Chat transcript
On May 9th, a number of members of the Bible Design Group participated in a live chat of sorts. We utilized Facebook's Wall capability in order to field questions, share ideas and hear how folks are using TBoTB in their life and ministry. The following is the transcript, reading bottom to top.
Thanks to all who participated. We hope to do it again soon.
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Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 5:31pm
It was a blessing to spend time with you guys tonight. Chris, I loved reading the introductory chapters of your book on the project, I'm going to buy a copy soon and be edified!
Nathan Stitt wrote at 5:26pm
If the upcoming NT edition isn't finalized then it's not too late to fit in Psalms/Proverbs ;-)
Thanks for touching base; it's not every day I get to chat with people who care about the design of the Bible I read in the mornings.
Blessings, Nathan.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:24pm
Thanks everybody. It's really heartening to hear stories of how people are using TBoTB to be evangelists for more and better Bible reading!
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:24pm
Thanks everyone! We really appreciate you.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 5:24pm
Great talking to all of you. Let's keep in touch.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 5:24pm
Thanks to everyone for putting this chat together. It was fun. Gotta run, though. Laters! <><
Paul Berry wrote at 5:23pm
Thanks to all for coming. We had a great time! If you have more questions, ideas, comments, concerns, or 411s about your mothers, please head to the group discussion board.
Thanks everyone!
Paul Berry wrote at 5:22pm
@DS: Yes, there was. It's still being explored, and isn't dead by any means, but is less live than it was when I wrote that. I do think your idea that if we are pitching something new then we have to do the individual edition is insightful. We'll talk about that soon.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:19pm
@WL: We have presented it to a couple of publishers, one formally. There are a few who are considering it now. Thanks for coming Wayne! Great to hear from you.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:19pm
@ Nathan Stitt: Very, very good point. It is another one of those challenges we face: Price v. Quality. (Like my early America capping there?) Our publishing model has been much more oriented toward price, since the largest portion of our Scripture ministry partner base is solely price conscious. However, we're trying to get the word out to our demographic about some of the innovative resources we have available. I think you're a vanguard of that group saying, "We like quality more than price." So thanks for that. I'm working on the NT project, so I'll try to ensure more quality, while keeping the price as low as we can for viability's sake.
Thanks again for joining us!
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 5:18pm
@ Nathan: Even if their was an edition with a hard cover (glued binding or not), similar to the TNIV pew editions by IBS, it would be more durable.
@Paul Berry: Do I remember correctly there being mention of a more sturdy edition in the works on the De-Versify group's page?
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:16pm
Thanks for hosting this chat. Gotta leave for my next appt.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:15pm
@WL: Regarding marketing, I can't agree more. I'm personally working on those issues. We've run ads in a number of places and would love your ideas about where to go next. TBoTB has had a nice (and unforeseen) dovetail, bringing a number of readers to the TNIV. Many have said something along the lines of "I'm going to check out this edition, even though I don't care for (or haven't read) the TNIV". It's brought a number of new readers.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:15pm
@ Nathan: While John's responding to your previous post, I can point you to www.ibsdirect.com and click on the TBoTB link. All those related products are there. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for joining us!
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 5:15pm
@Wayne: regarding inductive Bible study, it really is so much more effective with a Bible that "reads like a real book." My experience, since becoming involved with this project, has been that the "wind of the Spirit" is blowing through a number of circles and theological traditions to encourage a literary approach to the Scriptures, as opposed to a chapter-and-verse approach. People have different preferences, often strong ones, when it comes to Bible translations. There are some people who simply aren't going to read the TNIV or even the NIV, for various reasons. We certainly hope that formats like TBoTB show up in other translations so that the readers of those other translations can benefit. But it's up to the publishers of those translations to make that move.
Nathan Stitt wrote at 5:14pm
Wrap up time... Just want to say thank you guys for what you are doing. I'll keep promoting TBotB because it is fantastic and the De-Versify topic is important.
Just one last request from me, is there a link where I can look at the other book editions online? I wasn't aware that you had published a Luke-Acts already and I'd like to grab a copy.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 5:13pm
CS is great at eschewing credit.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:13pm
Right, Paul, I've read that comment previously. But I think it would be good for the Bible Design Group to do some evangelizing among the other publishers, giving presentations on how inductive Bible study can be aided with their own versions.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:12pm
It would be a great coup to work out some agreement with Crossway to help get the ESV in a BTOTB format. Let Crossway get the credit and all the profit. Its avid readers will benefit from the new format.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:12pm
WL: Regarding other translation, it's mainly up to other publishers to do their own versions, due to copyrights, royalties and the expense of typesettings. We hope very much that other publishers will do this, as we've said here: http://blog.thebooksofthebible.info/2007/09/spread-word.php
Nathan Stitt wrote at 5:10pm
There is a trade-off for me when it comes to a Bible that I'd give away. Price isn't the lowest denominator for me. I'd give away my copy without hesitation because it is only $15 with shipping. My main concern is giving someone a Bible that won't last very long or that feels cheap. If it breaks down or feels cheap they may not read it for long.
The current edition is nice enough and at a good price point. I'd be glad to pay double the cost for a NT that was more presentable and that would last longer. There are plenty of cheap outreach Bibles out there already. TBotB is unique in it's approach to readability of the text. I think improved opacity and durability would increase it's value to the one receiving it, while still keeping it in the current $5-10 price range.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:10pm
TBOTB has the potential of revolutionizing inductive Bible study. But the fact that it uses the TNIV, which has gotten crucified so much in conservative circles, will keep many from using this approach to Bible study. Tis a pity, since the TNIV doesn't deserve the bum rap it has gotten, but we have to deal with realities, as Zondervan seems to be doing as it apparently is pushing the NIV more than the TNIV.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 5:09pm
Wayne! So true!
