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Monday, August 22, 2016

So ....

We've looked over the accumulating pile of manuscript pages and have decisions to make. The point of our work is to preserve a detailed history of the Watch Tower movement's earliest years. Detail is important to our story. We hope that others, based on our honest, detailed narrative, will be able to tell a more abbreviated story that is accurate and faithful to the underlying documents.

Our initial goal was a single volume history. We did not anticipate a two volume work, mostly because we did not appreciate the depth of the available record. When we saw that we had a complete single volume with more to go, we published volume one of Separate Identity. Academic acceptance has been slow coming, but increasingly we get good reviews and favorable mentions in the work of others. ... And we plod on with volume two.

Except, looking over the manuscript pile [it's really in a three-ring binder], we conclude that volume two will be massively large and too expensive to buy - or we will have a volume three before we're done. I'd like your reaction.

We are within four chapters of having a 'finished' volume 2. They are some of the hardest to research and write, but we can change focus and write them next. The plan was to write two chapters on the divisions of 1881-1882 next. Those chapters would fall into a third volume. What we have left for a completed volume two are chapters on Starting and Promoting Zion's Watch Tower; Continued Controversy with Barbour et. al. [Much more here than you may think.]; Promoting a Public Ministry; Approach to 1881.

So ... What do you think. We need your input and fairly quickly.

6 comments:

jerome said...

The whole point of your work is the detail that has not been researched or covered before. To curtail that in any way would partially defeat the ethos of the project. So if it needs to be three volumes, then so be it. If you had waited to complete everything we would still be waiting for volume one of Separate Identity. But if you want input I suggest you share an outline (chapter headings at least) for what volume two is going to look like, and what volume three is likely proposed to look like in the circumstances. That can be done on the blog or back-channel to selected ones.

Anonymous said...

I'm of the same opinion as Jerome. Don't curtail.

Bernhard said...

I think 2 books or volumes are more expensive than 1 larger volume.

Chris G. said...

I agree with Jerome, do a volume 3 and please dont spare the details. I am so impressed with the attention to detail, please dont compromise that. Thank you for taking our consideration into account.

Anonymous said...

I agree with Jerome. Thank you for asking. Awesome work!

Semer said...

I also agree with Jerome. So we might have volume 2 a little earlier.