Logos Please, on New Interpreter's Bible
I was advised it is better to start a new topic and ask the question than hoping you would respond to the question in the larger thread. I know it still have not got to publication levels but many of us are very curious when it is expected to get into contract levels. Is it hundreds more, a few dozen, three? Is there anyway we can help things along?
-dan
Comments
And so would I!
Logos is bringing out a large number of important resources for audiences that have heretofore been reluctant to embrace Logos, e.g. Brueggemann and Hauwerwas. New Interpreters Bible (and Dictionary) is critical to this audience. Moving it out of an interminable "gathering interest" would be an important signal to this community. I realize Abingdon is not Augsberg Fortress, but they'll stand stronger and more attractive together than if one holds back.
Very good points Rebecca, since we haven't had a response from Logos, I would suggest everyone interested might try emailing ( Bob Pritchett bob@logos.com ) and inquiring about it in the past I haven't gotten a response from such emails but if he gets a couple dozen emails he may well consider looking into it and giving us an answer. I ask you to be polite but may also include the reason you want the NIB and consider it important.
-Dan
So much for the grand advice saying if we started a new thread clearly asking we would get a response. It would be one thing to say something like, "We are not going to be deviating from our standard prepub system, we will be placing it under contract when 94 more orders are placed." But we have got nothing. These are the things that frustrate us. YES MANY OF US WANT THE NIB NOW, but we understand there is a process, we just want to hear from Logos about the details. How close are we really. Is there anything practically we can do to help.
-Dan
Dan ... I guess I saw the Bob message where he got up from his desk, went down to the 'books' area and checked on the Dead Sea Scrolls group (pointedly hinting this would be the exception, given so many resources in some state of contract or development.)
But these volumes DO merit publishing if only because they're basic to any good re-seller's offering (eg ChristianBook etc).
I wonder if AYB or Hermeneia had to jump thru so many hoops (probably did?). Hard to imagine a boat-load of AYB enthusiasts.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
So much for the grand advice saying if we started a new thread clearly asking we would get a response.
That it not what I said. Essentially I said that you had no hope of getting an answer if Logos didn't see the question. I didn't say that you would get an answer if they did see it. Sometimes they answer, sometimes they don't, but now, presumably, it's a deliberate choice not to answer, not just the consequence of not having seen the question. Or it could be that the right person is still on vacation.
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On the positive side, the Logos site does say that that the NIB is "almost there". There may just be no more to say than that. Book selling, including electronic Christian book selling, is a profit making concern. They know how many orders that it takes to make it a profitable venture. They know orders are close to that, but not there yet. For various reasons, it may not be wise to say exactly how far this resource has to go.
Patience is just a bummer!
I would really like to see the NIB in Logos format do well because I want Abingdon to release the Bicentennial Wesley's Works in Logos format. Of course, the NIB would be very nice too.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley
I've looked into this and found that New Interpreter's is an unusual case. We
put it up without having final source materials to estimate from, so we
aren't as far on pre-pub as we thought. We're also having some contract issues
with the publisher, who wants different terms than we normally work on. We're
working through this, but I can't say exactly when it will be available.
We'll be revising the pre-pub sliders with new numbers soon; I can tell you we're actually closer to half-way, not all the way, on both NIB and NIDB, and even then there are some outstanding contract issues that I can't predict the resolution of.
I'm sorry for the delay, and the confusion. Generally we try to never put something up without having these things resolved in advance, but somehow these projects got posted in advance of that, or based on incorrect information.
Dan
Hasn't there already been a price correction on NIB and NIDB? I thought that, some time ago, both had a price change and took a drop in progress as a result, since more pre-orders were needed to move them into production. I was pleased they wouldn't cost so much at the time, but they are now taking quite some time to get into production.
Can you remember the details of the price correction?
The price correction I was referring to is described at:
It was about 8 months ago. If I rightly remember, NIB was 'Under Development' and NIBD was getting fairly close. I think they'd been on pre-pub for about 11 months at the time, judging by the date on feedburner (http://feeds2.feedburner.com/LogosPrepubs).
It's a shame if this is a new correction, putting production even further back. Judging by the amount of promotion Dan Francis has been giving this, it will take a lot of work to get the orders to move it into production. It looks like Logos has got this wrong at some point, so it would be good to hear them giving better news for this set soon. Otherwise, production could be a long way off.
It looks like Logos has got this wrong at some point, so it would be good to hear them giving better news for this set soon. Otherwise, production could be a long way off.
I don't think Logos is at fault here. From my converstation with people in decision making roles at Abingdon, they are NOT very interested in working with Logos. As Bob politely put it, there are publisher issues.