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:07pm
I would like to encourage y'all with the same thing a number of us have been saying about the TNIV: TBOTB and the TNIV need to be marketed more strongly. Both are important for the church today, but are getting smothered by better marketing for other Bible versions.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 5:06pm
You guys have done a great thing with this project. Ditto what Wayne wrote
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:06pm
Thanks, Paul. I even had this event in my computer calendar, but I need to get a calendar with an alarm bell! :-)
I'm aging, but hope I'm getting wiser. I was very pleased to see IBS do this creative project with the TNIV. Now I, along with many others, would like to see the same thing done with other English Bible versions, esp. NLT and CEV which have such good English.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:05pm
@PR: Glad you like them. Compliments can be directed at Chris for those. We all got to edit them and it was really hard trying not to enjoy them at the same time.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:04pm
In my interactions with others, I have heard nothing but good things as they have worked with TBOTB. Keep up the good work.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 5:04pm
That would be great! I also wanted to compliment whomever wrote the introductions, they really opened up my eyes to the structures of the individual books. Really fantastic stuff.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:04pm
Fire away, Wayne! Good to see you!
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:03pm
@ All: Anyone want to see Philemon formatted like a direct mail piece with two pennies glued to the bottom of the page, the "important" lines underlined in blue? We could even send them out in envelopes that scream, "IMPORTANT INFORMATION INSIDE! YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PASS UP THIS OFFER!!!!!!!"
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:03pm
I forgot about the chat until my wife came into our office and reminded me with 3 minutes left. Then I had difficulty finding the Event Wall. Bummer! I was hoping there might be a few people still hanging around. I hope there will be a next time.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:03pm
Ok, we need to wrap this up in a few minutes. Any final questions, comments, ideas, testimonials, or stories about your mother's whereabouts?
Paul Berry wrote at 5:01pm
@Paul: Very nice. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Be sure to write in and tell my boss that whoever wrote that introduction needs a raise! In all seriousness, talk to Mark Brende about Luke/Acts. I can't promise anything, but if you all want to use them for FSKs and general outreach, we could probably get a discount for you.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:00pm
@Nathan Stitt: We are working on the outreach NT that I mentioned at the beginning. I'm hoping we can get the cost below $3.00 (or even better), despite trying to go green. It's an intriguing idea to add Psalms and Proverbs. We'll have to banter about that.
Sewn binding automatically adds at least three or four bucks to the selling price. You're right about the smaller group of books helping to do better formatting.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 5:00pm
@Lisa's mom: "Yeah, log in when the driveway's done, and we can cement the relationship."
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:59pm
@CS (on behalf of my mom): She's pouring concrete right now, but she'll log in as soon as she can. She loves the project, BTW, and is a faithful reader.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:58pm
@PB I've been reading out of that, actually, since I'm reading Luke and Acts and I didn't want to lug the whole thing around with me. It's made the Bible a lot more portable if you're reading just a part. And I was being silly with my comment about the Torah, I think Luke/Acts with Paul would really be fantastic.
I'm trying to think up other ideas for groupings for individual publishing.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:57pm
@ Nathan: Now thats what I'm talking about :)
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:57pm
@Lisa: So isn't'your mother a member of Facebook herself? We'd love to have her join the De-versify group.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:55pm
On behalf of my mom @ y'all: what a great idea.
Nathan Stitt wrote at 4:54pm
Well if outreach is the primary focus, I would see much value in having the entire NT, Psalms, and Proverbs all in one handy volume to give away. I believe the reduced size would cut the cost quite a bit and allow some things to be improved such as opacity or the gutter.
I'm not sure, but is there an economical way to keep the signatures intact in a cheaper binding, or a cheaply sewn binding?
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:54pm
@ Paul Reynolds: I'm not sure if you've been tracking the group wall, but we've just released each of the four NT groups in Amazon's Kindle format. If you can afford to drop $400 for a Kindle, you can get each group for 99 cents.
@CJones: Kindle would be a great way to do a compact edition! Sorry the OT won't be available for a while (given commercial contract restrictions).
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:53pm
@ Your Mom: We've actually discussed publishing the four sections of the NT indicated by the Contents: The Luke-Acts Movement, The Matthew Movement, etc.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:53pm
@CJ: Thanks for coming. Talk to you soon!
Paul Berry wrote at 4:52pm
@PR: We do have a copy of Luke/Acts together titled 'Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go." I think it would fit quite nicely into campus outreach this fall @ UMKC. A sort of introduction to Christianity.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:52pm
very cool
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:51pm
@ John: It definitely would speed up reading for OT & NT survey classes. Gotta run to dinner. Catchya all later!
Paul Berry wrote at 4:51pm
@DS & CS: Our pastor moved seamlessly from Luke to Acts with the flip of a page. My mother-in-law leaned over and asked me if she had the wrong Bible.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:51pm
@ Paul Reynolds: It sounds like you might want a full Bible! :)
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:50pm
@CJ: Yes, the Torah/Pentateuch does seem like a natural for publication as a separately bound collection. You could do a very interesting study with Jewish friends using it as the "text" for a group.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:49pm
@CJones: I gave copies to Steve Clark and Drs. Marty, Hart, VanLaningham, Sauer, DeRosset and McDuffee. I'm not sure if DeRosset has been able to engage it yet, since I saw her at a conference and she thought her copy got lost in the mail. You should encourage Marty to use this as a textbook in OT and NT survey. That's been my dream since remembering sitting in the basement of the library in a study cube bombing my way through Isaiah double-column style. Silly integrity on reading reports.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:48pm
Actually, the Luke/Acts plus Paul would be great! And actually since Paul makes so many references to the Torah, you could slip that in there, too. ;)
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:48pm
@ Chris: It really is. Another thing I've benefited from is the joining of Luke-Acts. I knew they used to be one book, but had never read them together. It was a good experience
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:48pm
@David Swain: regarding IBS and its low prices: I found someone selling a copy of TBoTB on the Internet, after-market, for $17.83. (www.biblio.com/books/163948665.html) We take this as a compliment . . .
