Catholic Publisher Seeks to Up Trade Sales

Catholic Book Publisher Ave Maria Press is making a play for the religious trade book market, with two acquisitions that will greatly expand the size and scope of its publishing program.

The purchased properties include Forest of Peace Publishing in Leavenworth, Kans., and the Thomas Moore and Christian Classics imprints of RCL Enterprises in Allen, Tex. The purchases increase the number of AMP's active titles from 300 to 550.

"All of these are trade acquisitions; we're trying to strengthen our trade presence," said Frank Cunningham, publisher of AMP, based in Notre Dame, Ind.

AMP plans to discontinue the Thomas Moore imprint, bringing its existing titles under the publisher's other imprints. But Cunningham sees great potential for beefing up the Christian Classics line, which he refers to as "kind of a little gem that's gone fallow."

Cunningham added, "I think that offers us some chance to go find some evergreens that we can put into print. We have some of our own and we'll be actively looking around for other titles that are now out of print or of which there are limited editions."

AMP plans to push the Forest of Peace imprint, which has done well in the direct selling market, into trade channels. Its publisher, Thomas Turkle, will act as a consultant for the imprint during the next three years.

Turkle is the only employee of the acquired properties coming to work for AMP, Cunningham said. Jeff Nicklas, RCL's vice-president of operations, refused to say how many employees have been laid off or otherwise affected by the deal. Having sold off its trade imprints, RCL now plans to concentrate on its curriculum publishing program.