katie Dodillet, katiedodillet@tyndale.com.

The NavPress mission is to advance the calling of The Navigators by bringing biblically rooted, culturally relevant, and highly practical products to people who want to know and love Christ more deeply. Through The Message Bible and other insightful resources, NavPress seeks to bring positive spiritual movement to people’s lives. In January 2014, NavPress entered into an alliance with Tyndale House Publishers to strengthen and better position NavPress and its rich content for the future. NavPress provides books and other content that brings spiritual impact, fosters life transformation, and helps lead in the mission of making disciples.

NavPress and the NavPress logo are registered trademarks of NavPress, The Navigators, Colorado Springs, CO.

 

July 22, 2022 — WHEATON, Ill.—Crossway is pleased to announce that, effective July 1, 2022, Amy Kruis transitioned into the role of Director of Author Relations, Acquisitions Editor; and Lauren Susanto has been promoted to Director of Publicity.

In her new position, Kruis will serve Crossway’s authors as they move through the publishing process. In addition to engagement with authors, she will join Crossway’s Publishing Division in acquiring new book projects for publication. Kruis came to Crossway in 2008 and has been instrumental in the company’s marketing and publicity efforts for over a decade. She most recently served as Director of Communications—overseeing the publicity and copywriting teams, managing author relations regarding marketing initiatives and plans, and handling other responsibilities within Crossway’s Communications Division.

Susanto has served as Crossway’s publicist since 2015, establishing relationships with both authors and media to promote Crossway’s book and Bible products to varied audiences. In her new role, Susanto will oversee all of Crossway’s publicity efforts and the publicity team.

Founded in 1938, Crossway is a not-for-profit global Christian publishing ministry that publishes gospel-centered, Bible-based content to honor our Savior and serve his church. Crossway seeks to help people understand the all-encompassing implications of the gospel and the truth of God’s word—for all of life, for all eternity, and for the glory of God alone. Crossway is the global publisher of the ESV® (English Standard Version®) Bible, more than 1,000 Christian books, and an extensive list of gospel literature. For additional information, visit crossway.org.

Contact: Lauren Susanto, lsusanto@crossway.org

Audiobooks and More – Paraclete Press announces state-of-the-art sound studio recording and editing services by Paraclete Audio

July 12, 2022 — Paraclete Press, a publishing house on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, has expanded to include a full range of audio recording and editing services, including audiobooks, voiceovers for video and radio, solo and ensemble musical recordings, and more from Paraclete Audio.

With the flexibility to record in the workplace, at home, or in Paraclete’s recording studio, Paraclete Audio is perfectly fitted to aid publishing houses, authors, and podcasters with every step of the process from recording, to editing, to final mastering and file upload. Narrators are also available upon request.

For a full list of services, visit our website at https://paracleteaudio.com/

For more information or to inquire about a project, contact Dan Pfeiffer at danp@paracletepress.com.

I’m Going to Have a Good Day! book from viral video stars Scarlett Gray and Tiania Haneline releases January 24, 2023

Grand Rapids, MI – July 21, 2022 – Zonderkidz is pleased to announce that TikTok and YouTube sensations Scarlett Gray and Tiania Haneline will publish their first book together, titled I’m Going to Have a Good Day!, illustrated by Stephanie Dehennin, on January 24, 2023.

This uplifting book for kids ages 4-8 will teach kids that by reciting daily affirmations, they will be able to replace negative thoughts with positive ones, similar to how 5-year-old Scarlett and her mom Tiania have inspired millions around the world. The mother-daughter duo have been recording their affirmation routine while Tiana does Scarlett’s hair since 2020, garnering millions of fans on TikTok (5.8 million followers, with 247 million likes) and other media platforms.

“When our team first learned of Tiania and Scarlett through their videos on social media, we were so charmed by them both and drawn to their practice of daily affirmations,” says Megan Dobson, Vice President and Publisher of Zonderkidz. “It’s been a privilege to partner with them to create I’m Going to Have a Good Day!, and share a story that highlights the powerful impact daily affirmations can have on children, building their self-esteem and reminding them how truly special and loved they are. We hope so many families are inspired by this book to begin their own practice of daily affirmations with their children.”

The book is now available for pre-order anywhere books are sold. Scarlett and Tiania shared news about the book on their social platforms. Tour dates and appearances with Scarlett and Tiania will be announced this fall. A full-scale marketing, digital and publicity campaign for the book is in process.

Advance review copies will be available upon request; please contact Publicity Director Jessica Westra at jessica.westra@harpercollins.com.

