Publication Work in The Lord's Recovery aka The One Publication

[UntoHim]

Let’s take a little break from linear feet, imprints, genres, tape measures, book shelves and the like. I dug back and found this post by Koinonia way back in December of 2016 (where ya been bro, your insightful and spot on topic posts are greatly missed!)

There are several facets to this One Publication declaration. First and foremost, as it always is when it comes to the person and work of Witness Lee, it is a matter of control and censorship. Again, the control and censorship is exercised upon the members at the most practical level possible – that is at the meetings of the local churches, at the bi-annual trainings and various regional conferences, and at the most intimate level, the little publications meant for daily “devotional” readings for Morning Watch. Does anyone really think that the average Local Churcher is pray-reading Mary McDonough or Jessie Penn Lewis?

Then there is the matter of keeping the Living Stream coffers topped off. This poses a little bit of a dilemma for the powers that be over on La Palma Ave in Anaheim. After all, these guys are supposed to be dispensing the “Up-To-Date-Speaking” of God himself. The problem is that the only person on earth (since 1945 anyway) who did the up-to-date speaking has been dead and buried over there at Grace Gardens for over 20 years now. What to do? What to do? I know! We'll just keep reprinting the same stuff over and over and over again. Of course we'll have to spend a few shekels on different colors, booklet sizes and formats...but a publisher's gotta do what a publisher's gotta do!

Originally Posted by Koinonia

LSM is adept at repackaging the same things over and over again in various formats. But really the whole enterprise is running out of steam. A flyer has recently been circulated among LC members that is titled "Announcing the Completion of the Collected Works of Witness Lee" (scheduled: 2018). Here is a corresponding website. It is difficult for me to understand how people can get excited about this...

The LSM online bookstore is currently featuring a softbound copy of the Recovery Version of the Ezekiel (the upcoming Winter Training will begin the Crystallization-study of Ezekiel). Of course, the Recovery Version of Ezekiel has already been published in other formats for years. But diehards will buy multiple copies of the single volume, I'm sure. In recent years, LSM has also experimented with gimmicky things like pocket versions of various Life-studies ("Dwarsligger" format), in an apparent attempt at providing tired (and younger) members with new materials.

The dilemma for LSM is that they have no good ways to grow (or even maintain) book sales figures. They are mostly limited to a captive audience of current LC members. Once they really do put out the Collected Works of Witness Lee, they will have no new material--other than new editions of periodical publications like Holy Word for Morning Revival and Ministry Magazine. So, they will be stuck pushing members to buy copies of the same books to give away to other people, as well as coming up with newly packaged formats of the same existing publications. You can already see this happening.

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[Drake]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

Then there is the matter of keeping the Living Stream coffers topped off.

Brother, there comes a point in time when it is probably wiser to let willful ignorance go unchallenged. But I'm not the wiser yet so I will say this much.

For years this profit/monetary motivation idea has been bantered about in this forum under your management. And yet if profit/money were the motive then LSM would not offer its publications for free at no cost at LSM.ORG. That breaks the business model you allege ... or is that not obvious? The charge that LSM wants to top off coffers is undermined by the easy availability of its publications on the internet for free. So your profit/monetary motivation is not even logical.

Therefore, what could be a possible motivation for a ministry to make their publications available for free? Hmmmm, let's think a moment..... how about .... Mission.

Now if I have misunderstood your belief then please clarify.

Thanks
Drake

[aron]

Originally Posted by Drake

Therefore, what could be a possible motivation for a ministry to make their publications available for free? Hmmmm, let's think a moment..... how about .... Mission.

And crack dealers who give away free samples must be nice guys, right? Giving away addictive drugs for free, wow. So selfless.

It's Retailing 101. In trade jargon it's known as a "lost leader". But since LSM is a spiritual enterprise, they wouldn't succumb to earthly means, now would they? It's just a coincidence is all.

Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain, furiously pulling the levers.

[UntoHim]

"My burden is to produce groceries. The churches and the saints are free either to use them or to disregard them. But if the saints cast away the nourishment found in these messages, I wonder what they will feed on". - Witness Lee

So I guess everyone is still free to use them....but not for free!

