The best deals in Logos content!

I'm excited to see how Community Pricing has finally become a consistent channel for funding digitization, and making great works available at great prices.

It's particularly interesting to me to see the price-demand curves that Community Pricing reveals. While many have a simple "ramp to cliff" shape, others have more than one cliff. And some, like the Plato curve, show that there's enough demand at a price like $20, but enough more demand to cover the same production costs at $12!

http://www.logos.com/product/29766/the-dialogues-of-plato

That's cool, and you get the benefit of the lower price.

I like to sort the Community Pricing page by progress, to see what's closest to covering costs: http://www.logos.com/products/search?Status=Community+Pricing&start=&sort=progress&pageSize=15

I was thrilled to see the Jewish Encyclopedia make it this week, and while I'd like to see all the works make it over the line (and many are really close right now!), I want to encourage you to give particular attention to the other encyclopedias and dictionaries that still need support. Because these massive works add extra value to the Logos platform.

Logos Editions get lots of careful attention during digitization, and are thoroughly tagged. But dictionaries and encyclopedias are particularly important, and have an impact beyond adding text to the library:

- They add breadth. Older encyclopedias have broad coverage that expands the list of things you can easily look up in Logos. While older reference works are out of date in many areas (chemistry, physics, technology, for example!), they're often still quite relevant in the fields people are studying in Logos -- and in some cases, the older works have more comprehensive coverage, particularly of people / issues / topics that have faded in prominence over time, but which you may still encounter when reading historical material.

- They make Logos smarter. Encyclopedias (and non-lexical 'dictionaries') contain tightly focused articles on specific, identifiable headings. They are excellent resources for feeding and enhancing system-wide data sets, ranging from timelines to the Logos Controlled Vocabulary. We can use them to train the half-automated / half-human-supervised systems that we will be using in the future to better tag content throughout the platform. The result will be better disambiguation of terms, easier finding things by topic, and smarter auto-suggestion of related content you might not have thought to (or been able to) find.

Please consider placing a bid on these important works!

http://www.logos.com/product/18410/the-international-standard-bible-encyclopedia-1915-edition

- A massive work of nearly 3,000 pages at $35!

http://www.logos.com/product/15500/dictionary-of-christian-antiquities

- 2,000 pages of reference for $12!

http://www.logos.com/product/20315/dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-antiquities

1,300 pages for $8!

http://www.logos.com/product/8567/new-schaff-herzog-encyclopedia-of-religious-knowledge

- $30

http://www.logos.com/product/8495/encyclopaedia-of-religion-and-ethics

- Hastings' massive work of 10,000 pages for $30

http://www.logos.com/product/8519/cyclopaedia-of-biblical-theological-and-ecclesiastical-literature

- McClintock and Strong's 31,000+ entry encyclopedia was a massive seller in its day, still cited and recommended more than a century later. $50

http://www.logos.com/product/21620/a-dictionary-of-christian-biography-literature-sects-and-doctrines

- 4,000 pages of particular interest for earlier church history, for $30

http://www.logos.com/product/20448/dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-geography

- $10

http://www.logos.com/product/8511/the-catholic-encyclopedia

- A massive resource (17 volumes) dramatically increasing coverage of church history, $30

http://www.logos.com/product/20311/dictionary-of-greek-and-roman-biography-and-mythology

- By William Smith, of Smith's Bible Dictionary fame, $20

Less essential for Logos, but interesting and useful:

http://www.logos.com/product/8496/the-century-dictionary

- A still-not-surpassed triumph of lexicography

http://www.logos.com/product/26757/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable

- Of a different type, but a useful and interesting work for pastors, speakers, and writers.

All of these are Community Pricing titles, so the price quoted is simply the peak of the curve today -- the most likely price at which the book will go over the line. But thousands of people have participated in Community Pricing, and if everyone bid even a notch or two below these peaks, almost all these works could go into production soon!

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Comments

Bruce Dunning

Thanks for giving us your perspective on community pricing. I had already placed bids on each of these and would encourage others to do so as well. Thanks for not only continuing the program but actively promoting it too. You can't beat the value!

BKMitchell

I was thrilled to see the Jewish Encyclopedia make it this week

So, was I![:)]

Evan Boardman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/465535#Comment_465535

Bump.

Jesse Blevins

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/465691#Comment_465691

Thanks for the recommendations. These are some great sets.

Lynden O. Williams

Bump.

Lynden O. Williams

Just trying to keep this on top for others who may have missed it.

Room4more

Thanks, Bob.

John Kight

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/465915#Comment_465915

Thanks for the heads up!