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:45pm
@David Swain: Way to fight that temptation, buddy! I've been recognizing that I really don't need the chapters and verses to locate things, and it's so much more meaningful to navigate by content and literary structure. A whole new experience of Scripture.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:45pm
@Nathan: Regarding our method, we try to get our Bibles to those who will hand them out. With rare exception are we in any other bookstore or catalog than our own. There are a number of reasons for this, but the main one is that it allows us to keep our costs low.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:44pm
@ Paul Reynolds: We appreciate hearing these suggestions about portions! Paul's letters is a good one, and we'll note that for our future development list. Would you be interested in seeing a volume with Luke-Acts & Paul's Letters all together or simply Paul's letters?
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:44pm
I heard about TBoTB through Relevant mag. I am a current student at Moody. Which profs did you give a copy to? I've been blessed to see the literary unity of scripture, and really have appreciated this new project.
@ Christopher Smith: As far as individual books go for publication, I think perhaps the Pentateuch could be a valuable edition to make, seeing as it was originally one book in the Jewish scriptures.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:44pm
@Paul Reynolds and Nathan Stitt: I think these are great suggestions. I'll let the wordwrights at IBS respond to these ideas, as they're the guys who will be putting together further TBoTB products. (By the way, I think of these as "books" or "groups of books," not "Scripture portions."
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:43pm
@ Paul Reynolds: The letters of Paul would be cool! I like that idea. That would make for a good group study book.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:42pm
@ Chris: I started off using it for reading, going through the Blended reading plan (still going). Then, when I decided to try it full time for a year, I began taking it to church and doing my real study out of it. I am trying to reason my way to passages now and get a better idea of the content of each book. Although it is sometimes very tempting to use the chapter/verse range at the bottom of the page
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:40pm
@ David Swain: We love you! Thanks for giving these away. That sort of Scripture ministry is why we do what we do.
Nathan Stitt wrote at 4:40pm
@CRS
I think a set of the Pentateuch/Torah and perhaps the historical books, eg. Josh,Sam-Kings and Chr-Ezra-Neh.
I've only just realized today the outreach approach to this project, but I guess I'll start asking questions. What is your target audience? Are you targeting the folks who will be passing out cheap copies in bulk? Are you targeting people (unsaved) directly where selling through Amazon or B&N online might increase distribution?
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:40pm
For individual books, I'd like to see perhaps the letters of Paul or maybe even just Romans published separately.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:39pm
@ Micah: I was very surprised when I found out about the IBS and how low their prices are. A book the size of the BotB would probably run $20-25 in a regular store. For all my wants of a high-end binding, I do appreciate the low price. It has allowed me to give away many of these where it would have otherwise been cost prohibitive
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:38pm
@ CJones: Smaller version for portability: I like the idea. In some of the previous posts, we've talked about how "market" demand is essential before we can take steps to produce a bunch of editions. Tell all your friends to ask, and we might get somewhere. We would probably have to reduce the typesetting to 70% and put it on thinner paper. The footprint would be about 3.5" X 5". At 1800 pages, it would still be over an inch thick. It's another tradeoff thing.
How did you hear about TBoTB? I gave copies to several of my profs from Moody in the fall. (Graduated in 1999.) Are you a current student?
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:38pm
@David Swain: How have you been using TBoTB? Paul Reynolds told us he's doing a study with the guys in his house. How about you?
Paul Berry wrote at 4:37pm
@David: I'm glad you could admit your lust. Half the battle is knowing you have a problem :). In all seriousness, a local bindery is a good option and I highly recommend it!
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:36pm
@ Paul: Well, I can still dream ;) All binding lust aside, I think this is truly an amazing project, and I have been blessed using it for the past 3 months
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:35pm
@ Paul Berry: Because our primary audience is new believers or unbelievers and because the primary vessels for contacting that audience are churches and individuals, our method is two-fold: 1) to craft Bibles that simultaneously evidence creativity and accessibility, both of which must be born out of the biblical content itself, and 2) to do this at as low a cost as possible.
The differences with commercial publishers then are the vessels (churches/individuals vs. bookstores and other commercial venues) and the low cost/low mark-up factor.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:33pm
@ John: Yeah, I can see the trade offs. I realize my requests are probably way beyond anything feasible from a publishing standpoint. Personally, I wouldn't mid if it was thicker to accommodate a change like that. Or, even more ideally, the same layout could be kept with a sewn binding. If it opens flat, no worries about the words going into the gutter.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:32pm
Welcome, Nathan! Thanks for your positive words. We really appreciate people who enjoy TBoTB spreading the word.
Bring the questions when you're ready!
Paul Berry wrote at 4:31pm
@David: I can certainly appreciate that. It's a very good point, and well taken. I think if we see the distribution number on the current editions continue to climb, it will only be a matter of time. For now, your best option is to take your edition to a local bindery and have them put a better cover on it.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:31pm
@CJ: The individual books that IBS has been producing in TBoTB format ("Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go" = Luke-Acts, "The Search" = Ecclesiastes, The Book of Psalms, "Hear This Word" = Amos, Gospel of John) are certainly pocket-size. I hear that Sunday School classes are getting a copy of one of these books for each member and working through them. What other biblical books would all of you like to see published individually?
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:31pm
Personally I would just prefer a smaller version for portability sake. It might be potentially good for outreach too.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:30pm
@ David Swain: Concerning line length: That is a strange tightrope to walk. If you go single column like a novel, you automatically increase line length. If you have the Bible, you've got a lot of material. You increase the font size to reduce the number of words on a line, and you end up making the page count go way up. So you increase the footprint (eg, 6 X 9), and the line length increases.
