Lessons from Bibliotheca, and More Thoughts on the ESV Reader's Bible

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Written By J. MARK BERTRAND

The funding campaign is over and Bibliotheca has raised in excess of $1.4 million. While success on this scale always brings out detractors, I've been impressed how widely Adam Lewis Greene's effort has been appreciated. While the idea of designing Bibles for reading rather than reference isn't new, this is the first time in awhile that a Bible publishing project has connected with the wider world on the basis of its design choices first and foremost. If you missed the Kickstarter, there's still a window for ordering Bibliotheca. Check out the details on Adam's new site, Bibliotheca.co.

LESSONS FROM BIBLIOTHECA There are lessons to be learned from the experience, and not just for publishers. Michael Hyatt has summed up four of the big ones, quoting some remarks of mine along the way: "What the Success of Bibliotheca Tells Us About the Future of Publishing."

WHILE YOU WAIT, CHECK OUT THE ESV READER'S BIBLE So what should you do while you're waiting for Bibliotheca to ship? How about giving the ESV Reader's Bible a try. Similar in concept to Bibliotheca, the ESV Reader's Bible is available now, and for a very affordable price. You'll experience the benefits of a reader-friendly format for yourself. Here are some links to my pieces on the ESV Reader's Bible

The Original Review: The ESV Reader's Bible

A Video Introduction to the ESV Reader's Bible

ESV Reader's Bible: Some Notes on Daily Use

My own experiences with the ESV Reader's Bible have been echoed by many others, including this piece by John Sherrod, who shares his first impressions after he and his wife gave the new format a try: "The ESV Reader's Bible: First Impressions." If any of you have shared your own impressions online, feel free to post a link in the comments. 

J. MARK BERTRAND

J. Mark Bertrand is a novelist and pastor whose writing on Bible design has helped spark a publishing revolution. Mark is the author of Rethinking Worldview: Learning to Think, Live, and Speak in This World (Crossway, 2007), as well as the novels Back on Murder, Pattern of Wounds, and Nothing to Hide—described as a “series worth getting attached to” (Christianity Today) by “a major crime fiction talent” (Weekly Standard) in the vein of Michael Connelly, Ian Rankin, and Henning Mankell.

Mark has a BA in English Literature from Union University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Houston, and an M.Div. from Heidelberg Theological Seminary. Through his influential Bible Design Blog, Mark has championed a new generation of readable Bibles. He is a founding member of the steering committee of the Society of Bible Craftsmanship, and chairs the Society’s Award Committee. His work was featured in the November 2021 issue of FaithLife’s Bible Study Magazine.

Mark also serves on the board of Worldview Academy, where he has been a member of the faculty of theology since 2003. Since 2017, he has been an ordained teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church in America. He and his wife Laurie life in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

http://www.lectio.org
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