Bob Pritchett

I did a little digging into the numbers behind the scenes...

Several of these dictionaries already do have strong support. They're just going to need higher bids, or a lot more time, to make it.

The Jewish Encyclopedia just made it at $50; the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (13 vols.) and Catholic Encyclopedia, for example, are 50-80% more expensive to produce, and the leading bid on each is $30. They aren't likely to make it soon without bids of $50 or higher.

Sorting by Bestselling (http://www.logos.com/products/search?Status=Community+Pricing&start=&sort=bestselling&pageSize=15) will show which Community Pricing titles actually have the largest number of bids. Titles near the top of this list are better served by higher bids than by drumming up more support -- the titles at the top of the "Bestselling" list usually have all the regular CP bidders enrolled, and just need higher bids.

If a title is at the end of the Bestselling list, then drumming up more orders will make more of a difference. (If the titles on the last page of the Bestselling list had as many bids as The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, their prices would drop significantly -- to a third or a quarter in many cases.)

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466023#Comment_466023

If a title is at the end of the Bestselling list, then drumming up more orders will make more of a difference. (If the titles on the last page of the Bestselling list had as many bids as The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, their prices would drop significantly -- to a third or a quarter in many cases.)

I've been hawking HERE for years...I'm pleasantly surprised to see that it is at the top of the interest list. So come on, folks. The interest is there, and you heard Bob--we need to boost our bids to at least $50. I bid the max, and would be happy to get it at that price. This is the most important resource that hasn't gone live yet in Logos. Getting this set for $50 is almost criminal it's such a good price. Over 10,000 pages!! That's half a penny per page. I spent many $20 bills in nickels shooting photocopies of this awesome resource at 10c per page back in college...and that's back before the war (I'm not saying which war [;)]). I guarantee you will spend hours just scrolling through this at random...it's totally captivating.

Lynden O. Williams

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466045#Comment_466045

Ok David, I increased my bid to $50.00.

Lynden O. Williams

Bump

Keith Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466104#Comment_466104

Increased to $50 as well.

Alan Charles Gielczyk

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466045#Comment_466045

If a title is at the end of the Bestselling list, then drumming up more orders will make more of a difference. (If the titles on the last page of the Bestselling list had as many bids as The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, their prices would drop significantly -- to a third or a quarter in many cases.)

I've been hawking HERE for years...I'm pleasantly surprised to see that it is at the top of the interest list. So come on, folks. The interest is there, and you heard Bob--we need to boost our bids to at least $50. I bid the max, and would be happy to get it at that price. This is the most important resource that hasn't gone live yet in Logos. Getting this set for $50 is almost criminal it's such a good price. Over 10,000 pages!! That's half a penny per page. I spent many $20 bills in nickels shooting photocopies of this awesome resource at 10c per page back in college...and that's back before the war (I'm not saying which war ). I guarantee you will spend hours just scrolling through this at random...it's totally captivating.

Wish I could help but I've been in at $90 for over two years. Everyone else, come on, jump in the water is fine!

Brian Losabia

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466023#Comment_466023

Thanks Bob for the insight into bidding strategies for community pricing items (more bids vs. higher bids).

I've entered a bid on the Catholic Encyclopedia for $50, and I'd be interested to see how the graph will change if a few more folks jump in at the $50 price as well.

Paul Searle

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466134#Comment_466134

Just a plug for some similar public domain content that is encyclopedic in nature, needs more bidders, and is needed for PRIMARY SOURCE RESEARCH, and those are Jacques Paul Migne’s Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Graeca(167 volumes) and Patrologiae Cursus Completus: Series Latina (221 vols.) along with the Oriental Congress' related set of orignal writings collection the Patrologia Syriaca (vols. 1–2) and Orientalis (vols. 1–14, 16).

These works are only in complete form at a few libraries, while many others have to pay hundreds per year for access to very poor electronic editions. This would be (IMHO) of as great or greater value to Christian Scholar's than Plato's works (though I have bid on those as well!!!)

I for example am working on Maximus the Confessor and John Chrysostom's work in original Greek and having PCCSG in Logos would be THE WAY to do Patristic study in the (hopefully) near future.

These need to be in electronic form and I hope that Logos will consider the investment value of publishing these works because there are hundreds and thousands of scholar's worldwide that would purchase Logos solely on the basis of these resources being available, so from a marketing stand point there is a value that SHOULD drive Logos's investment in publishing these works as well.

I am in on all three, and agree, the water is mighty fine....

Jesse Blevins

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466162#Comment_466162

Thanks for the tip Bob. I increased my bid on Hastings to $50.

