Send your manuscripts to contactus@enroutebooksandmedia.com
En Route Books and Media, LLC is a Catholic publishing house based in St. Louis, Missouri, founded by Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP. Our mission is to promote the Catholic spiritual journey by publishing works that communicate the truth, beauty, and depth of the Catholic faith.
We operate as a traditional publisher using a print-on-demand model, allowing us to produce books efficiently without warehousing costs or large upfront print runs. This approach enables us to remain flexible, keep titles continuously available, and distribute globally through partners such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble. Readers around the world benefit from local printing and shipping, resulting in faster delivery and lower costs.
En Route publishes a wide range of Catholic works, including theology, philosophy, spirituality, poetry, literature, and children’s books. We welcome submissions from both established and emerging authors whose work contributes meaningfully to the life of the Church.
As a traditional publisher, En Route assumes the cost of preparing books for publication. Authors receive a 10% royalty on retail sales and may purchase copies at a 40% discount. We also collaborate with authors to promote their work through interviews, reviews, events, and media outreach, including participation in a WCAT Radio interview.
Our publishing model reflects a commitment to mission over scale. By eliminating the financial burden of large print runs, we can publish a diverse range of voices—scholars, clergy, poets, and new authors—ensuring that meaningful Catholic thought remains accessible to readers worldwide.
Since our founding in 2014, En Route has published nearly 700 titles. Through our partnership with WCAT Radio, launched in 2016, we now host over 100 programs and thousands of podcast episodes, reaching a global audience and extending the impact of our authors’ work.
We are grateful to our authors, readers, and listeners for helping us continue this mission of sharing the richness of the Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition.
Submission Guidelines
En Route Books and Media welcomes submissions that contribute meaningfully to the Catholic intellectual and spiritual tradition. We publish works in theology, philosophy, spirituality, literature, poetry, and children’s books.
Before You Submit
- Manuscripts must be complete and professionally edited
- Submit files in Microsoft Word format (.doc or .docx)
- Include a cover page with:
- Title of the work
- Author’s full name
- Mailing address
- Phone number
- Email address
If your work includes:
- Illustrations → You must provide them
- Copyrighted materials → You are responsible for securing permissions
Editorial Expectations
We expect submissions to be carefully prepared and polished. Authors are responsible for professional editing prior to submission. Authors who cannot afford professional editing may download Grammarly and run their work through its process. Strong manuscripts demonstrate:
- Clarity and coherence
- Proper grammar and structure
- Faithfulness to Catholic teaching (where applicable)
Publishing Model
En Route is a traditional publisher:
- We assume the cost of preparing the book for publication
- Authors receive:
- 10% royalty on retail sales
- Ability to purchase copies at a 40% discount
- First 10 copies free with initial order
Author Platform & Promotion
While many authors begin without an established platform, we expect authors to:
- Actively promote their work
- Develop a public presence where possible
All authors are required to:
- Participate in at least one interview on WCAT Radio
Additional promotional opportunities may include:
- Book reviews
- Speaking engagements
- Media appearances
- Bookstore events
Scripture and Church Texts
Authors using Church materials must follow applicable guidelines:
- Scripture (NABRE), Catechism, and Lectionary:
Up to 5,000 words may be used without permission - For liturgical texts (ICEL):
Notification is required
Authors are responsible for securing all necessary permissions.
How to Submit
Send your manuscript and materials to: contactus@enroutebooksandmedia.com
Important Notes
- Submission does not guarantee acceptance
- Publishing timelines vary based on the production queue
- Authors who demonstrate strong readiness and engagement may move more quickly through the process
About the Print-on-Demand Model:
En Route uses a print-on-demand model, meaning books are printed only when ordered rather than in large advance runs. This allows us to operate efficiently while keeping titles continuously available to readers.
Traditional publishing requires significant upfront investment in inventory and warehousing, often limiting flexibility and tying up resources. For a global press like En Route, this model would restrict our ability to focus on editorial quality, author support, and outreach. Print-on-demand removes these constraints and enables international distribution by printing books closer to readers, reducing costs and delivery times.
Most importantly, this approach allows us to publish a wider range of Catholic voices—scholars, clergy, poets, and emerging authors—without requiring large projected sales. It ensures that meaningful theological and cultural works remain accessible.
In short, print-on-demand allows En Route to remain faithful to its mission: serving the Church, supporting authors, and sharing Catholic thought with readers worldwide.
A warm welcome to all visitors as we celebrate our 11th anniversary as a publishing house and 9th as a radio station.
Founded in 2014 by Ronda Chervin and Sebastian Mahfood, with the support of dedicated collaborators, En Route Books and Media was created to promote Catholic spirituality and wisdom. In just over a decade, we have published nearly 700 titles.
In 2016, we launched WCAT Radio to extend this mission. Today, it features more than 100 programs and thousands of podcast episodes, reaching a global audience and surpassing 200,000 annual downloads.
We are deeply grateful to our authors, readers, hosts, and listeners for helping us share the richness of the Catholic faith with the world.
Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, OP
Publisher, En Route Books and Media, LLC
Frequently Asked Questions:
What’s the editing process look like?
Authors are expected to submit manuscripts that have already been professionally edited. Many emerging writers benefit from both developmental editing and careful line editing to improve clarity, structure, and precision. As part of this process, we strongly recommend using tools such as Grammarly and accepting all suggested corrections to help eliminate common grammatical and stylistic errors before submission.
En Route provides final proofreading, which typically catches the remaining issues missed in earlier stages. First-time authors often have numerous errors per page, so thorough preparation is essential. For reference, the Catholic Writers Guild Seal of Approval permits only one typo per 20,000 words.
Simply put: take the time to clean your manuscript carefully before submission—it will save you considerable frustration later.
Who designs the cover?
About 70% of the book covers available for review in En Route’s catalog (feel free to scan the covers within this website) are generated by En Route with feedback and approval from the author. The remainder were sent by the author or the author’s illustrator, and En Route is open to working with the author on those cover options. Authors who want to work with professional artists on their cover designs are welcome to do so at their own expense.
If you’re a freelance artist, feel free to send me a link to your work so that our authors can reach out to you. We’ll place the links below:
What’s the timeline to publication?
Most authors do not realize that, upon signing a contract, their project enters a production queue alongside other titles. For this reason, our standard timeline is approximately six months—significantly shorter than many traditional publishers’ timelines, which may extend to two years. Projects may move more quickly through the queue based on readiness, author engagement, and production considerations. In some cases, priority may be given to time-sensitive works or authors with particular circumstances.
What’s the standard release format?
Paperback and Kindle. Authors may request hardback and submit audio files for Audible.
What’s distribution look like?
Distribution occurs when orders are placed. En Route works with about 70 bookstores, but bookstore managers tend to buy books only after a demonstration that the book will yield a return on investment (because bookstores are businesses as much as they are ministries). See the Wholesale Ordering tab for more.
What marketing support does En Route provide?
Marketing support is tailored to the book’s nature. For the most common things:
- We require authors to do at least one interview on WCAT Radio. En Route also helps them find spots on other networks, like EWTN, where over a dozen of our authors have appeared over the years to discuss books coming out of us.
- We promote authors’ accomplishments in our newsletters and catalog and share them on our social media.
- We assist authors in preparing for book signings and conference presentations by preparing flyers and graphics.
- We help authors secure reviews in relevant journals and magazines, and we will send review copies to confirmed reviewers.
- With some authors, we assist in merch design.
Will I be able to purchase author copies at the 40 percent discount at any time, including for events and talks?
Yes.
About the logos:
Special thanks to Michael Stevens for designing the nautical logo we use on all the books.