Full Payment
35% Discount*
$16.25 per volume
$2,210 all volumes

Monthly Payments
30% Discount*
$17.50 per volume
$2,380 all volumes

Pretty steep price for a bunch of stuff you already paid for (in some cases people paid over and over again over the past 40+ years.) I don't think there is one jot or tittle in this "collected work" that has not already been merchandised by Lee & Company already. Where is the "Up-To-Date" speaking? Where are the fresh "groceries"?
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[Drake]

Originally Posted by UntoHim

So I guess everyone is still free to use them....but not for free!

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Stop. Not true.

Just go to LSM.ORG and READ FOR FREE.

Here is the link.

www.lsm.org

Enjoy.

Drake

[Drake]

Originally Posted by aron

And crack dealers who give away free samples must be nice guys, right? ......

............It's Retailing 101. In trade jargon it's known as a "lost leader".

Seriously aron... crack dealers?

Well let's explore your slanderous comparison for a moment. If a crack dealer gave away as much as you wanted for free and did not charge you a nickel ever for it then what would make you think that the crack dealer was out to make money?

and in Retailing 101 it is called LOSS Leader.... not LOST Leader.... but nevertheless, the business strategy of LOSS Leader does not apply when its all available for free.

The reason your logic is flailing around on this, aron, is because you are trying to fit the facts into your own concepts. They don't fit because your concept on motivation is off the mark. But you are a thoughtful and intelligent man so I'm hopeful that once the real motivation becomes clear to you then you will rebound and make some compelling arguments. At least then we can agree and disagree with rationale based on facts and logic.

Drake

[aron]

Originally Posted by Drake

Well let's explore your slanderous comparison for a moment. If a crack dealer gave away as much as you wanted for free and did not charge you a nickel ever for it then what would make you think that the crack dealer was out to make money?...the business strategy of LOSS Leader does not apply when its all available for free.

Oh, they're giving away the "Collected Works" for free? Okay, I'm willing to reconsider my 'slander'.

And yes I know it's called a "loss leader". I didn't do the spell check, so you did it for me. Thanks for paying attention.

I was in a meeting once in the mid-'90s, and one of the soon-to-be-blendeds told us with some evident satisfaction how much of his disposable income the LSM was taking, from buying books (many to give away to "contacts" and "new ones") to "the Lord's move to Europe" to his local assembly. He was quite specific with the percentages, and clearly was holding himself forth as "a pattern to be followed in the church".

Those few free tracts are supposed to pave the way to a lifetime of voluntary servitude. If you thought the crack dealer adage was too much, how about the JW's - they stand there, next to their cardboard kiosks, handing out their version of the One Publication. So selfless of them! Take a Watch Tower for free.

https://wol.jw.org/en/wol/h/r1/lp-e (Quote: "For publication downloads, please visit 'jw.org'.")

So free tracts and ministry excerpts are supposed to signal enlightened beneficence? How completely clueless do you suppose the general public is, out there? It's not 1971 anymore. Sorry.

[Drake]

Originally Posted by aron

Oh, they're giving away the "Collected Works" for free? Okay, I'm willing to reconsider my 'slander'.

aron,

Why the circular conversation?

You and others already said that the content of the Collected Works are just repeats and repackaging of already published material. That material has been available for free for years at lsm.org. So yes, the messages are available for free as they have been for years.

Drake

[aron]

Originally Posted by Drake

aron,


Why the circular conversation?


You and others already said that the content of the Collected Works are just repeats and repackaging of already published material. That material has been available for free for years at lsm.org. So yes, the messages are available for free as they have been for years.



Drake

You forgot the word 'resold'. They are just repeats and repackaging and reselling of already published and sold material. Don't forget there's money changing hands, here. Again.

[Ohio]

Originally Posted by aron

And crack dealers who give away free samples must be nice guys, right? Giving away addictive drugs for free, wow. So selfless.

It's Retailing 101. In trade jargon it's known as a "lost leader". But since LSM is a spiritual enterprise, they wouldn't succumb to earthly means, now would they? It's just a coincidence is all.

Pay no attention to the little man behind the curtain, furiously pulling the levers.

That would be "loss leader" in marketing, and "lost leader" in the Recovery.