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For our AIM2Flourish story, we interviewed Bob Byrns, who is the Vice-President of Marketing and Sales for Paulist Press. Paulist Press is a Catholic Book Publishing company that has been around since the mid-1800s. As the book publishing industry continues to transition to digital, Bob sat down and spoke with us about the company and that process.
Paulist Press is a fascinating book company that goes beyond the traditional aspects of most book businesses. The company based its traditions on the Paulist Fathers, established by and for the purpose of Americans, consisting of a society of missionary priests. The focus of Paulist Press carries on the legacy of the Paulist Fathers by spreading the word of Jesus through American Catholicism. Back in 1858, the Paulist Fathers operated within public lecture halls. Today, Paulist Press advances to turn this way of life into a full-blown digital and physical print book company.
The innovation behind Paulist Press involves providing a product line of hardcover, paperback books, audio, video, educational programs, and materials for Parish renewal. The company also offers diverse Classics of Western Spirituality which consists of over 90 volumes of the historical literature of university-renown teachers throughout the Catholic Eastern Orthodox, Islamic, Protestant, Jewish, and American Indian tradition. A sector within the company, designed for children's literature, is also a way that the Paulist Press provides innovation with a focus on spirituality, prayer, modern theological developments in scripture, in hopes of providing the Catholic heritage and those of other faiths with divine insight.
The company has experienced innovation through technological advancements in recent years, implementing facsimile machines, word processors, email correspondence, portable document files, and social media, among other advancements, to provide a wide variety of materials and resources. Lastly, making a strong impact in digital transformation, Paulist Press offers reading on the go by way of the Ordo App, which allows for reading on both Apple and Android devices.
Driven behind the motivation of President and Publisher Mark-David Janus, Vice President of Marketing and Sales Bob Byrns, and Editorial Director Paul McMahon, the purpose of Paulist Press is to publish literature that combines faith and culture by way of materials set forth to spread the word of Jesus Christ throughout the Catholic faith, in addition to those of differing faith. The purpose behind this motivation is for Paulist Press to act as an all-inclusive deliverer of literature that facilitates all denominations. The company operates with a specific intention of instilling spiritual values and completeness as an entire society, with the extra focus going towards materials that instill elements of healing, personal growth, and reconciliation.
Striving to provide impactful and affordable materials is at the forefront of what Paulist Press has worked to accomplish. One of the companies’ major short-term goals is to complete a digital transformation in converting their backlist books in the effort to provide eBooks for their entire library, as well as implementing a print-on-demand service for the ease and convenience of their consumers. A longer-term goal that the company looks to accomplish is to cut down on the expense and use of paper resources by limiting the copies of physical inventory. This is an initiative that is both cost-effective and environmentally friendly simultaneously.
The business is made up of a workforce that is 95% local, just 50 miles from the business headquarters, which promotes job security for those in the local community and contributes to the local economy.
Paulist Press does not stop there however, the business extends its reach globally through international partners and publishers. The print-on-demand feature is often explored for those overseas who are fluent in English such as London, and England through a company called Lightning Source. This level of global expansion is beneficial in creating more resources for in-demand materials in territories where similar products are not readily available for purchase in a specific country or region. Paulist Press primarily publishes their materials in English, but also publishes a small percentage in Spanish, and has international publishers that translate Spanish, French, Portuguese, Italian, Polish, Korean, Japanese among others.
The overall benefit that Paulist Press intends to provide is to facilitate their consumer needs with amazing content at a fair price point, preferred format, that adds value and sustainability to the planet.
Paulist press benefits society through its ability to educate the world with historical literature on many of the world's past and present religions and cultures.
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Bob Byrns, Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Paulist Press is a Catholic book publishing company that provides historical literature. The company also offers diverse Classics of Western Spirituality, which consists of over 90 volumes of the historical literature of university-renown teachers throughout the Catholic Eastern Orthodox, Islamic, Protestant, Jewish, and American Indian tradition.