I did get an email from Abingdon with a survey last week, which I filled out and sent in. One of the questions was about Bible software that you used. And in the comments section I emphasized that "for over 15 years now I have bought almost all my commentaries and reference resources through Logos - thousands of dollars worth. I will continue to do so, and I would like for that to include Abingdon resources. But they must be in Logos format to interest me." From that survey I take it that Abingdon is considering what direction to go, largely because their own electronic format is not selling so well.
I would recommend spending at least as much energy working on the Abingdon side of this as is being spent on the Logos side. Otherwise, I don't think we are going to get very far.
"In all cases, the Church is to be judged by the Scripture, not the Scripture by the Church," John Wesley
I did get an email from Abingdon with a survey last week, which I filled out and sent in. One of the questions was about Bible software that you used. And in the comments section I emphasized that "for over 15 years now I have bought almost all my commentaries and reference resources through Logos - thousands of dollars worth. I will continue to do so, and I would like for that to include Abingdon resources. But they must be in Logos format to interest me." From that survey I take it that Abingdon is considering what direction to go, largely because their own electronic format is not selling so well.
I got the survey too, and made it clear that Logos was my preferred format for new commentaries. However, in hindsight I wish that survey would have come after reading Bob's post above - I would have used some stronger language had I known the holdup was with Abingdon.
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I would have used some stronger language had I known the holdup was with Abingdon
It's unfortunate that some publishers are so resistant to electronic publication of their works. Given the number of academic resources in Logos and the nature of Logos customers this would be the ideal platform for works such at this and the NIBD. It looks as if neither of these will be available before I retire (if ever). Fortunately, our local city library has these in print. That's a sale lost for Abingdon. I wonder if these publishers realize how many people would buy their books in a usable electronic format but won't buy them in print.
It's hard to know who exactly to believe. I have got an email from Abingdon, claiming negotiations are close to complete, for whatever that means, and telling me Logos offer of the NIB was purely at Logos initiative to decide whether to pursue the rights for the works. I had always thought before now Abingdon was working with Logos all along. So things May not seem as bleak as Bob made them sound but at the same point in time it;s not something shortly off either. I am not cancelling my Pre-Order but have been told as an owner of the CDROM version I have free access to the ministry matters online version.
-Dan
[quote] It's hard to know who exactly to believe. I have got an email from Abingdon, claiming negotiations are close to complete, for whatever that means, and telling me Logos offer of the NIB was purely at Logos initiative to decide whether to pursue the rights for the works. I had always thought before now Abingdon was working with Logos all along. So things May not seem as bleak as Bob made them sound but at the same point in time it;s not something shortly off either. I am not cancelling my Pre-Order but have been told as an owner of the CDROM version I have free access to the ministry matters online version.
-Dan
I also own the CDROM version. How does one access the online version for free?
I had to email them with proof of ownership (took a photo of my original disc)…. Michaele Lee was the person I dealt with...
-Dan
I'm periodically critical of Logos (frequently?) but just for the record here, the price change mentioned above was the SELL price. Unlike most pre-pubs, the two resources had been put on pre-pub originally at full sell ($400/800 if I remember right).
I only mention this, because Interpreters 'was' my favorite (well, ok, next to New Jeromes). But when they (Abingdon I assume) put it on at full sell, I moved on with Hermeneia/Continental and eventually AYB.
As noted in the blog mentioned above (price change), Abingdon apparently came to their senses but then all those big commentary sales had already slurped up customers who would also enjoy the Interpreter series. Competing products.
Of course we don't know if Abingdon is now on its financial knees, or not. Maybe demand is so good, discounting and multi-platform at Logos isn't that attractive.
I am glad Bob gave the status, though I kind of whinced due to Dan's efforts for so long. Dan did more for this than Abingdon and Logos combined.
"If myth is ideology in narrative form, then scholarship is myth with footnotes." B. Lincolm 1999.
We'll be revising the pre-pub sliders with new numbers soon; I can tell you we're actually closer to half-way, not all the way, on both NIB and NIDB, and even then there are some outstanding contract issues that I can't predict the resolution of.
Sounds like we'll be seeing Logos 6 before we see the NIB then [:(]
Thanks Bob, it's not great news but at least we know what is what now…and to all those tired of seeing the posts knowing we are not even have way there I will cease my promotion of this resource, because i feel it is very valuable, but one must assume most people have seen it now, i may put a brand new link up once a month, asking people to look at it and pointing a link to the samples i have up on the Evernote site.
-Dan
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