Magazine Training International

What Magazine Training International does

Magazine Training International (MTI) is a U.S.-incorporated nonprofit religious organization, founded in 1989 and headquartered in Colorado Springs, that delivers training and resources to Christian magazine publishers worldwide. The company serves a primary vertical of Christian magazine publishers—editors, designers, writers, and ministry-leader publishers—and a secondary horizontal segment of ministry partners who support the work through prayer, giving, or serving as trainers. MTI reaches publishers in nearly 100 countries and maintains a public directory of over 200 international Christian magazines.

MTI's product surface is structured around two delivery formats: instructor-led training (onsite conferences, four-week online courses, and live workshops) and self-paced resources (manuals, books, e-books, on-demand workshops, micro-workshops, videos, audio, and samples). The technology stack is a WordPress-based platform with a WooCommerce online store for resource distribution and ClickMeeting for live workshop delivery; payments are processed via PayPal. Notable recent additions include AI-focused courses on generative-AI tools (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), a WordPress digital-publishing course, and a smartphone video production workshop.

The business model blends three revenue streams: product sales (one-time purchases of physical and digital resources), course fees (subscription-structured online courses in the $50–$300 range, with some financial assistance available), and donations (the primary sustaining mechanism for a 501(c)-style nonprofit). GTM is community-led and event-driven, with content marketing, SEO, email newsletters, organic social, and webinars as upper-funnel channels feeding into paid courses and free live workshops. MTI does not appear to have raised institutional funding, has no parent company, and reports no M&A activity in the available data.

Name

Magazine Training International

Legal name

Magazine Training International, Inc.

Website

https://magazinetraining.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Magazine Training International is a U.S. nonprofit founded in 1989 that trains Christian magazine publishers worldwide through conferences, online courses, live workshops, and self-paced resources, serving a long-tail of editors, designers, and writers across nearly 100 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Christian Publishing Training

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741), Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Publishing & Submission Prep Workshops (Query Letters, Agents, Journals) (EDAMAMAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC)

Keywords

• Christian publishing training
• Magazine publishing courses
• Editorial training resources
• Publishing ministry support
• Online publishing workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Colorado Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: MTI sells training materials including manuals, books, e-books, on-demand workshops, videos, audio content, and samples through their online store.
2. Course Fees: MTI charges fees for online courses, with some courses priced at $75 for a four-week course, and others ranging from $50-$300.
3. Donations: As a nonprofit religious organization, MTI accepts donations to support their ministry of training Christian magazine publishers worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Magazine Training International provides training and resources to Christian magazine publishers worldwide through instructor-led programs (online courses, conferences, live workshops) and self-paced materials (manuals, books, e-books, on-demand workshops, videos, audio). The training covers editing, design, writing, digital publishing, business management, and biblical foundation for publishing ministry. The organization also maintains a directory of over 200 international Christian magazines and partners with ministries globally to serve publishers in nearly 100 countries.