ABOUT THE BOOK: 
I’m Going to Have a Good Day! Written by Tiania Haneline with Scarlett Gray Hardcover w/Jacket, $18.99 978-0310771296 40 pages On sale January 24, 2023 Media Contact: Jessica Westra Director of Publicity, Zonderkidz Jessica. Westra@harpercollins.com

ABOUT THE AUTHORS:
Tiania Haneline and Scarlett Gray Smith make up one of TikTok’s most positive (and self-lovecentric) mother/daughter duos. The East Coast-based pair is well-known for their sweet affirmation videos, with their most viral moments attracting the attention of Good Morning America, POPSUGAR, USA Today and more. Growing up in an affirming household herself, Tiania was determined to pass the same values onto Scarlett and her two sons, Walker and Reice. She began repeating affirmations with Scarlett while doing her hair every morning, teaching her to embrace the beauty of her skin, curls, kindness and every trait in between. With the power of TikTok, Tiania and Scarlett are spreading that joy and self-love to an audience of more than four million.

• TikTok: Scarlett and Tiania (@scarlettandtiania) Official TikTok | Watch Scarlett and Tiania’s Newest TikTok Videos
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/ScarlettGraySmith
• Instagram: Tiania and Scarlett (@scarlettandtiania) • Instagram photos and videos Website: www.scarlettandtiania.com

Zonderkidz™, the children’s division of Zondervan, inspires young lives through imaginative, innovative and educational resources that represent a Christian worldview and build up God’s children and teens. For additional information, please visit www.zonderkidz.com. Zondervan is a world-leading Bible publisher and provider of Christian communications.

Zondervan, as part of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc., delivers transformational Christian experiences through its bestselling Bibles, books, curriculum, academic resources and digital products. The Company’s products are sold worldwide and translated into nearly 200 languages. Zondervan’s offices are located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. For additional information, please visit www.zondervan.com.

A tenth anniversary of anything marks a very good time to reflect, to remember, to look ahead and, at times, to “re-package” the gift we’ve received over the prior decade. ECPA is doing just that for the 10th Annual Top Shelf Book Cover Awards, recognizing excellence in book design.

For this year’s 10th anniversary, ECPA is making two key changes to the submission and judging process – emphasizing industry involvement in celebrating the industry’s top book designs:

• First, nominated covers will be submitted into one of four categories this year: Non-Fiction, Fiction, Children’s, and Bibles.
• Second, rather than using outside designers as judges, this year
  each participating publisher will provide a designer to cast their ballots for the best entries (though votes cannot be cast for their own designs).

Submissions opened on April 15 for ECPA members with a deadline of August 15.  Visit TopShelfAward.org to submit your designs and learn more about this year’s program features.

ECPA will present the 2022 Top Shelf Awards at the ECPA PubU opening session, on November 16 at Lipscomb University in Nashville.  The event will also include a Design Track for industry designers, developed by Torrey Sharp, founder of Faceout Studios in Bend, Oregon.  Torrey has been a key Top Shelf partner throughout the award’s history.

ECPA president Jeff Crosby recently interviewed Sharp about the program and his advice on how participating publishers can best curate and select their nominated titles:

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CROSBY:  This is our 10th anniversary of the Top Shelf Book Cover Awards, and you have been a key partner with ECPA throughout these years. As you reflect back, what do you see as the notable achievement resulting from the presence of Top Shelf? What do you as an industry partner feel most grateful for?

SHARP: I’m grateful to be part of an ECPA community that is striving to produce meaningful and beautiful books. The Top Shelf Award program has given ECPA a vehicle for celebrating beauty, validating the work of artists and designers, and encouraging excellence in every facet of what we do. Each year’s winners are a testament to the quality design this industry is producing year in and year out. I am grateful that ECPA, as a leading voice in the industry, works hard to elevate great content (through other awards) and great design though Top Shelf. These efforts push us all to be better.

CROSBY: As we look ahead to the changes ECPA is making for Top Shelf’s 10th anniversary celebration in Nashville, including moving to four categories and having publisher designers as judges, what is your own take about these changes? What are the up sides? Are there any down sides, in your view?

SHARP: I think this is a fun change to take on this anniversary year. Over these last 9 years, we have worked hard with ECPA to find judges whose own work reflects excellence and who have the credibility and experience it takes to judge the merits of another’s work and then the conviction to narrow submissions down to a few winners. This is not easy for judges to do. There is inherent conflict in the process. It can only be done with integrity when completely absent of external factors such as, who the submitting publisher is, who the designer is, etc. As with any new panel of judges that come on board every year, it remains imperative they judge fairly based only on the merits of the design and nothing else.

