Holy Water Books

What Holy Water Books does

Holy Water Books is a Catholic publishing company founded in 2017 and based in New Roads, Louisiana, operating with 1-10 employees as a private, bootstrapped enterprise. The company produces faith-inspired books, e-books, audiobooks, prayer journals, and a video-based e-course targeted at individual Catholic readers seeking spiritual growth, Marian education, and Catholic-themed fiction. Its catalog spans devotional content (The Catholic ManBook, The Mary Book, prayer journals for Catholic women and homeschooling mothers), classical Catholic reprints (Story of a Soul, The Spiritual Combat), and a distinctive Catholic horror sub-genre (The Seventh Word, the Cajun Zombie Chronicles series, 'What Lies Beneath'). Distribution is handled through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the company's own website, with additional course content delivered via the Teachable platform.

The business model is straightforward one-time unit sales of physical and digital books, supplemented by a small Catholic Hybrid Book Publishing service that publishes and distributes works from other Catholic authors. Marketing is conducted through the company website, blog content, video promotions, and an email list built around free lead-magnet resources such as 'Proving Mary's Assumption.' The imprint is closely associated with founder/author S.L. Scott Smith, whose authored works anchor several of the highest-profile product lines.

There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI or ML capabilities, no app, no enterprise or institutional customers, and no external funding. The company operates as a founder-led niche publishing imprint with a curated thematic focus on Catholic content, and any scaling would require either breakout title performance, a step-change in catalog acquisition through the hybrid service, or expansion of digital/course revenue lines.

Name

Holy Water Books

Legal name

Holy Water Books

Website

https://holywaterbooks.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Holy Water Books is a founder-led, bootstrapped Catholic publishing imprint based in New Roads, Louisiana, producing faith-inspired books, prayer journals, e-courses, and Catholic horror fiction for individual Catholic consumers via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and its own website.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Publishing

NAICS

Book Publishers (513130)

SIC

Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)

akta.pro primary industry

Devotional & Prayer Publishing (Devotionals, Prayer Books, Meditation Guides) (MPAJAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Religious Nonfiction & Theology Publishing (Apologetics, Doctrine, Ethics) (MPAJAHAG), Religious Fiction & Inspirational Literature Publishing (MPAJAHAF), Religious Education & Catechetical Publishing (Sunday School, Catechism, Study Guides) (MPAJAHAC), Religious Children’s Publishing (Faith-Based Kids & YA) (MPAJAHAJ), Religious Reference & Study Tools Publishing (Commentaries, Concordances, Lexicons) (MPAJAHAL)

Keywords

• Catholic publishing
• Faith-based books
• Prayer journals
• Catholic horror fiction
• Marian devotion books

Headquarters

HQ city

New Roads

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Book Sales: One-time sale of physical books, e-books, and audiobooks through online retailers. The company publishes Catholic fiction, non-fiction, prayer journals, and educational materials sold as individual products.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Holy Water Books is a Catholic publishing company that produces and sells faith-inspired books under a hybrid publishing model. Its catalog spans Catholic fiction (notably Catholic horror titles such as The Seventh Word and the Cajun Zombie Chronicles), prayer journals, Marian consecration and devotion books, Catholic classics for group study, and children's Catholic stories. The company also operates a hybrid book publishing service for other Catholic authors and offers a video e-course on Marian doctrine.

