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| Photo by libraryman |
Today’s Tuesday Tech Talk focuses on e-books, the fastest growing sector in the publishing industry. Last year, e-book sales increased by 177%. Amazon recently reported that e-book sales on their website exceeded regular books. Only recently have Catholic publishers and authors entered the world of e-book publishing in earnest. The purpose of this post is to highlight the Catholic publishers and authors who are taking advantage of this new medium.
Ave Maria Press publishes their e-books and e-textbooks through Amazon and uses the Kindle format. Ave Maria was founded by the Congregation of Holy Cross and specializes in textbooks and books on prayer and spirituality.
Ignatius Press publishes their own e-books and offers over 300 titles, including those written by popular authors like Father Larry Richards and Pope Benedict XVI. They offer their books in both .prc (Kindle) format and the standard epub format. Although, Ignatius Press gives instructions on downloading each of their e-books, it appears their Kindle format may not be compatible with the Kindle app for iPads and other devices.
Our Sunday Visitor also publishes their e-books in the Kindle format through Amazon. While they currently do not boast a large e-book collection, they do have some of the best prices. The collection includes books from Father Benedict Groeschel, Scott Hahn and Patrick Madrid.
Scepter Publishers are making their e-books available through both Amazon and Barnes and Noble. This means the books are available in the Kindle format and the epub format used by the Nook. Scepter’s e-books include many of the books written by and about St. Josemaría Escrivá. The library also includes books by James Stenson and Jacques Philippe.
TAN Books currently has a small collection of e-books, which may be downloaded directly from their online store. TAN is best known for their books on the lives of the saints. TAN makes their e-books available in several formats.
This is a great article for someone like me with a new iPad. Just a warning though: I was looking through the Ave Maria Press listings at Amazon and some of the books, especially from their back catalog, such as those about the Enneagram, are not compatible with true Christian spirituality but are New Age. http://www.ewtn.com/library/newage/enneagra.htm So be aware that not everything this publisher publishes is "kosher" as one might say. Just because someone comments that a particular book helped them does not mean that it is compatible with what Jesus taught. This is especially true with many books about "contemplative prayer." There are many books about "Centering Prayer," which is not healthy prayer but Transcendental Meditation. TM is not bringing heart and mind to God which is true prayer but a Hindu prayer: http://annefeaster.accountsupport.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderfiles/centeringprayerlong.pdf So the best advice is to learn your faith so you can spot the weeds among the wheat. Ave Maria Press HAS published some great stuff lately, you just have to be aware.
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