We understand the issues behind that, and we wrestled with it a lot. Eye tracking is critical. However, we feel that we came to the best solution.
That said, we appreciate the question. We'll try to figure out a way to address that. I hate being the guy saying, "That won't work. We can't do that either." So with challenges like that, we get to be more creative!
Thanks for the question, David!
Nathan Stitt wrote at 4:29pm
Hello all. I am here after reading Wayne Leman's posts about the chat tonight. Just wanted to let you know I'm here and maybe a little bit about myself. I am a grad student who recently started blogging about my study of scripture (mostly Greek so far).
I purchased TBotB after reading a review at Mark Bertrand's Bible Design blog. I have used it as my daily reading Bible ever since and promote it as often as I can. I just want to say that this project is great and I'm looking forward to the new editions. I'll hold my questions until later and just read for a bit.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:27pm
@CJ: Pocket size would be difficult to pull off with a full Bible. We'd have to drastically shrink the type size to the smallest we've ever done. Do you think it would make a good outreach piece?
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:26pm
@ Paul, I realize the mission is outreach, however the concept is also being pitched, in a sense, to be used as a replacement of a typical "versed" Bible. For me, I can't replace an everyday hard use Bible with a paperback that is already falling apart from doing my one-year commitment to the BotB (I'm only 3 months or so into it).
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:23pm
As far as I'm concerned, this would be my primary Bible for reading AND study, if I had an edition that would stand up to time and some use. I would absolutely LOVE to see a sewn hardback with the aforementioned fewer words per line setting.
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:23pm
Will there be a more compact version to come out? With both testaments? "Pocket size" or something...
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:22pm
@Paul Reynolds, once again regarding changes in future editions of TBoTB: Here's an example of one of those "slight changes" to the way literary structure is represented: in the book of Numbers, on pages 189-190, we're thinking of closing up the space that comes right after the song/poem excerpts on both of these pages. As I said, fine-tuningl
Paul Berry wrote at 4:22pm
Regarding new editions, we've had several people asking us for this or that: paper, bindings, margins, etc. MW, could you talk about IBS's mission as an outreach Bible publisher and how that is different than commercial publishing?
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:22pm
Hi all, sorry i'm late. I would agree, from a reader's standpoint, that the margins are too small. Esp with a glue-bound book, the inside edge is pulled into the gutter and very hard to read without breaking the spine. It seems that if there were fewer (maybe 12 average instead of 16) words per line it would help.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:19pm
@Paul Reynolds: You remind me of someone who got a copy of TBoTB and said she read through all of Galatians at a siting "because nothing told me to stop."
Paul Berry wrote at 4:19pm
@PR: You should see margins on the copy of Les Miserables I read. :)
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:17pm
Well, I've really enjoyed the structure so far. The guys in my house have all been doing a study on 1 Peter, and when we went hunting for divisions and structure, the decisions you all made in there were so key to helping us chunk it up. Also, without chapter numbers in there to hold me back, I ended up reading Genesis in 4 days. And for that alone, I thank you!
I do agree with you on the tight margins, you really have to crack that baby open to see the insides.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:15pm
@ Paul Reynolds: One other thought on revisions: We're a bit uncomfortable with the margins being as tight as they are. While not terrible, we thought we could fix that by reducing the size of the print image. So, next time, there might be a hair more margin.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:12pm
The last time our group met, we also agreed on about a dozen small revisions to the way the literary structures of the books of the Bible are represented with the books. Fine-tuning, basically.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:10pm
I get to contribute to TBotB project aesthetically, which is to say that I'm often asked whether or not something is pretty. A lot depends on the nod or the shake of my head. I also write for all kinds of kids in all kinds of places around the globe, kayak whenever I can, bike nearly everywhere, and tell tall tales. My tales are even taller than Micah.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:09pm
@ Paul Reynolds: The next edition is going to be a New Testament. We're contemplating making it a "green" edition, where all stock and printing facilities will be certified as "eco-friendly." No guarantees that will actually happen, but we're hoping!
Chris will answer concerning the internal workings of the book. Did you have any suggestions?
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:08pm
While we're working on an answer to Paul Reynold's question, I should introduce myself, too. I'm Chris Smith, and I was a consultant to IBS for the development of TBoTB. I wrote the companion volume The Beauty Behind the Mask.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:07pm
While John's grabbing something, I'll just say hey to everyone from Chicago. I'm the one without an X over my face.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:05pm
Oh, and I do the same stuff as John and Paul. I just do it taller.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:05pm
Paul, John's going to grab that question.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:05pm
Greetings everyone. Glad to have you. In the profile pic, I'm the one on the left with the floating head of mismatched lighting. One of these things does not belong...
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:04pm
Hi y'all (such as y'all may be)! I'm John, and I work in Scripture Resource Development at IBS.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:03pm
I'm Paul Berry, WordWright at International Bible Society. I mainly work in project management and online community for the Scripture Resource Development Group.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:02pm
What changes have you been contemplating and planning for the next edition of TBotB?
Paul Berry wrote at 4:02pm
Why don't you all introduce yourselves?
Paul Berry wrote at 4:01pm
If you have a question for the group, feel free to just throw it out there.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:01pm
Make sure to refresh your browser often to keep up with the conversation.
Paul Berry wrote at 3:59pm
Hello everyone! Welcome to the de-versify wall chat. Dr. Christopher Smith in East Lansing, MI, Lisa Beth Anderson in Chicago and John Dunham, Micah Wierenga, and Paul Berry in Colorado Springs.
Thanks to all who participated. We hope to do it again soon.
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Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 5:31pm
It was a blessing to spend time with you guys tonight. Chris, I loved reading the introductory chapters of your book on the project, I'm going to buy a copy soon and be edified!