Product overview

Holy Water Books is a Catholic hybrid publishing company that creates faith-inspired books supporting spiritual growth and sharing timeless Catholic teachings with modern readers. The company operates multiple product lines: core book publications including The Catholic ManBook, The Mary Book, and various Catholic horror titles like The Seventh Word and the Cajun Zombie Chronicles series; devotional products such as prayer journals and Marian consecration materials; educational resources including an e-course on Mary; and Catholic classic reprints for group study. Distribution occurs through Amazon and Barnes & Noble, with some free resources (Proving Mary's Assumption) available via email signup.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Catholic ManBook A handbook for Catholic men providing guidance on pursuing sainthood, featuring recommended Catholic apps, websites, blogs, prayers, confession guidance, and liturgical calendar resources, targeted at Catholic men seeking masculine spirituality materials.
• The Mary Book A comprehensive resource for defending Catholic doctrines on the Blessed Mother, including Immaculate Conception and Assumption, targeted at Catholics wanting to learn and defend Marian teachings.
• Proving Mary's Assumption A free digital resource explaining the Biblical tradition of the Assumption and defending the Church's teaching that Mary was assumed into Heaven, used as an email-list-building lead magnet.
• The Seventh Word A pro-life horror novel by S.L. Smith set in southern Louisiana, depicting a small town confronting evil at an abortion facility; marketed as the first-ever pro-life horror novel.
• Cajun Zombie Chronicles (Book Series) A Catholic zombie apocalypse book series set in the Louisiana bayous, in which survivors fortify Gothic churches as shelters against the walking dead, combining Catholic faith themes with horror entertainment.
• Prayer Journals Prayer journals for Catholic women, including titles such as the Worry Prayer Journal and the Prayer Journal for Catholic Moms, designed to support daily spiritual practice and prayer journaling.
• Marian Consecration Books and Pray the Rosary Series Books supporting Marian consecration (including Louis de Montfort's Total Consecration materials) and a Pray the Rosary with... series guiding Catholics through praying the Rosary with saints such as Saint John Paul II and Blessed Catherine Emmerich.
• Catholic Classics and Group Study Texts Reprints of classic Catholic texts for individual or group study, including Story of a Soul (Saint Therese of Lisieux), The Spiritual Combat, and Seven Last Words, plus The Lord of the Rings and the Eucharist exploring theological themes in literature.
• Catholic Children's Books Children's Catholic stories including the Tom Playfair Trilogy and other age-appropriate titles for Catholic families and homeschool use.
• What You Need to Know About Mary E-Course An online video course helping Catholics understand key Marian concepts drawn from Scripture (including defending the Immaculate Conception and identifying Mary as Queen of Heaven in Scripture), delivered through the Teachable platform with accompanying DVD components.
• Catholic Men Will Save America A book by Joe Reciniello, published under the Holy Water Books hybrid model, exploring Catholic men's role in renewing the Church and encountering God through Sacred Scriptures.
• Catholic Hybrid Book Publishing Service A hybrid publishing service offering Catholic authors publishing, distribution, and author support for faith-inspired books under the Holy Water Books imprint.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• TAN Books: Catholic publisher specializing in classic reprints of Catholic spiritual works and contemporary devotional content, directly comparable to Holy Water Books' classic reprint and devotional catalog strategy.
• Our Sunday Visitor: Long-established Catholic publisher producing books, magazines, and parish resources across apologetics, catechesis, and devotional themes — competes in the same Catholic book market that Holy Water Books targets.
• Emmaus Road Publishing: Catholic publisher of theology, Scripture commentary, and spiritual reading — overlapping with Holy Water Books' Catholic education, theology, and classic reprint categories.
• Ascension Press: Catholic publisher producing Bible studies, catechetical programs, and sacramental prep materials, with growing video/digital course offerings — directly comparable to Holy Water Books' group-study books and Mary e-course.
• Ignatius Press: One of the largest Catholic publishing houses in the English-speaking world, producing Catholic theology, fiction, apologetics, and devotional works — directly overlapping Holy Water Books' core categories including Marian education and Catholic fiction.
• Catholic Answers: Catholic apologetics organization producing books, tracts, and digital content to defend and explain Catholic doctrine — directly comparable to Holy Water Books' Marian apologetics titles like The Mary Book and Proving Mary's Assumption.
• Ave Maria Press: Catholic publisher serving parishes, schools, and individual readers with prayer, spirituality, and Catholic living titles — overlapping with Holy Water Books' devotional and group-study segments.
• Sophia Institute Press: Catholic publisher focused on making Catholic wisdom accessible to modern readers through books on faith, prayer, and family — closely aligned with Holy Water Books' prayer journal and family-spirituality product lines.

Broad incumbents

• HarperOne: Religious publishing imprint of HarperCollins with a broad religious and spiritual catalog including Catholic titles — operates at much larger scale and competes for shelf placement and reader attention in the broader religious publishing market.
• Thomas Nelson / W Publishing: Major Christian publishing imprint producing a wide range of Christian books including Catholic-adjacent titles — competes in the broader religious book distribution channels (Amazon, Barnes & Noble) that Holy Water Books relies on.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HolyWaterBooks
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/holy-water-books

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Holy Water Books