Product overview

Magazine Training International offers a comprehensive training ecosystem for Christian magazine publishers with instructor-led programs (conferences, online courses, live workshops) and self-paced resources (manuals, books, e-books, on-demand workshops, micro-workshops, videos, audio). The core offering centers on practical publishing training delivered through weekly instructor-led courses with forum discussions and homework, supplemented by free and premium on-demand content. Training spans publishing fundamentals, digital strategy, video production, AI tools, writing craft, and management. The platform uses WooCommerce for resource distribution and ClickMeeting for live workshop delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conferences Onsite conference events where Christian magazine publishers gather for in-person training, networking, and professional development with leading publishing experts.
• Online Courses Instructor-led online courses featuring weekly live sessions with experts, forum discussions, and homework assignments. Four-week structured courses with certificates of completion.
• Live Workshops (Webinars) Free live online workshops where publishers interact with experts in real-time, covering topics like video production, AI optimization, storytelling, and digital publishing strategies.
• Manuals Full-length training manuals available for self-paced learning, covering various aspects of magazine publishing and management.
• Books Physical books on magazine publishing, writing, and Christian media production.
• E-books Digital books available for download, including titles like FeatureWriting.Net and other guides for writers and publishers.
• On-Demand Workshops Recorded workshops available anytime through the MTI Online Learning Center, covering topics like video strategy, SEO, storytelling, and digital publishing.
• Self-Guided Online Courses Self-paced online learning modules for flexible training without scheduled sessions.
• Micro-Workshops Short, focused training segments covering specific skills like writing, publishing models, and storytelling techniques.
• Videos Training videos on video production, smartphone filmmaking, and visual storytelling for Christian publishers.
• Audio Audio training materials including podcasts and recorded content for learning on-the-go.
• Magazine Directory Directory listing over 200 international Christian magazines, providing details on publications worldwide for networking, research, and industry awareness.
• Introduction to Magazine Publishing Course Foundational course covering the basics of magazine publishing for those new to the field, taught by experienced Christian publishing professionals.
• FeatureWriting.Net: Timeless feature stories in an online world E-book by Dr. Michael Ray Smith providing practical guidance on generating feature article ideas, executing writing plans, and developing articles with nearly 100 specific story ideas for writers.
• Top 10 ideas for adding video to your digital strategy Free workshop by Tami DeVine covering video formats, optimal video length, platform distribution, and equipment recommendations for digital content strategies.
• AI and journalism: Using AI effectively and ethical concerns Course examining how journalists can use AI tools like ChatGPT effectively, covering ethical considerations, fact-checking, and practical applications in newsrooms. Priced at $50-$300.
• Smartphone video production: Using what's in your hand Workshop by Dr. Samuel Ebersole teaching publishers to use smartphones for professional video production, covering pre-production planning, production techniques, and post-production editing.
• Print to digital: Building and growing a Christian magazine website with WordPress Four-week course by Shibu K. Mathew covering WordPress website creation, SEO, audience growth, social media integration, and monetization strategies for Christian magazine publishers.
• Beyond SEO: The new era of AI optimization (GEO) Workshop by Thomas Umstattd Jr. on Generative Engine Optimization, teaching publishers how to optimize content for AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini for future-proof marketing.
• Creating comics in the AI era Workshop by Jose Carlos Gutierrez on navigating AI in comic creation, exploring how AI tools can support workflows and strengthen collaboration without losing storytelling authenticity.
• Samples Sample materials including publication layouts, design examples, and writing samples for training purposes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serving publishers in nearly 100 countries
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroup is listed as a ministry partner of MTI, providing organizational support for Christian magazine publishers.
• Evangelical Press AssociationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA partners with MTI to strengthen Christian publishing through awards, resources, and professional development for publishers.
• Tyndale FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTyndale Foundation supports MTI as a ministry partner contributing to Christian publishing missions.
• ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerECPA partners with MTI to serve Christian publishers through industry collaboration and resources.
• Christianity TodayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristianity Today serves as a ministry partner supporting MTI's mission to train Christian publishers.
• Visual StoryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVisual Story partners with MTI to provide visual storytelling resources for Christian publishers.
• Synergie FrancophoneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench-speaking Christian communication network that partners with MTI for training and resources in francophone regions.
• Africa SpeaksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrica Speaks partners with MTI to support Christian publishing and training across African nations.
• Letra VivaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLetra Viva partners with MTI to provide Christian publishing resources and training in Spanish-speaking regions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Synergie Francophone: A French-speaking Christian communication network providing training and resources across francophone regions. Comparable to MTI as a peer training organization for Christian communicators in a different language market; MTI ministry partner.
• Religion News Association: Professional association for religion journalists and writers offering training, awards, and a job board. Directly comparable as a training and networking body for religious media professionals, overlapping heavily with MTI's target segment.
• Evangelical Press Association: Trade association serving evangelical Christian publications in North America. Directly comparable as a peer training and networking organization for Christian publishers, and is an active MTI ministry partner.
• Tyndale Foundation: A nonprofit supporting global Christian publishing initiatives and partnerships. Comparable as a peer supporting Christian publishers' training and capacity-building, and is an MTI ministry partner.
• World Journalism Institute: A nonprofit that trains journalists from a Christian worldview through short courses and reporting programs. Closely comparable to MTI in combining journalism training with a Christian mission focus.
• ECPA (Evangelical Christian Publishers Association): Industry association for Christian book and content publishers, providing professional development, awards, and networking. Directly comparable to MTI in mission and audience, and is an MTI ministry partner.
• Visual Story: A nonprofit providing visual storytelling resources and training for Christian communicators. Directly comparable to MTI's visual storytelling curriculum and is an MTI ministry partner.

Broad incumbents

• Christianity Today: A leading Christian media organization producing magazines, news, and commentary with broader scope and resources than MTI. Comparable as a larger incumbent in the Christian publishing ecosystem and an MTI ministry partner.
• Poynter Institute: A well-established nonprofit journalism training and research organization offering courses, seminars, and newsroom resources. Comparable as a broader incumbent providing professional development for journalists, though not religiously focused.
• International Center for Journalists: Global nonprofit that trains journalists worldwide with programs, fellowships, and resources. Comparable to MTI as a broad incumbent providing international journalism training and capacity-building, though serving a much wider audience.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/MagTrainingIntl
• Facebookfacebook.com/MagazineTrainingInternational

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Magazine Training International