The Story
New opportunities have presented themselves.
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This is the rewritten the spiritual practices section of A Course in Miracles, usually called the "Workbook." It is without gender-specific pronouns and I think of it as a translation for the twenty-first century.
I had the idea to do this a few years ago. At the time, I was typing into my computer the text from the digital images of the pages of the original dictation of A Course in Miracles. I did not know then that the idea would come reach this point and that I would eventually put it into a digital book form.
ACIM has been has been in print since the mid nineteen-seventies. At one point it says, "This Course has come to you in a language you can love and understand." While this is true for many of us because of the poetic passages that are in iambic pentameter and because it clarifies much of what people remember of their childhood religious exposure, not everyone loved the terminology. Many have expressed that they had to overcome this obstacle. Sometimes this had a good outcome as one of the first to overcome this obstacle was Dr. Gerald Jampolsky.
However, I think it is time for a new rendition of A Course in Miracles and beginning with the Workbook is where my imperative took me. Removing the gender-specific pronouns is not the only change The Workbook of One Mind makes. And it was not a simple matter of searching and replacing words. The translation had to be done line by line, word by word, to make sure that it was not only grammatically matched, but that the whole would retain its intent and preserve the extraordinary lyrical quality the Course came with. Furthermore the word "you" became "we" and that small change made a great difference in the reading. Reading The Workbook of One Mind is more welcoming, easier to share, and a joy to read aloud.
The Intent
The intention with this Indiegogo project is to enable a comprehensive publishing of The Workbook of One Mind, including ePub (completed), a mobi/Kindle version, and a print version. The manuscript in ePub format is complete.
What Needs to be Done
- - Convert the ePub to mobi
- - Choose a printer, get technical specs for cover and interior formatting
- - Produce those specs for the print version
- - Obtain ISBNs
- - Prepare to obtain LOC (Library of Congress) numbers
- - Work with distributors of each version ie. ePub, mobi, and print
- - Obtain print editions for direct fulfillment
- - Fulfill perks for supporters on Indiegogo
With the stated funding goal, I believe I can get this much done. I will add a print version perk when it appears that ordering a printing will be feasible as the project funding progresses. I believe that it is important that the book be discoverable in bricks and mortar bookstores.
The Experience - Why This Project
In 2010 I produced an ePub of The Workbook with essentially all of the original language. I offered copies for sale on my website. More than half of the people who bought it did not know how to put the book onto their devices. One person did not even know what an ePub was even though he had purchased it. On top of that, most people waited two to three weeks before asking for help. Never mind the time it took to help these individuals; it was a great learning experience. What you are seeing here is one aspect of that learning: it is better to channel publication through the channels set up to provide instant access to the materials they sell ie. iBookstore, B&N, Amazon.
