‘Award-winning’ Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story

 We are thrilled that Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story: Tools, Tips, and Testimonies is now an “award-winning book.” The Catholic Writers Guild has awarded it their prestigious Seal of Approval (SOA)!

Yesterday I went to Sacred Heart Books and Gifts in Dallas and showed Nikki White, the manager, the SOA seals I received for the books she bought for the recent launch of Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story. She immediately took the books off the display of new titles, but just long enough to put the seals on the covers, What a thrill! The next printing, the one for the conference, will have the seal printed on the cover, thanks to Lisa Nicholas, our editor and graphic designer.

We congratulate all the SOA winners. What an illustrious group of winners! Check out their award-winning books!

• Sharing Your Catholic Faith Story by Nancy Ward
• Roland West, Outcast by Theresa Linden
• A Life Decision by Laurie Lamb
• Sitting Like a Saint by Gregory Bottaro
• Unveiling and Conquering Adultery by Erica Fortune
• The River of Life by Diana Tabbaa
• Know Thyself: The Imperfectionist’s Guide to Sorting Your Stuff by Lisa Lawmaster Hess
• The Hidden Legacy by Carrie Sue Barnes
• The Rainbow with Dull Colors by Jessica Johnston
• Where You Lead by Leslea D. Wahl
• Three Last Things or The Hounding of Carl Jarrold, Soulless Assassin by Corinna Turner

What is the Seal of Approval?

By conferring an SOA on a book, the Catholic Writers Guild is saying, “This book represents CWG as an organization dedicated to quality writing as well as to faithful Catholic teaching.” SOA evaluators comb through their evaluation assignments to make sure these books contribute positively to the reputation, not of their authors, but of the Catholic Writers Guild.

The purpose of the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval is to help Catholic bookstores and venues in their determination of the Catholicity of a work. This reassurance from a professional organization can assist authors in marketing and promoting their works. Books are also judged by their editorial integrity as well. Books that are not professionally edited or publication-ready are not eligible for the Seal of Approval.

Authors looking to reach a Catholic audience, but whose books do not qualify for an imprimatur (like fiction), or authors who do not have access to the process to get an Imprimatur, can submit their book for the SOA. It provides a tangible reassurance to readers and bookstore owners that the book does support Catholic beliefs and values; and in the case that it does not, it gives the author some useful feedback.

Readers can be assured that SoA books will not offend their faith and have a certain level of editorial quality.

Store owners can be assured that they can stock the book on their shelves, host the author for a signing, etc. without compromising their appearance or mission as a faithful Catholic apostolate.

What’s the criteria?

For a book to be considered for the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval:

• Book has an ISBN and is published or will be self-published or book is under contract with a publisher
• Author is a Catholic in good standing
• If not a CWG member, the author has paid the $10 application fee
• Book is Catholic in nature (for fiction, this means Catholic themes and characters)
• Book does not contradict or disparage Catholic teaching
• Book does not speak disparagingly of an accepted Catholic practice (such as Novus Ordo Mass or Tridentine Mass) nor give the impression that only a particular Catholic practice is the right way to salvation
• Book does not support heresies or New Age philosophies
• If the book is self-published, author can submit proof of professional editing

Congratulations all! We are blessed to be considered worthy of the Seal of Approval