Sophia Institute Press (My Primary Publisher) Acquires Catholic Exchange; Exciting Plans for the Future! / My Recent "Book News" / 25% Off Sophia Books Through January

I just learned of this today, in browsing the newly designed Sophia Institute Press website (see also an article from Catholic News Agency). Sophia itself became the publishing arm of Holy Spirit College and Thomas More College in April 2011 and is presently revitalizing itself, looking forward to a bright future. All of this is very good news to me personally, since my four books (one / two / three / four) published by them (soon to be five) will be advertised and promoted far more widely.

Catholic Exchange is a major Catholic portal (read more "about" it). According to their advertising info-page, the site receives 100,000 unique visitors per month and 850,000 page views per month. That's a lot of folks! The Sophia announcement article (22 November 2011) stated:

For the past ten years Catholic Exchange has led the way in the use of new media for evangelization.  Screenwriter Barbara Nicolosi has commented: “Catholic Exchange is just what the Church of the 21st Century needs.  It isn’t just a tool of the New Evangelization called for by John Paul II; it IS the New Evangelization.”  Every weekday CatholicExchange.com features stories from the contemporary press and timely articles, columns, blog posts, and podcasts on how the message of Jesus Christ addresses the crucial problems of everyday life and fulfills the deepest desires of the human heart.

The move was announced at CE, in the article, "New Era Begins at Catholic Exchange" (17 November 2011). Harold Fickett, who will continue to oversee CE, wrote in a second article, "Catholic Exchange 3.0—CE Reinvented" (2 December 2011):

Over the next few weeks I’ll be unfolding our plans, explaining the changes in detail, and taking account of your feedback.

Here are a few of the developments we will be discussing.

• CatholicExchange.com will be redesigned. We’re opening it up, flattening it out, and updating subcategories of GROW, WORK, SERVE, LOVE, with a topical navigation system.
• We’re broadening our content, substantially increasing news coverage, and redesigning our blogger section.
• We’ll provide more in-depth means of formation through online certificate programs in biblical studies, catechesis, apologetics, canon law, biblical languages, and Latin. We’re also building a resource section with study tools, video lectures, and audio presentations.
• We will concentrate on fundamental issues on which we can have measurable impact — the value of human life, the impact of divorce, the tragic legacy in women’s lives of abortion, the problem of addiction to pornography, and the reinvention of Catholic education.
• We will pursue a social networking strategy that connects our community members with vital Catholic ministries concerned with these fundamental issues, sending out committed Catholics who are ready to put their faith into action.

Of particular interest to me is the section highlighted in blue, above, since these programs will utilize Sophia books.  In an apologetics course, my five books would certainly be included.

I have been informed that my latest book for Sophia, The Quotable Newman, will likely be released in the fall, with lots of marketing to take place before then. It may possibly be available from Sophia somehow in an unabridged form (my present manuscript is 655 pages: Times New Roman 12 font: single space), as well as a more compact paperback version. If not, I will create my own "Volume II," to be published at Lulu. I'll announce more details as they are decided upon.

My new book published by Catholic Answers: 100 Biblical Arguments Against Sola Scriptura, will probably be published in the next few months. Thus, 2012 promises to be a very exciting year for my writing endeavors (2011 was the year of developing my Facebook and Twitter pages, and writing these new books). I will be putting out two more books on my own in the coming months as well: Classic Catholic Biblical Apologetics: 1525-1925, and a volume about the communion of saints.

I suspect that the former may be accepted for "official" publication in due course. It certainly fits in with Sophia's emphasis on classic Catholic writing, just as the Newman book does (and Catholic Answers' exclusive devotion to apologetics). But be that as it may, I continue to write what I want to write at any given time: to "follow my muse," so to speak. This is what I want to do at present. If someone publishes it, great. If not, then it still has value. I don't concern myself with that. I just write what I feel "called" to write and let the chips fall where they may. This is the secret of how I have been able to write so much over the past twenty-one years as a Catholic, and sixteen years online (26 books and 2500+ blog posts).

Be sure to stop by the Sophia Institute Press website: currently, all books are 25% off, through January.


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