About Skinner House
What kinds of books does Skinner House publish?Skinner House publishes books for Unitarian Universalists—meditation manuals, worship and church resources, and books on theology, UU history and social justice concerns. Most but not all Skinner House authors are UUs, and the books not only appeal to individuals as aids in their search for truth and meaning but are the sources of readings in UU worship services as well. Ministers and seminarians find value in a wide range of Skinner House titles, including its array of histories. Skinner House publishes about 10-15 new titles a year and has over 100 backlist titles including the foundational UU Pocket Guide.
Who runs Skinner House Books?
The editorial direction
of Skinner House is provided by the Skinner House Board, a body of UUA staff and
non-staff who meet approximately ten times a year to discuss new directions,
review proposals and evaluate sales performance. Patricia Frevert, UUA
Publishing Director, is Editorial Director of Skinner House. Skinner House Books
is part of the UUA Department of Communications.
What’s the
difference between Skinner House and Beacon Press?
The UUA owns two
book-publishing houses, Beacon Press and Skinner House Books. Beacon Press
publishes books for the broader culture that also represent the values of
Unitarian Universalism. Skinner House began as a denominational imprint of
Beacon Press in 1976, publishing books aimed directly at the spiritual needs of
Unitarian Universalists. Skinner House is named after Clarence Skinner
(1881-1949), a Universalist minister, writer, teacher and social activist who
was Dean of the Crane Theological School at Tufts University. Today Skinner
House is a profitable operation for the UUA, with sales revenues that more than
pay for the cost of salaries, manufacturing, marketing and other Skinner
publishing expenses. In the last 10 years, the number of Skinner House titles in
print has doubled and sales revenues have tripled. Skinner House titles are
almost all paperbacks, with an average purchase price of
$12.00.
How can my congregation support the work of Skinner
House?
Buy books, run a church
book table or bookstore, participate in reading and discussion groups and
Skinner House books in sermons.
What kinds of manuscripts is
Skinner House seeking?
Skinner House is currently seeking proposals on
many topics, including spirituality, worship, ecology and justice.
How can I order Skinner House Books?
The UUA Bookstore
is the primary sales outlet for Skinner House books. To order by phone, call
toll-free 800-215-9076. To order online please visit their online store.
How can I contact Skinner House Books?
Skinner House is
located at UUA headquarters on 25 Beacon Street in Boston, Massachusetts. To
reach Skinner House by phone, contact Patricia Frevert at 617-948-4605.
Last updated on Sunday, March 11, 2007.