Nathan Stitt wrote at 5:26pm
If the upcoming NT edition isn't finalized then it's not too late to fit in Psalms/Proverbs ;-)
Thanks for touching base; it's not every day I get to chat with people who care about the design of the Bible I read in the mornings.
Blessings, Nathan.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:24pm
Thanks everybody. It's really heartening to hear stories of how people are using TBoTB to be evangelists for more and better Bible reading!
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:24pm
Thanks everyone! We really appreciate you.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 5:24pm
Great talking to all of you. Let's keep in touch.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 5:24pm
Thanks to everyone for putting this chat together. It was fun. Gotta run, though. Laters! <><
Paul Berry wrote at 5:23pm
Thanks to all for coming. We had a great time! If you have more questions, ideas, comments, concerns, or 411s about your mothers, please head to the group discussion board.
Thanks everyone!
Paul Berry wrote at 5:22pm
@DS: Yes, there was. It's still being explored, and isn't dead by any means, but is less live than it was when I wrote that. I do think your idea that if we are pitching something new then we have to do the individual edition is insightful. We'll talk about that soon.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:19pm
@WL: We have presented it to a couple of publishers, one formally. There are a few who are considering it now. Thanks for coming Wayne! Great to hear from you.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:19pm
@ Nathan Stitt: Very, very good point. It is another one of those challenges we face: Price v. Quality. (Like my early America capping there?) Our publishing model has been much more oriented toward price, since the largest portion of our Scripture ministry partner base is solely price conscious. However, we're trying to get the word out to our demographic about some of the innovative resources we have available. I think you're a vanguard of that group saying, "We like quality more than price." So thanks for that. I'm working on the NT project, so I'll try to ensure more quality, while keeping the price as low as we can for viability's sake.
Thanks again for joining us!
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 5:18pm
@ Nathan: Even if their was an edition with a hard cover (glued binding or not), similar to the TNIV pew editions by IBS, it would be more durable.
@Paul Berry: Do I remember correctly there being mention of a more sturdy edition in the works on the De-Versify group's page?
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:16pm
Thanks for hosting this chat. Gotta leave for my next appt.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:15pm
@WL: Regarding marketing, I can't agree more. I'm personally working on those issues. We've run ads in a number of places and would love your ideas about where to go next. TBoTB has had a nice (and unforeseen) dovetail, bringing a number of readers to the TNIV. Many have said something along the lines of "I'm going to check out this edition, even though I don't care for (or haven't read) the TNIV". It's brought a number of new readers.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:15pm
@ Nathan: While John's responding to your previous post, I can point you to www.ibsdirect.com and click on the TBoTB link. All those related products are there. Have a wonderful weekend and thanks for joining us!
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 5:15pm
@Wayne: regarding inductive Bible study, it really is so much more effective with a Bible that "reads like a real book." My experience, since becoming involved with this project, has been that the "wind of the Spirit" is blowing through a number of circles and theological traditions to encourage a literary approach to the Scriptures, as opposed to a chapter-and-verse approach. People have different preferences, often strong ones, when it comes to Bible translations. There are some people who simply aren't going to read the TNIV or even the NIV, for various reasons. We certainly hope that formats like TBoTB show up in other translations so that the readers of those other translations can benefit. But it's up to the publishers of those translations to make that move.
Nathan Stitt wrote at 5:14pm
Wrap up time... Just want to say thank you guys for what you are doing. I'll keep promoting TBotB because it is fantastic and the De-Versify topic is important.
Just one last request from me, is there a link where I can look at the other book editions online? I wasn't aware that you had published a Luke-Acts already and I'd like to grab a copy.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 5:13pm
CS is great at eschewing credit.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:13pm
Right, Paul, I've read that comment previously. But I think it would be good for the Bible Design Group to do some evangelizing among the other publishers, giving presentations on how inductive Bible study can be aided with their own versions.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:12pm
It would be a great coup to work out some agreement with Crossway to help get the ESV in a BTOTB format. Let Crossway get the credit and all the profit. Its avid readers will benefit from the new format.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:12pm
WL: Regarding other translation, it's mainly up to other publishers to do their own versions, due to copyrights, royalties and the expense of typesettings. We hope very much that other publishers will do this, as we've said here: http://blog.thebooksofthebible.info/2007/09/spread-word.php
Nathan Stitt wrote at 5:10pm
There is a trade-off for me when it comes to a Bible that I'd give away. Price isn't the lowest denominator for me. I'd give away my copy without hesitation because it is only $15 with shipping. My main concern is giving someone a Bible that won't last very long or that feels cheap. If it breaks down or feels cheap they may not read it for long.
The current edition is nice enough and at a good price point. I'd be glad to pay double the cost for a NT that was more presentable and that would last longer. There are plenty of cheap outreach Bibles out there already. TBotB is unique in it's approach to readability of the text. I think improved opacity and durability would increase it's value to the one receiving it, while still keeping it in the current $5-10 price range.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:10pm
TBOTB has the potential of revolutionizing inductive Bible study. But the fact that it uses the TNIV, which has gotten crucified so much in conservative circles, will keep many from using this approach to Bible study. Tis a pity, since the TNIV doesn't deserve the bum rap it has gotten, but we have to deal with realities, as Zondervan seems to be doing as it apparently is pushing the NIV more than the TNIV.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 5:09pm
Wayne! So true!
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:07pm
I would like to encourage y'all with the same thing a number of us have been saying about the TNIV: TBOTB and the TNIV need to be marketed more strongly. Both are important for the church today, but are getting smothered by better marketing for other Bible versions.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 5:06pm
You guys have done a great thing with this project. Ditto what Wayne wrote
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:06pm
Thanks, Paul. I even had this event in my computer calendar, but I need to get a calendar with an alarm bell! :-)
I'm aging, but hope I'm getting wiser. I was very pleased to see IBS do this creative project with the TNIV. Now I, along with many others, would like to see the same thing done with other English Bible versions, esp. NLT and CEV which have such good English.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:05pm
@PR: Glad you like them. Compliments can be directed at Chris for those. We all got to edit them and it was really hard trying not to enjoy them at the same time.
