St. Anthony Messenger Press Books

Should St. Anthony Messenger Press Publish Your Book?

Our Mission

St. Anthony Messenger Press and Franciscan Communications seeks to spread the Word that is Jesus Christ in the style of Saints Francis, Clare and Anthony. Through print and electronic media marketed in North America and worldwide, we endeavor to evangelize, inspire and inform those who search for God and seek a richer Catholic, Christian, human life. Our efforts help support the life, ministry and charities of the Franciscan Friars of St. John the Baptist Province, who sponsor our work.

What We Seek to Publish

We seek manuscripts that educate and inspire adult Catholic Christians, that identify trends surfacing in the Catholic world, that help Catholics and those who want to be Catholic understand their faith better. We look for writing that speaks to a popular audience and is not academic or scholarly in tone, that is easy to read, practical, concrete, filled with examples and stories. We publish for “folks in the pew” and those who minister to adult Catholics in the parish and religious or school institutions. Our books strive to support the church in its spread of the gospel, not to challenge church authority. In resources for pastoral use, we look for universal applicability, not just the story of how a program worked in a single parish or classroom or group setting; we want tried and tested programs and methods. All of our books reflect current Catholic doctrine and rely on sound scholarship.

We publish 20 to 30 books per year in the following categories:

Catholic identity: books that provide information about the Catholic faith so that Catholics—members new and old and seekers—can better understand the Catholic faith and its practices; books that help tie the reader to the Catholic culture and promote a Catholic way of life; resources for brand-new Catholics and the RCIA; resources for young adult Catholics.

EXAMPLES

• A Concise Guide to the Documents of Vatican II, by Edward P. Hahnenberg, ISBN 978-0-86716-552-4
• A Short History of the Mass, by Alfred McBride, o.praem., ISBN 978-0-86716-744-3
• What It Means to Be Catholic, by Monsignor Joseph M. Champlin, ISBN 978-0-86716-490-9

Spiritual self-help and personal growth: resources for living a Catholic Christian life in contemporary culture, often with a Franciscan approach; resources for special-interest readers, such as divorced, grieving or married; resources that are gender-specific, such as male spirituality or women’s issues.

EXAMPLES

• From Wild Man to Wise Man: Reflections on Male Spirituality, by Richard Rohr with Joseph Martos, ISBN 978-0-86716-740-5
• Grieving With Grace: A Woman’s Perspective, by Dolores R. Leckey, ISBN 978-0-86716-888-4
• Together But Alone: When God Means Something Different to Your Spouse, by Donna Erickson Couch, ISBN 978-0-86716-852-5

Catechetical resources/sacramental spirituality: resources for those who minister and help form the faith of Catholics in the parish, school or religious institution on a grassroots level; resources that provide a spiritual context for one’s ministry as well as practical advice for ministering; materials for small faith-sharing or Bible groups; support for lay ministry as a vocation and way of life; resources that can be sold in bulk to parish gatekeepers; resources that flow out of the sacraments for use by those receiving the sacrament and those who are in relationship with the recipient (parent, sponsor, pastoral minister).

EXAMPLES

• Bridges of Faith: Building a Relationship With a Sister Parish, by Dennis P. O’Connor, ISBN 978-0-86716-584-5
• Daily Reflections for Lent/Advent (annual seasonal booklets)
• When a Catholic Marries a Non-Catholic, by Robert J. Hater, ISBN 978-0-86716-678-1

Franciscan: resources that illuminate the Franciscan way of life and prayer; biographies of Franciscan men and women; Franciscan history; materials for the Secular Franciscan Order.

EXAMPLES

• Care for Creation: A Franciscan Spirituality of the Earth, by Ilia Delio, o.s.f., Keith Douglass Warner, o.f.m., Pamela Wood, ISBN 978-0-86716-838-9
• Francis and His Brothers: A Popular History of the Franciscan Friars, by Dominic V. Monti, o.f.m., ph.d., ISBN 978-0-86716-855-6
• In the Footsteps of Francis and Clare, by Roch Niemier, o.f.m., ISBN 978-0-86716-793-1

Prayer resources: resources for general Catholic prayer, traditional and contemporary; prayers for special-interest audiences or occasions; prayers for family and group use, including institutions; prayers for seasonal use.