CROSBY: What guidance would you give art directors and designers as they consider which of their titles to nominate, and how to thoughtfully curate their submission process, in order to stand the greatest chance of receiving a Top Shelf Award during the program this fall?

SHARP: All of us work at a rapid pace in this industry. When award seasons hit, it can be a scramble to remember all the work that has been done in the past year. The biggest advice I can give is to curate a submission list during the year as books release. Then, when you are ready to submit, run each possible submission through the Top Shelf criteria: appropriateness for the market / level of conceptual thinking / quality of execution.  Judges evaluate based on objective and subjective criteria. They seek to highlight exceptional work that meets the stated criteria and catches their individual attention in a special way. A unique aspect of Top Shelf is that each winning selection is accompanied by a judge’s comment. This helps inform everybody why certain winners rise to the top.

CROSBY: Many designers I’ve worked with throughout my career have told me they are always thinking about colors, textures, treatments, and other design elements well in advance of non-designers (like me) being aware of them. As you go about your work at Faceout Studio, what do you see on the horizon?

SHARP: Design is about communicating meaning and beauty. It serves a purpose. Naturally, as expectations, preferences, trends and other external factors change, the way we solve design problems needs to change. Motivated designers are constantly learning, exploring new methods and tools, observing trends and honing their craft. Some have described book design as similar to a name tag you might wear at an event or a cocktail party. It’s an introduction of sorts – in the case of books, an introduction to an idea or a story. However, book designs are serving bigger needs these days. They can be brand identities with extractable elements that are used in other mediums or NFTs. Branded elements often become important parts of the content mix experienced by those reading, watching or listening to what publishers and authors create and deliver to the market.

CROSBY:  Thank you, Torrey, for the counsel and expertise you’ve lent to this important industry program.  We look forward to these special features, and recognizing the winners with you in Nashville in November – as we, as an industry, celebrate the industry!

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For more information: TopShelfAward.org
Submission Info: ecpa.org/page/bookcovercriteria/

Conference will bring together publishers, manufacturers, and other suppliers to help foster collaboration and learning in the changing book industry

BRADENTON, FL—July 11, 2022—The Book Manufacturers’ Institute (BMI) is bringing back its industry event Book Manufacturing Mastered. The 2022 version will be held Thursday September 15^th at the Westin Chicago North Shore. The first event was held February 10–11, 2020 in New York City just prior to the pandemic.

Book Manufacturing Mastered 2022 will feature a morning “Paper School” that will cover all things paper. As it is one of the, if not THE, top challenges facing the industry today, attendees will learn how it’s made to its different properties, to the impact it has on the environment. After a networking lunch, the afternoon panel featuring both publishers and manufacturers will give everyone a lay of the land as it stands today. Then attendees will have the chance for roundtable discussions with publishers, printers and suppliers about the top challenges facing the industry today and how they can be addressed. Lastly, the day will end with a networking cocktail reception that will feature tabletop exhibits from printers and suppliers to allow publishers in attendance to speak directly with those that help bring their ideas to print.

Matt Baehr, Executive Director of BMI, said, “Book Manufacturing Mastered was a great success in 2020. We’ve been trying to find the best way to bring it back as we see the need to bring publishers and printers together during this changing environment. It is critical that publishers, manufacturers and suppliers are all on the same page to ensure the success of the industry. This event helps to foster learning between all three groups while also giving folks the opportunity to have those critical conversations.”

Working with BMI, Book Manufacturing Mastered is being produced in partnership with a number of other book related trade associations, including: the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), the Association of American Publishers (AAP), the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association (ECPA), the Protestant Church-Owned Publishers Association (PCPA) and the New York Book Forum.

The event is organized by an advisory panel comprised of publishers, manufacturers and suppliers. Also assisting the event are sponsors HP, Maple Press and Midland Paper.

Registration is now open. All agenda, hotel and registration information can be found at www.bookmanufacturingmastered.com.

About the Book Manufacturers’ Institute
The Book Manufacturers’ Institute is a not-for profit trade organization that supports book manufacturing leaders in their work to drive the promotion, efficiency, and growth of book markets for readers and educators in North America.  Since 1933, BMI has provided tremendous value to its member companies and others associated with the book manufacturing industry. BMI member companies range from full-service book manufacturers to those specializing in the digital print market, specialty binderies, component printers, packagers, equipment manufacturers, and suppliers of a variety of materials and services.