PAINTSVILLE, Ky (BNc) by Rick Kelley — Ben Wright hopes to achieve “something a bit more out of the box while remaining Biblically sound” with his new publishing company, Enwrightened Publications (EP). Ben ministers to the congregation in Paintsville, Ky., where he grew up, and where his father David serves as an elder.
EP’s third book, Bible 101, written by Mike Johnson, came out May 14. Directed toward new Christians, it covers “everything from the authority of the Bible to the important role women have in the Church,” and “clearly lays out the foundation of the church,” Ben said.
Ben took the time to answer some questions about his new venture.
BNc: What provoked your interest in this work? Tell us how Enwrightened Publications (EP) got started?
Ben: Our interest in the work has really developed over the last few years. It all began as a simple blog and grew from there. My wife and I love to read and write, so we decided to embark on a journey of producing books that we really liked. The name Enwrightened is more of an accident than anything; we were trying to come up with names for our blog and misspelled “enlightened,” then discovered we could use our last name and make it “Enwrightened”.
BNc: Your first two books, While You Are Away From Home (Mike Johnson) and Branded (Ben Wright) are already in print. How are they being received?
Ben: So far, they have been received exceptionally well. Mike is an extremely talented guy and his books are marvelous. While You Are Way From Home is a really neat concept for a book and one that, I think, was very needed.
Branded has achieved more than we had anticipated in terms of copies sold and the reaction it has received. Considering that, for the most part, social media has been our only source of advertising, both books are doing really well.
BNc: Someone once said that those associated with churches of Christ do more publishing than any other group. Why another publishing company? Does EP have a niche is seeks to serve, or a deficiency it seeks to address?
Emilee and Ben Wright
Ben: We knew so many talented people that had amazing things to say, but didn’t know how to get their ideas out. I (Ben) have a background in Graphic Design so we were able to do most of the legwork ourselves and really get people heard who may not have had the means otherwise. We really believed it to be a great way that we could serve others and spread the Gospel.
We try to work on projects that are maybe a little different from the traditional type of books that are published in the church today. Many books in the church now are written specifically for classes and have a very standardized format and, while we have (and will have) many of those kinds of book, we also want to produce books that are written with more of a practical aspect in mind.
Branded, for example, is a small book; it’s not a classroom book, features no questions at the end of the chapters, but rather focuses on making the Christian life better in a challenging and more practical way than a traditional classroom book might. That is certainly not to say that the traditional approach isn’t great, but just that we are interested in doing something a bit more out of the box while remaining Biblically sound.
BNc: We’re in a digital age; printing isn’t cheap. Why books?
Ben: I am a huge technology lover. If I can do it digitally, generally, I do; but I also love the feel of a book in my hands. There’s just something about it I can’t describe. I’ve tried e-books and own many. They are fantastic in their own way, but the experience just isn’t the same.
The digital age has also produced things like on-demand printing that makes the costs of creating printed books extremely affordable, which is why you see so many people self-publishing today. We try to make all of our books in as many formats as possible, including digital ones. We are also currently in the process of making our books available in audio book format.
BNc: What’s in the works for EP?
Ben: We have a lot of projects going on right now. Our big work is a project called, “Radiate”, that we hope to have out early next year. It will be a four-year teen class curriculum, written with teachers in mind. We want teen class teachers to be able to take our materials and easily be able to teach from them, and have a pre-set teaching schedule. “Radiate” takes students through the entire New Testament and various other topical subjects in a period of four years. We have some really fantastic guys lined up to write for us.
We also have several more books in the works that we’re excited to put out, including a book called, “Spiritually Fit”, a book that challenges Christians to take a look at their spiritual health. Another one is called, “Not Just the Future”, and it is about empowering the younger generation to take hold of leadership now. Of course, we also try to keep our blog updated regularly with good stuff there, as well.
Find out more about Ben, Enwrightened Publications, and ordering information on their website.
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