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:04pm
In my interactions with others, I have heard nothing but good things as they have worked with TBOTB. Keep up the good work.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 5:04pm
That would be great! I also wanted to compliment whomever wrote the introductions, they really opened up my eyes to the structures of the individual books. Really fantastic stuff.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:04pm
Fire away, Wayne! Good to see you!
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:03pm
@ All: Anyone want to see Philemon formatted like a direct mail piece with two pennies glued to the bottom of the page, the "important" lines underlined in blue? We could even send them out in envelopes that scream, "IMPORTANT INFORMATION INSIDE! YOU CAN'T AFFORD TO PASS UP THIS OFFER!!!!!!!"
Wayne Leman (Spokane, WA) wrote at 5:03pm
I forgot about the chat until my wife came into our office and reminded me with 3 minutes left. Then I had difficulty finding the Event Wall. Bummer! I was hoping there might be a few people still hanging around. I hope there will be a next time.
Paul Berry wrote at 5:03pm
Ok, we need to wrap this up in a few minutes. Any final questions, comments, ideas, testimonials, or stories about your mother's whereabouts?
Paul Berry wrote at 5:01pm
@Paul: Very nice. I'm glad you're enjoying it. Be sure to write in and tell my boss that whoever wrote that introduction needs a raise! In all seriousness, talk to Mark Brende about Luke/Acts. I can't promise anything, but if you all want to use them for FSKs and general outreach, we could probably get a discount for you.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 5:00pm
@Nathan Stitt: We are working on the outreach NT that I mentioned at the beginning. I'm hoping we can get the cost below $3.00 (or even better), despite trying to go green. It's an intriguing idea to add Psalms and Proverbs. We'll have to banter about that.
Sewn binding automatically adds at least three or four bucks to the selling price. You're right about the smaller group of books helping to do better formatting.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 5:00pm
@Lisa's mom: "Yeah, log in when the driveway's done, and we can cement the relationship."
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:59pm
@CS (on behalf of my mom): She's pouring concrete right now, but she'll log in as soon as she can. She loves the project, BTW, and is a faithful reader.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:58pm
@PB I've been reading out of that, actually, since I'm reading Luke and Acts and I didn't want to lug the whole thing around with me. It's made the Bible a lot more portable if you're reading just a part. And I was being silly with my comment about the Torah, I think Luke/Acts with Paul would really be fantastic.
I'm trying to think up other ideas for groupings for individual publishing.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:57pm
@ Nathan: Now thats what I'm talking about :)
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:57pm
@Lisa: So isn't'your mother a member of Facebook herself? We'd love to have her join the De-versify group.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:55pm
On behalf of my mom @ y'all: what a great idea.
Nathan Stitt wrote at 4:54pm
Well if outreach is the primary focus, I would see much value in having the entire NT, Psalms, and Proverbs all in one handy volume to give away. I believe the reduced size would cut the cost quite a bit and allow some things to be improved such as opacity or the gutter.
I'm not sure, but is there an economical way to keep the signatures intact in a cheaper binding, or a cheaply sewn binding?
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:54pm
@ Paul Reynolds: I'm not sure if you've been tracking the group wall, but we've just released each of the four NT groups in Amazon's Kindle format. If you can afford to drop $400 for a Kindle, you can get each group for 99 cents.
@CJones: Kindle would be a great way to do a compact edition! Sorry the OT won't be available for a while (given commercial contract restrictions).
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:53pm
@ Your Mom: We've actually discussed publishing the four sections of the NT indicated by the Contents: The Luke-Acts Movement, The Matthew Movement, etc.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:53pm
@CJ: Thanks for coming. Talk to you soon!
Paul Berry wrote at 4:52pm
@PR: We do have a copy of Luke/Acts together titled 'Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go." I think it would fit quite nicely into campus outreach this fall @ UMKC. A sort of introduction to Christianity.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:52pm
very cool
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:51pm
@ John: It definitely would speed up reading for OT & NT survey classes. Gotta run to dinner. Catchya all later!
Paul Berry wrote at 4:51pm
@DS & CS: Our pastor moved seamlessly from Luke to Acts with the flip of a page. My mother-in-law leaned over and asked me if she had the wrong Bible.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:51pm
@ Paul Reynolds: It sounds like you might want a full Bible! :)
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:50pm
@CJ: Yes, the Torah/Pentateuch does seem like a natural for publication as a separately bound collection. You could do a very interesting study with Jewish friends using it as the "text" for a group.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:49pm
@CJones: I gave copies to Steve Clark and Drs. Marty, Hart, VanLaningham, Sauer, DeRosset and McDuffee. I'm not sure if DeRosset has been able to engage it yet, since I saw her at a conference and she thought her copy got lost in the mail. You should encourage Marty to use this as a textbook in OT and NT survey. That's been my dream since remembering sitting in the basement of the library in a study cube bombing my way through Isaiah double-column style. Silly integrity on reading reports.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:48pm
Actually, the Luke/Acts plus Paul would be great! And actually since Paul makes so many references to the Torah, you could slip that in there, too. ;)
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:48pm
@ Chris: It really is. Another thing I've benefited from is the joining of Luke-Acts. I knew they used to be one book, but had never read them together. It was a good experience
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:48pm
@David Swain: regarding IBS and its low prices: I found someone selling a copy of TBoTB on the Internet, after-market, for $17.83. (www.biblio.com/books/163948665.html) We take this as a compliment . . .
