Catholic writer's retreat

Catholic New Times, May 9, 2004 by Gerry McCarthy

Redemptorist priest Thomas Santa was frequently discouraged about many of the book proposals he saw as publisher of Liguori Publications for seven years in the 1990s.

Many of them could have made a "fine contribution" to the life of the Catholic Church. "But they never saw the light of day because they were poorly presented, too ambitious, sent to the wrong publisher, or the writer simply didn't understand the publishing process."

He was determined that if he ever had the chance to encourage Catholic writers and "match them up with the perfect publisher and editor," he would do so.

The opportunity came when he was named director of the Redemptorist Retreat and Renewal Center in 1999, located in the Sonoran desert outside of Tucson, Arizona.

Two years later, Fr. Santa launched the "Catholic Writer's Retreat." In February, I attended the four-day retreat with 52 other participants. Among other things, the retreat included presentations on the business of publishing, the mechanics of submitting book proposals, and what writers should know about the editorial process. There were also opportunities for writers to present a work-in-progress.

Vinita Hampton Wright, a writer and editor for Loyola Press in Chicago, whose first novel Grace at Bender Springs was published in 1999, has attended the retreat many times. This year she was a presenter. "Writers learn more here in just a few days than they learn at other conferences," she said, because they have publishers telling them precisely what the publishing process is about."

"Most writers, until they're inside the publishing industry, have no clue what the business is about. I didn't realize this until I started listening to questions at previous retreats here. People didn't understand the whole financial picture of what it costs to produce a book, or the many formulas involved in just keeping the business solvent."

Robert Byrns is president of the Religious Booksellers Trade Exhibit retreat. Over the past 25 years, he has worked in sales and marketing for numerous Catholic publishers, including Paulist Press, Crossroad Publishing, and Liguori Publications. He gave a detailed presentation on The Business of Publishing.

"Catholic publishers have reduced the number of titles they release," he said, "but there has been an increase in the number of religious books published by the general interest publishers like Harper San Francisco, Doubleday, and Penguin. They have all tried to contribute to a growing religious book market in North America."

These larger trade publishers have "probably caused some obstacles for the traditional Catholic, religiously owned publishing houses in the United States."

The other change for Catholic publishers is the ability to disseminate their information. Byrns notes that publishers now have their products available at online retail outlets like Amazon and Indigo.

Some major publishers provide staggering advances to some writers. Byrns insists this is not true with Catholic publishers. "Catholic and religious publishing is a tighter business," he said. "The same profitability margins for the majority of publishers are just not there. That's basically because of a proliferation of titles and economic demands on churches and institutions."

One of the more painful realities for a writer is to learn that a book idea isn't marketable. Although Wright says publishers can be wrong in their judgment, the success of a book usually depends on the author. "The books that consistently do best are generally those where the author is actively out there at conferences, or as speakers or teachers. They have some sort of platform other than being a writer."

Many of the participants at the retreat were grateful for the company of other writers. "In many ways we were very different as writers and Catholics," said Louis Masson, a professor of English at the University of Portland and a published author. "But there was an underlying sympathy and charity that created some deep and healthy discussion. These discussions were enlightening and pleasurable."

Masson added: "One of the strengths of the conference was that the presenters were genuinely interested in the writers who were here. And those presenters had much to offer the writers."

Wright says the writers at the retreat definitely find community. "For so many writers their work is solitary," she says. "Many writers are introverts, and they're not good at building a lot of community around themselves. It's hard to find a community as an artist. But this is one place you find it almost immediately. From the first evening's discussion, people begin to recognize each other as kindred spirits. I'm consistently amazed at the camaraderie that happens among people here. This is almost as important as the presentations."

The retreat offered small group discussions on Catholic spirituality and opportunities for personal interviews. There was also daily Eucharist and communal prayer. One person who found the retreat particularly helpful was Mia Crosthwaite, who works as a legislative liaison for the Catholic Church in Idaho. "It's been a turning point in my life," she says. "I have a stronger ownership of my vocation as a writer in the Catholic community."