Why I Am Not Publishing...Yet
Students are always interested in the processes I go through with the Holy Spirit so there have been some questions as to why I am not publishing my translation of the Text of A Course in Miracles in the traditional manner. So here I share the process through which I have been:
First, I have to say that I have never really looked at the book as “mine”. It was inspired by the Holy Spirit and it was a collaborative experience for me with the Holy Spirit. So from the beginning I took a “hands off” approach to the translation’s ultimate destiny and left it all to the Holy Spirit. As I was writing it I had a traditional bound book in mind but I did think of selling the book online at my website in Word and PDF format. The latter did not feel right so I looked into publishers. My research showed that most publishers today will only accept manuscripts through agents but one writer of a Course-related book told me about her publisher, who I contacted when I was about halfway through with the book. He was interested but when I made moves to go in that direction I got a strong feeling that that was not the way I was supposed to go. I actually felt that I should find an agent, which I subsequently did. I finished the book and I passed it on to the agent, who informed me it could take 3 to 6 months to find an interested publisher. I was nagged by a sense that the manuscript needed one more polishing edit but I also knew I needed some distance from it so I could look at it with fresh eyes. I hoped whatever publisher I found would give me time for a final edit. For several weeks I felt completely done with it, as though it was out of my hands.
After a month the agent seemed to find a potential publisher but nothing happened there and eventually I began to sense that the agent was not exactly honest and above-board. At this point I found I was thinking about the manuscript more and sensing it was time to move on it somehow. I canned the agent and was thinking about selling it on my website again but this still didn’t feel right. So I thought of just giving it away for free but this didn’t work either. I looked at Lulu.com, which gives people the option of downloading a book or buying it bound, but I found my manuscript was too big. My partner (and later, others) suggested dividing the book into two volumes for Lulu but I got a decided “no” on that. I thought again about the publisher who was interested and I got, “He’s not the publisher.” Then one day, clear as a bell, the Holy Spirit said, “Put it on the internet.” Bingo! The first thing to feel absolutely right to me. It was so obvious but the idea had not occurred to me at all before. What I clearly understand now is putting the book on the internet is primary; giving people the option of downloading it is secondary. And it is clear this should all be free. The Holy Spirit wants it on the internet “for those who do not even know about it”.
So what were the agent and those 3 months about? Was I simply not hearing the Holy Spirit all along or was the Holy Spirit using the agent as a delaying tactic so I could get some distance from the manuscript before I did a final edit? I don’t know; I only know that what I am doing now is the first thing to feel absolutely right. I do sense that one day this translation of the Text will be in the form of a bound book so I am interested in watching how it all unfolds. The translation will be available by late March. Stay tuned.
First, I have to say that I have never really looked at the book as “mine”. It was inspired by the Holy Spirit and it was a collaborative experience for me with the Holy Spirit. So from the beginning I took a “hands off” approach to the translation’s ultimate destiny and left it all to the Holy Spirit. As I was writing it I had a traditional bound book in mind but I did think of selling the book online at my website in Word and PDF format. The latter did not feel right so I looked into publishers. My research showed that most publishers today will only accept manuscripts through agents but one writer of a Course-related book told me about her publisher, who I contacted when I was about halfway through with the book. He was interested but when I made moves to go in that direction I got a strong feeling that that was not the way I was supposed to go. I actually felt that I should find an agent, which I subsequently did. I finished the book and I passed it on to the agent, who informed me it could take 3 to 6 months to find an interested publisher. I was nagged by a sense that the manuscript needed one more polishing edit but I also knew I needed some distance from it so I could look at it with fresh eyes. I hoped whatever publisher I found would give me time for a final edit. For several weeks I felt completely done with it, as though it was out of my hands.
After a month the agent seemed to find a potential publisher but nothing happened there and eventually I began to sense that the agent was not exactly honest and above-board. At this point I found I was thinking about the manuscript more and sensing it was time to move on it somehow. I canned the agent and was thinking about selling it on my website again but this still didn’t feel right. So I thought of just giving it away for free but this didn’t work either. I looked at Lulu.com, which gives people the option of downloading a book or buying it bound, but I found my manuscript was too big. My partner (and later, others) suggested dividing the book into two volumes for Lulu but I got a decided “no” on that. I thought again about the publisher who was interested and I got, “He’s not the publisher.” Then one day, clear as a bell, the Holy Spirit said, “Put it on the internet.” Bingo! The first thing to feel absolutely right to me. It was so obvious but the idea had not occurred to me at all before. What I clearly understand now is putting the book on the internet is primary; giving people the option of downloading it is secondary. And it is clear this should all be free. The Holy Spirit wants it on the internet “for those who do not even know about it”.
So what were the agent and those 3 months about? Was I simply not hearing the Holy Spirit all along or was the Holy Spirit using the agent as a delaying tactic so I could get some distance from the manuscript before I did a final edit? I don’t know; I only know that what I am doing now is the first thing to feel absolutely right. I do sense that one day this translation of the Text will be in the form of a bound book so I am interested in watching how it all unfolds. The translation will be available by late March. Stay tuned.
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