have they ever said anything about the subject?
What is jw view on vanity publishing?
by badboy 18 Replies latest jw friends
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JimmyPage
Most of what they publish is vanity so I think they're okay with it.
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JeffT
I did some writing in the late seventies (trying to get some short stories published). It was strongly suggested that I spend my time on more "theocratic" activities. I'm trying to get a couple of novels published now. I may go on demand with one of them (JW related) but in general vanity publishing is a waste of time and money.
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minimus
Um, how about vanity plates???
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stapler99
According to a wise king who lived many years ago, "Everything is vanity." So the scriptual view is that vanity publishing is acceptable, including publishing Watchtower publications.
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VM44
The FDS and The Watchtower do not endorse (read "approve") of the JWs publishing ANYTHING!
Even though they are called "publishers" the only thing they are to read and distribute are things published by The Watchtower.
Do you think the Writing Department or the GB approved of COJ researching and writing the material that eventually became "The Gentile Times Reconsidered"? No, in fact COJ was specifically told not to distribute his research!
The Watchtower wants to control ALL information. Information is power. Information means you can challenge what you have been told. The Watchtower will not tolerate any challenges to its so-called authority.
Also, Tim White's book, "A People For His Name," about The Watchtower, was originally published by a vanity publisher. The problem was that the publisher didn't promote the book! Hence a lot of the printed copies of the book wound up in the author's garage.
The book now is available from Lulu.com, which is not a vanity publisher but a "print on demand" publisher.
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VM44
The Watchtower is an autocratic totalitarian dictatorship all rolled up into a single Organization Organism!
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slimboyfat
"Vanity publishing" - is that a new derogatory apostate term for the preaching of the good news?
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VM44
"Vanity Publishing" is a term used when an author has to pay to have his work printed in book form. It is somewhat derogatory among authors/publishers as a professional writer doesn't have to have pay to publish, but is rather paid by the publisher for the rights to publish their book.
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slimboyfat
I know what vanity publishing is VM44.
Sorry I meant the above as a joke since Witnesses call their ministry "publishing", (because of the old-fashioned terminology from the NWT rendering in the book of Acts) so I thought "vanity publishing" might be construed as a slur on the validity of their preaching. Not a great joke I admit.