Please join me in celebrating this milestone by clicking the clap button a few times! After months of hard work, planning, and perseverance, I'm thrilled to announce that all 160 permutations of The Transcriber's Bible (1st edition) are now published and available on Amazon. This journey, which began in early 2024, has finally reached its first major milestone, and I couldn't be more excited to share it with you all.
A Labor of Love
For those who might be wondering, "Why 160 permutations?" let me break it down for you. The Transcriber's Bible divides the entire Bible into 40 separate physical books, keeping them in canonical order (that's the traditional arrangement of books in the Bible, as accepted by most Christian traditions). I've created these books in both paperback and hardcover formats, and - here's the kicker - I've made right-handed AND left-handed versions of each! That's how we get to our magic number of 160.
Some folks have called The Transcriber's Bible a workbook, others describe it as journal-style, but everyone who has tried BibleWriting calls it a blessing that significantly enhances their quiet time. And that, my friends, is music to my ears!
The Journey to Publication
The road to getting these books published was no walk in the park. I first had to learn how to program in NodeJS, a language I had never touched, and it had been 15 years since I did any serious programming. Then, I spent a couple of months writing a publishing engine to create book manuscripts in the BibleWriting format. In mid-June 2024, manuscripts were ready and publishing could begin.
Once the engine was ready, I entered a live prototype phase. I had a variety of people testing prototype pages and books because, let's face it, when your goal is to create an enhanced yet frictionless study experience, user testing is crucial! Since this project is all about handwriting, I put a lot of work into figuring out the ideal line height, spacing, and content-to-writing-space ratios. I'm thrilled to say that the feedback on the format I settled on for the 1st edition has been outstanding.
Navigating the Self-Publishing Waters
Now, I won't sugarcoat it - going through the self-publishing approval process was... well, let's just say it was a challenge. I used Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP), which is great for one book, but not so much for a 40-volume series with multiple formats and handedness options. There were over 200 emails between myself and the KDP Content Review Team, dozens of phone calls, and more stress than I care to admit. Because the text of the Bible has been published many times before, KDP's approval system often flagged my books as requiring proof of copyright permission. It was quite the process, but I made it through!
I want to take a moment to thank my wife, Jen, for enduring the stress alongside me. It was a blessing to have her listening ear as I was going through the tedious and difficult approval process. I took on this project while unemployed from a typical job, so her support meant even more during this challenging time.
More Than Just a Book
For me, this project is truly an act of love. Whether you're a devout Christian or someone who's curious about historical texts, there's value in the book we call the Bible. For non-believers, it's a remarkably well-preserved collection of historical documents filled with wisdom and a diverse array of human stories. For Christians, this project offers an innovative approach to Bible study, reminiscent of the transcription practices used by scribes for hundreds of years - the very people who tirelessly worked to preserve these precious scriptures so that we have them today.
The Power of Handwriting
But there's more to The Transcriber's Bible than just reading and studying. Recent research has shown that handwriting, especially in the form of transcription, can be incredibly beneficial for our brains. Studies have found that handwriting engages more brain regions associated with learning than typing does [1]. This increased brain activity might explain why we often remember information better when we write it down.
Moreover, the act of writing by hand can be meditative and calming, potentially offering a natural way to manage daily stressors [2]. For those concerned about maintaining cognitive health as they age, engaging in mentally stimulating activities like reading and writing may help maintain cognitive function [3].
A Word of Gratitude
I want to express my deepest gratitude to Michael Paul Johnson and the others who worked on the World English Bible. I would not have taken on this project if they had not decided to release the World English Bible into the Public Domain. Their commitment to making the Bible freely accessible laid the foundation for The Transcriber's Bible, and I'm profoundly thankful for their work.
Join the BibleWriting Journey
As I celebrate this milestone, I invite you all to join me on this BibleWriting journey. I want to be candid about where I'm at in this process too. As I'm writing this post, I'm working my way through Psalms, and I plan to take on Proverbs very soon. It's been an incredible experience so far, and I'm excited to continue this journey alongside you all.
Whether you're looking to deepen your faith, explore historical texts, or simply engage in a practice that's good for your brain, The Transcriber's Bible offers a unique and enriching experience. You don't have to start at the beginning - jump in wherever feels right for you!
Remember, God's Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). Sometimes, we just need to engage with it in new ways to experience its full impact. Here's to new beginnings, deeper understanding, healthier minds, and most importantly, a closer walk with God.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step - or in this case, a single written word. Are you ready to start your BibleWriting journey? Whether you're in Genesis or Revelation, Psalms or Proverbs, there's no better time to start than now.