LI BUSINESS SPOTLIGHT / Publishers Make Money By Seeking the Faith

By Paul Wisenthal.

RICHARD BELVA, a 15-year-old student from Dix Hills, talks to God. He started several years ago when he read a best-selling ecumenical book called "Where Does God Live" after his grandparents passed away.

"I was very upset when they died," Richard said. "My mom got me this book. It helped me to understand why they died." The book, co-written by Msgr. Thomas Hartman and Rabbi Marc Gellman, two Long Islanders, has sold more than 100,000 copies. It was published by Triumph Books, a subsidiary of Liguori, the nation's largest Catholic publisher.

Ten years ago, books with religious or spiritual themes were rarely published by mainstream publishing houses or sold by major book chains, let alone acknowledged as best sellers. Today, faith has become big business. Despite record numbers of unsold children's books this year, those with spiritual / religious themes continue to grow, said Karen Strauss, president of Strauss Consultants, a retail marketing specialist for the publishing industry based in New York City.

 Over the past three years, spiritual-religious-biblical books for children have exploded onto the marketplace. According to the Book Industry Study Group, a nonprofit research corporation based in New York, sales of this category of books rose by 34 percent in 1994 and 21 percent in 1995. This represents almost 25 million books in 1995, about 10 million more than sales of adult travel books.

Three Long Island-based religious / spiritual publishers - Triumph Books / Liguori Publications in Glen Head, Regina Press in Melville and Resurrection Press Ltd. in Williston Park - saw record-breaking sales in religious books in 1995. Spiritual titles for children have grown to more than 30 percent of Triumph's total sales over the past two years, said Pat Kossman, executive editor of the company. "We plan to expand our publishing effort for this market," Kossman said.

She recently acquired "Children's Visions of Heaven and Hell: Innocent Observations on the Afterlife" by Timothy Freke, which is expected to be released next spring. This surge is fueled in part by the recent growth of adult religious books. "Parents are rediscovering their own spirituality and in many cases returning to formal worship services," Strauss said. Robert Wuthnow, director of the Center for the Study of American Religion at Princeton University, said that in the 1970s and '80s, baby boomers moved away from their own parents' religions.

 Today, though, many of those people are searching for spiritual answers and are not terribly concerned about which religious denominations these answers come from. Regina Press, one of the nation's oldest family-owned Catholic publishing houses, saw five of its childrens' titles hit the top 10 best-seller list in the July issue of Christian Retailing, a trade publication.

Currently number one, "The Catholic Children's Bible" by Mary Theola Zimmerman has sold more than 1 million copies since it was released in 1960. "We are planning for forty new inspirational / religious titles as a direct response from the marketplace," said George Malhame, the fourth-generation co-owner of Regina Press.

But all is not rosy in God's kingdom. Traditional religious bookstores have seen a decline in sales due to Barnes & Noble and other large bookstore chains expanding their list of titles and religious sections for children. Best-selling author Scott Turow, vice president of the Authors Guild, predicted in an interview that the rise of book chainstores and superstores and the discounting of best sellers will continue to eradicate small stores, including speciality stores that handle religious books.

Wally Karnuth, manager of Augsburg Fortress in Hicksville, Long Island's largest religious bookstore, pointed out the changes in their customer base. "Our kids' sales are down by twenty to thirty percent," he said. "Parents are balking at the rising costs of these books, especially the ones selling for $15 to $20, and are going to the major chains to buy them at a discounted rate." Some parents have renewed their faith through their children. Jane Breskin Zalben, an award-winning author and artist from Sands Point, began writing spiritual / religious books after her two sons, Jonathan and Alexander, came home from Hebrew school and asked questions about God.

"I wasn't particularly religious," she said, "but my kids' curiosity got me thinking what it would be like to develop some children's stories on the Jewish holidays." In 1988, she launched the Beni series based on a family of Jewish bears. The books were an instant hit. "Many parents of mixed religious marriages bought them for their kids," Zalben said. "Even Christian families bought them to tell their children about Jewish customs."

More and more publishers are producing spiritual books that are not particularly religious, said Karen Strauss. One such religious publisher is Resurrection Press of Mineola. Founded seven years ago, it initially produced small books to promote Christian lifestyles in a contemporary setting. Since then the company has expanded its line to produce spoken-word and music tapes and books designed to convert non-believers and promote unity among Christians.

In response to the children's religious market, this fall they launched their first children's book, "Soup Pot: Stories for All Seasons for Children of All Ages" by Ethel Pochocki, which is expected to retail for $8.95. "People from all faiths will find this book helpful in dealing with the complexities of their lives," said Emilie Cerar, Resurrection's publisher. Richard Belva, now a sophomore at Half Hollow Hills High School East, offered advice to families searching for a spiritual connection. "Everyone should be brought up with religion, any religion, no matter what," he said. "Strong faith helps young people feel better about themselves and gives them moral guidance."