Greg

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466265#Comment_466265

Regarding Migne's work, I wonder if Logos could make a concentrated effort to publicize these resources to those who would need them the most, i.e. all the scholars around the world that use them regularly.

Perhaps find a number of universities known for their patristic research and contact the department heads to get the word out!

Donovan R. Palmer

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466023#Comment_466023

The Jewish Encyclopedia just made it at $50; the Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (13 vols.) and Catholic Encyclopedia, for example, are 50-80% more expensive to produce, and the leading bid on each is $30. They aren't likely to make it soon without bids of $50 or higher.

The question is, is there a better way to set up the more expensive resources so that they don't start to trend with a price point that will take forever for them to clear the line? I can't remember the name of the resource, but a year or two ago, there was a huge collection... was it from Princeton? There was a big drive to push on the forums here by some of the users to bid the lowest price possible, which was somewhere around the $200 mark. At this price we were informed that it would take years to collect enough interest.

I imagine this discussion has been already had by the Logos water cooler, but I wonder if the ideal price point for community pricing resources is about $50. I suggest on larger collections that maybe one thing to consider would be to break them up into collection 1, collection 2, etc. which would promote a trend of a price point of around $50 or less. Psychologically, people would not have the outlay of $200+, but also financially it breaks it up in terms of personal cash flow. Then when all the collections are done, you can see all of them to form the complete set or just amalgamate them into one package.

Just a suggestion to consider.

Lynden O. Williams

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466329#Comment_466329

I like the idea.

mike

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466346#Comment_466346

Most of the recent-released books are never available in Community Pricing, instead in Pre-Pub's price.

Community Pricing books tend to be kinda "old" books only.

Can we have more "recent" publications to be shared in Community Pricing too?

Evan Boardman

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466430#Comment_466430

Most of the recent-released books are never available in Community Pricing, instead in Pre-Pub's price.

Community Pricing books tend to be kinda "old" books only.

Can we have more "recent" publications to be shared in Community Pricing too?

The more 'recent' is priced by the publishers.

elnwood

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466538#Comment_466538

True ... but in the case of the Lexham published books, Logos IS the publisher. It would be nice to have the Lexham series of books in Community Pricing. Then we wouldn't have to keep complaining how overpriced the Lexham Bible Guides are.

David Ames

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466430#Comment_466430

Community Pricing books tend to be kinda "old" books only.

Can we have more "recent" publications to be shared in Community Pricing too?

Most, if not all, Community Pricing books are public domain - i.e. out of copyright - i.e. Old

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466045#Comment_466045

If a title is at the end of the Bestselling list, then drumming up more orders will make more of a difference. (If the titles on the last page of the Bestselling list had as many bids as The Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics, their prices would drop significantly -- to a third or a quarter in many cases.)

I've been hawking HERE for years...I'm pleasantly surprised to see that it is at the top of the interest list. So come on, folks. The interest is there, and you heard Bob--we need to boost our bids to at least $50. I bid the max, and would be happy to get it at that price. This is the most important resource that hasn't gone live yet in Logos. Getting this set for $50 is almost criminal it's such a good price. Over 10,000 pages!! That's half a penny per page. I spent many $20 bills in nickels shooting photocopies of this awesome resource at 10c per page back in college...and that's back before the war (I'm not saying which war ). I guarantee you will spend hours just scrolling through this at random...it's totally captivating.

Bump.

Andrew Baguley

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466546#Comment_466546

It would be nice to have the Lexham series of books in Community Pricing. Then we wouldn't have to keep complaining how overpriced the Lexham Bible Guides are.

It would be an interesting experiment if Logos tried it on one or two Lexham resources...

David Paul

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/468765#Comment_468765

If you have a bid on HERE, please boost it to at least $50. Let's get this one into production!

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/466430#Comment_466430

Most of the recent-released books are never available in Community Pricing, instead in Pre-Pub's price.

I believe Logos places all books that are still under copyright into the Pre-Pub program and only places Public Domain books in Community Pricing. There have been a few rare exceptions like Calvin and Spurgeon in Pre-Pub but I can't think of even one copyrighted book in CP.

Matthew C Jones

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/468812#Comment_468812

If you have a bid on HERE, please boost it to at least $50. Let's get this one into production!

Just boosted to $50.

Michael March

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/468819#Comment_468819

I'm in for $50 as well. Truly a bargain.

Bruce Dunning

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/468784#Comment_468784

It would be nice to have the Lexham series of books in Community Pricing. Then we wouldn't have to keep complaining how overpriced the Lexham Bible Guides are.

It would be an interesting experiment if Logos tried it on one or two Lexham resources...

[Y]