The Books of The Bible: Year One in Review, Part 1

August 1 marks the release of one year anniversary of the release of The Books of The Bible. So much has happened with this project in the one year, we wanted to take time to look back and celebrate and also look forward.

Part 1: The Numbers

    When we were preparing for the release of TBoTB, we knew we were going to need a different approach than any project we'd ever done before. Historically, our model has been about selling bulk quantities at extremely low prices for evangelistic purposes. This is still the model of our organization as a whole, but this project didn't fit that paradigm. Plus it's hard to sell someone on bulk sales when introducing a new concept, especially a 1816 page new concept.
    After our last large product launch in 2004 with the TNIV, we were rather leery of being misunderstood. Expecting push back, we built our case, anticipated arguments and constructed responses. We were ready to make our case, especially on facebook and in the blogosphere.
    Then the most curious thing happen. We received virtually no negative feedback. A couple folks who weren't familiar with IBS's low-cost model thought it might be a marketing ploy, but when the $9 price was pointed out, those fears were quickly relieved. Even amongst the few promises of riches if we would publish a better binding and the occasional desire for this or that translation, the responses were positive. We shouldn't have been surprised by this, but still, we were.
    Even more encouraging than all the positive responses and even the thousands of orders we received was the breadth of different kinds of people who resonated with the idea. From evangelical to mainline to emergent, all different kinds of Christians are not just reading the Bible again, but they're sharing it with friends who may be reading the sacred words of Scripture for the first time.
    But now I'm getting ahead of myself. Come back over the next few days for a collection of blog reactions and stories of people using TBoTB in their ministries.

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Free Bibles in Austin

I'm heading down to Austin this Saturday for the Church Basement Roadshow. The first 60 people to the show get a free copy of The Books of The Bible. And if you wear a small or double XL, you can have one of the last de-versify t-shirts. Hope to see you there!

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Just Visiting

You walk slowly past the big, welcoming windows and peer in. This is the kind of small, yet well-stocked bookstore that you can never resist. Very cozy and warm. Volumes of every size, shape, color and topic line the walls. You barely hesitate as you step through the door. The deal is closed as you settle in to a big, comfy chair and savor some freshly brewed coffee.

After a bit you look around: there are great stories, tragedy and redemption, poetry, collections of famous letters and even a section on down-to-earth, practical advice. Knowledge and inspiration surround you. It’s almost as if you can soak it up just by sitting there.

As you sit and think about it, though, you realize that while you have this habit of frequenting bookshops, you haven’t actually read a book in quite a while.

It kind of makes you wonder: What am I doing here, really?

Is this how it is with our Bibles? Do we visit the Bible like a corner bookstore? Do we step in, look things over and then mostly hang around? Are we more in love with the idea of Bible reading than actually reading the Bible? Do we browse verses like books on a shelf? How often do we start one of the books of the Bible and read it through?

Here’s a proposal: find a Bible that is easy to read, one with a minimum of distractions and additives. Commit to start reading whole books straight through, just the way their authors wrote them. Better yet, commit to doing this with some others, so you can share both the experience and the results.

Reading the Bible. It’s better than just visiting.

Glenn