EXAMPLES

• The Blessing Cup: Prayer-Rituals for Families and Groups, by Rock Travnikar, o.f.m., ISBN 978-0-86716-486-2
• God, I Have Issues: 50 Ways to Pray No Matter How You Feel, by Mark E. Thibodeaux, s.j., ISBN 978-0-86716-536-4
• Songs of Our Hearts, Meditations of Our Souls: Prayers for Black Catholics, by Cecilia Moore, ph.d., C. Vanessa White, d.min., and Paul Marshall, s.m., ISBN 978-0-86716-694-1

Saints and inspirational people: biographies of saints, church figures, spiritual heroes and prominent Catholics—both modern and ancient—whose lives have been dedicated to a cause or movement or who have been instrumental in the history and life of the church; often includes reflection and meditation elements.

EXAMPLES

• Mystics: Ten Who Show Us the Ways of God, by Murray Bodo, ISBN 978-0-86716-746-7
• Saints at the Dinner Table, by Amy Heyd, ISBN 978-0-86716-851-8
• What Mother Teresa Taught Me, by Maryanne Raphael, ISBN 978-0-86716-810-5

Applied Scripture: resources for Catholic individuals and small groups to break open the Word of God, to better understand Scripture and its relevance to our daily lives.

EXAMPLES

• Do We Worship the Same God? Comparing the Bible and the Qur’an, by George Dardess, ISBN 978-0-86716-731-3
• Jesus in the House: Gospel Reflections on Christ’s Presence in the Home, by Allan F. Wright, ISBN 978-0-86716-791-7
• Things Hidden: Scripture as Spirituality, by Richard Rohr, o.f.m., ISBN 978-0-86716-659-0

Family faith formation: resources and programs to support family life with a Catholic perspective; guides for passing on the Catholic faith within the family; includes family-based catechetical programs.

EXAMPLES

• Bringing Home the Gospel: A Weekly Journal for Catholic Parents: The Year of Mark, by Judith Dunlap, ISBN 978-0-86716-781-8
• Celebrating Faith: Year-Round Activities for Catholic Families, by Mary Cronk Farrell, ISBN 978-0-86716-661-3
• God Is Calling: Together Time for Families, by Judith Dunlap and Mary Cummins Wlodarski

What We Do Not Publish

We do not publish fiction, children’s books, poetry, autobiographies, memoirs, collections of homilies, academic studies, art books or encyclopedias.

Our Market: Who Buys Our Books

The people who buy our books are adult Catholics: laypeople and priests and members of religious orders. They are parents, directors of religious education, catechists, teachers, people actively involved in parish life and ministry, small-group leaders, people who search for inspiration for their spiritual life or help with special problems. We look for books that will sell in bulk quantities to parishes, teachers, pastoral ministers, etc., as well as to individuals. About 65 percent of our books are sold in bookstores. We expect to sell at least 5,000 to 7,000 copies of a book.

How to Submit Your Book Proposal

Your book proposal should include:

• a cover letter that tells us what you are proposing—the subject of the book, its approximate word length, the intended audience, what makes your idea unique or what sets it apart from similar books on the market, a summary of competitive books.
• a table of contents.
• an outline or synopsis of the book, chapter by chapter.
• a sample chapter and the introduction, if written. If not, please include a sample of your published writing.
• a résumé, curriculum vitae or brief biographical information that is pertinent.
• any endorsements for your book or proposal.
• your ideas for promotion and marketing of the book.
• a self-addressed envelope for return of the proposal if return of the material is desired.

Upon receipt of your proposal, our editorial team will review your proposal, and if it has potential, we will discuss it with the marketing team and publisher. This process can take 8 to 12 weeks.

We do not consider any proposals submitted to another publisher at the same time. We do not accept responsibility for lost manuscripts or unsolicited material. Please keep a copy of anything you send to us and include a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you would like your manuscript returned; we do not otherwise return manuscripts.

Where to Send Your Proposal

Lisa Biedenbach
Editorial Director, Books
St. Anthony Messenger Press
28 W. Liberty St.
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202
phone: 513-241-5615 ext.123; fax: 513-241-0399
e-mail: LisaB@AmericanCatholic.org
www.AmericanCatholic.org

rev. 09/08