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:45pm
@David Swain: Way to fight that temptation, buddy! I've been recognizing that I really don't need the chapters and verses to locate things, and it's so much more meaningful to navigate by content and literary structure. A whole new experience of Scripture.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:45pm
@Nathan: Regarding our method, we try to get our Bibles to those who will hand them out. With rare exception are we in any other bookstore or catalog than our own. There are a number of reasons for this, but the main one is that it allows us to keep our costs low.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:44pm
@ Paul Reynolds: We appreciate hearing these suggestions about portions! Paul's letters is a good one, and we'll note that for our future development list. Would you be interested in seeing a volume with Luke-Acts & Paul's Letters all together or simply Paul's letters?
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:44pm
I heard about TBoTB through Relevant mag. I am a current student at Moody. Which profs did you give a copy to? I've been blessed to see the literary unity of scripture, and really have appreciated this new project.
@ Christopher Smith: As far as individual books go for publication, I think perhaps the Pentateuch could be a valuable edition to make, seeing as it was originally one book in the Jewish scriptures.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:44pm
@Paul Reynolds and Nathan Stitt: I think these are great suggestions. I'll let the wordwrights at IBS respond to these ideas, as they're the guys who will be putting together further TBoTB products. (By the way, I think of these as "books" or "groups of books," not "Scripture portions."
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:43pm
@ Paul Reynolds: The letters of Paul would be cool! I like that idea. That would make for a good group study book.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:42pm
@ Chris: I started off using it for reading, going through the Blended reading plan (still going). Then, when I decided to try it full time for a year, I began taking it to church and doing my real study out of it. I am trying to reason my way to passages now and get a better idea of the content of each book. Although it is sometimes very tempting to use the chapter/verse range at the bottom of the page
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:40pm
@ David Swain: We love you! Thanks for giving these away. That sort of Scripture ministry is why we do what we do.
Nathan Stitt wrote at 4:40pm
@CRS
I think a set of the Pentateuch/Torah and perhaps the historical books, eg. Josh,Sam-Kings and Chr-Ezra-Neh.
I've only just realized today the outreach approach to this project, but I guess I'll start asking questions. What is your target audience? Are you targeting the folks who will be passing out cheap copies in bulk? Are you targeting people (unsaved) directly where selling through Amazon or B&N online might increase distribution?
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:40pm
For individual books, I'd like to see perhaps the letters of Paul or maybe even just Romans published separately.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:39pm
@ Micah: I was very surprised when I found out about the IBS and how low their prices are. A book the size of the BotB would probably run $20-25 in a regular store. For all my wants of a high-end binding, I do appreciate the low price. It has allowed me to give away many of these where it would have otherwise been cost prohibitive
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:38pm
@ CJones: Smaller version for portability: I like the idea. In some of the previous posts, we've talked about how "market" demand is essential before we can take steps to produce a bunch of editions. Tell all your friends to ask, and we might get somewhere. We would probably have to reduce the typesetting to 70% and put it on thinner paper. The footprint would be about 3.5" X 5". At 1800 pages, it would still be over an inch thick. It's another tradeoff thing.
How did you hear about TBoTB? I gave copies to several of my profs from Moody in the fall. (Graduated in 1999.) Are you a current student?
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:38pm
@David Swain: How have you been using TBoTB? Paul Reynolds told us he's doing a study with the guys in his house. How about you?
Paul Berry wrote at 4:37pm
@David: I'm glad you could admit your lust. Half the battle is knowing you have a problem :). In all seriousness, a local bindery is a good option and I highly recommend it!
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:36pm
@ Paul: Well, I can still dream ;) All binding lust aside, I think this is truly an amazing project, and I have been blessed using it for the past 3 months
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:35pm
@ Paul Berry: Because our primary audience is new believers or unbelievers and because the primary vessels for contacting that audience are churches and individuals, our method is two-fold: 1) to craft Bibles that simultaneously evidence creativity and accessibility, both of which must be born out of the biblical content itself, and 2) to do this at as low a cost as possible.
The differences with commercial publishers then are the vessels (churches/individuals vs. bookstores and other commercial venues) and the low cost/low mark-up factor.
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:33pm
@ John: Yeah, I can see the trade offs. I realize my requests are probably way beyond anything feasible from a publishing standpoint. Personally, I wouldn't mid if it was thicker to accommodate a change like that. Or, even more ideally, the same layout could be kept with a sewn binding. If it opens flat, no worries about the words going into the gutter.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:32pm
Welcome, Nathan! Thanks for your positive words. We really appreciate people who enjoy TBoTB spreading the word.
Bring the questions when you're ready!
Paul Berry wrote at 4:31pm
@David: I can certainly appreciate that. It's a very good point, and well taken. I think if we see the distribution number on the current editions continue to climb, it will only be a matter of time. For now, your best option is to take your edition to a local bindery and have them put a better cover on it.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:31pm
@CJ: The individual books that IBS has been producing in TBoTB format ("Kingdom Come, Kingdom Go" = Luke-Acts, "The Search" = Ecclesiastes, The Book of Psalms, "Hear This Word" = Amos, Gospel of John) are certainly pocket-size. I hear that Sunday School classes are getting a copy of one of these books for each member and working through them. What other biblical books would all of you like to see published individually?
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:31pm
Personally I would just prefer a smaller version for portability sake. It might be potentially good for outreach too.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:30pm
@ David Swain: Concerning line length: That is a strange tightrope to walk. If you go single column like a novel, you automatically increase line length. If you have the Bible, you've got a lot of material. You increase the font size to reduce the number of words on a line, and you end up making the page count go way up. So you increase the footprint (eg, 6 X 9), and the line length increases.
We understand the issues behind that, and we wrestled with it a lot. Eye tracking is critical. However, we feel that we came to the best solution.
That said, we appreciate the question. We'll try to figure out a way to address that. I hate being the guy saying, "That won't work. We can't do that either." So with challenges like that, we get to be more creative!
Thanks for the question, David!
Nathan Stitt wrote at 4:29pm
Hello all. I am here after reading Wayne Leman's posts about the chat tonight. Just wanted to let you know I'm here and maybe a little bit about myself. I am a grad student who recently started blogging about my study of scripture (mostly Greek so far).
I purchased TBotB after reading a review at Mark Bertrand's Bible Design blog. I have used it as my daily reading Bible ever since and promote it as often as I can. I just want to say that this project is great and I'm looking forward to the new editions. I'll hold my questions until later and just read for a bit.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:27pm
@CJ: Pocket size would be difficult to pull off with a full Bible. We'd have to drastically shrink the type size to the smallest we've ever done. Do you think it would make a good outreach piece?
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:26pm
@ Paul, I realize the mission is outreach, however the concept is also being pitched, in a sense, to be used as a replacement of a typical "versed" Bible. For me, I can't replace an everyday hard use Bible with a paperback that is already falling apart from doing my one-year commitment to the BotB (I'm only 3 months or so into it).
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:23pm
As far as I'm concerned, this would be my primary Bible for reading AND study, if I had an edition that would stand up to time and some use. I would absolutely LOVE to see a sewn hardback with the aforementioned fewer words per line setting.
Christopher Jones (Moody Bible Institute) wrote at 4:23pm
Will there be a more compact version to come out? With both testaments? "Pocket size" or something...
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:22pm
@Paul Reynolds, once again regarding changes in future editions of TBoTB: Here's an example of one of those "slight changes" to the way literary structure is represented: in the book of Numbers, on pages 189-190, we're thinking of closing up the space that comes right after the song/poem excerpts on both of these pages. As I said, fine-tuningl
Paul Berry wrote at 4:22pm
Regarding new editions, we've had several people asking us for this or that: paper, bindings, margins, etc. MW, could you talk about IBS's mission as an outreach Bible publisher and how that is different than commercial publishing?
David Swain (Columbus, OH) wrote at 4:22pm
Hi all, sorry i'm late. I would agree, from a reader's standpoint, that the margins are too small. Esp with a glue-bound book, the inside edge is pulled into the gutter and very hard to read without breaking the spine. It seems that if there were fewer (maybe 12 average instead of 16) words per line it would help.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:19pm
@Paul Reynolds: You remind me of someone who got a copy of TBoTB and said she read through all of Galatians at a siting "because nothing told me to stop."
Paul Berry wrote at 4:19pm
@PR: You should see margins on the copy of Les Miserables I read. :)
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:17pm
Well, I've really enjoyed the structure so far. The guys in my house have all been doing a study on 1 Peter, and when we went hunting for divisions and structure, the decisions you all made in there were so key to helping us chunk it up. Also, without chapter numbers in there to hold me back, I ended up reading Genesis in 4 days. And for that alone, I thank you!
I do agree with you on the tight margins, you really have to crack that baby open to see the insides.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:15pm
@ Paul Reynolds: One other thought on revisions: We're a bit uncomfortable with the margins being as tight as they are. While not terrible, we thought we could fix that by reducing the size of the print image. So, next time, there might be a hair more margin.
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:12pm
The last time our group met, we also agreed on about a dozen small revisions to the way the literary structures of the books of the Bible are represented with the books. Fine-tuning, basically.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:10pm
I get to contribute to TBotB project aesthetically, which is to say that I'm often asked whether or not something is pretty. A lot depends on the nod or the shake of my head. I also write for all kinds of kids in all kinds of places around the globe, kayak whenever I can, bike nearly everywhere, and tell tall tales. My tales are even taller than Micah.
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:09pm
@ Paul Reynolds: The next edition is going to be a New Testament. We're contemplating making it a "green" edition, where all stock and printing facilities will be certified as "eco-friendly." No guarantees that will actually happen, but we're hoping!
Chris will answer concerning the internal workings of the book. Did you have any suggestions?
Christopher R. Smith (Lansing / East Lansing, MI) wrote at 4:08pm
While we're working on an answer to Paul Reynold's question, I should introduce myself, too. I'm Chris Smith, and I was a consultant to IBS for the development of TBoTB. I wrote the companion volume The Beauty Behind the Mask.
Lisa Beth Anderson (Chicago, IL) wrote at 4:07pm
While John's grabbing something, I'll just say hey to everyone from Chicago. I'm the one without an X over my face.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:05pm
Oh, and I do the same stuff as John and Paul. I just do it taller.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:05pm
Paul, John's going to grab that question.
Micah Wierenga (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:05pm
Greetings everyone. Glad to have you. In the profile pic, I'm the one on the left with the floating head of mismatched lighting. One of these things does not belong...
John Dunham (Colorado Springs, CO) wrote at 4:04pm
Hi y'all (such as y'all may be)! I'm John, and I work in Scripture Resource Development at IBS.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:03pm
I'm Paul Berry, WordWright at International Bible Society. I mainly work in project management and online community for the Scripture Resource Development Group.
Paul Reynolds (UMKC) wrote at 4:02pm
What changes have you been contemplating and planning for the next edition of TBotB?
Paul Berry wrote at 4:02pm
Why don't you all introduce yourselves?
Paul Berry wrote at 4:01pm
If you have a question for the group, feel free to just throw it out there.
Paul Berry wrote at 4:01pm
Make sure to refresh your browser often to keep up with the conversation.
Paul Berry wrote at 3:59pm
Hello everyone! Welcome to the de-versify wall chat. Dr. Christopher Smith in East Lansing, MI, Lisa Beth Anderson in Chicago and John Dunham, Micah Wierenga, and Paul Berry in Colorado Springs.
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