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To name, or not to name?

 
Carl Laferton | Jan. 10, 2011
We're having an ongoing discussion at TGBC at the moment about whether (and how prominently) to put authors' names on the front of our books.

Not to name

We'd love people to use and be encouraged by our stuff because it's Bible-centred, relevant, and readable: not because it's written by a particular “big name” in the evangelical Christian world. It's Bible-centredness that we want to be known for—and if it's Bible-centred, does it matter if it's written by someone working in a church of 30 (or not working in a church at all), rather than a pastor of a church of thousands? We don't want to be part of any system that unhelpfully puts Christian leaders on a pedestal.

To name:

On the other hand, we're working with increasingly “big names”, such as Tim Chester, Christopher Ash and so on in the UK, and Tim Keller, Thabiti Anyabwile and others in the US. And perhaps those “names” establish some credibility and trustworthiness for the readers who have never heard of us before.

Help?

We'd love to get your views on this! Does knowing the author encourage you to buy a book or study? Does seeing TGBC on the front help you more than knowing who wrote it? Would you like to see us name authors, or to not name them? To name “names” prominently, in the hope that our output will reach and hopefully benefit as many as possible, or to let the resources sell themselves? All wisdom welcome!
5 Comments

Phil Taylor

10:33 AM EST on February 1st
Don't care one way or the other. I usually look at the index of authors / scripture index.

Matt Baker

10:33 AM EST on February 1st
I know I can trust TGBC to be discerning in their choice of books and while the author, if known, might sway my decision, I generally try to focus on the topic which I require.

Alice

10:33 AM EST on February 1st
I think it depends what it is! For something short or quite general I'm not fussed, but I really like knowing who I'm reading when I've got a book in my hands! Not because I'm only going to read things by people I know and reject anything else but because reading and writing is/should be personal rather than text-booky. I think I would feel I was reading the product of 'the machine' if it just had The Good Book co on it - even though it's a product I know well and trust!

Good question!

Emma

10:33 AM EST on February 1st
I think it's really important to know who is saying whatever's being said. The life and integrity of a Bible teacher is as important as their Bible teaching (Titus 1, 1 Timothy 3, etc.). You can't divorce a person's teaching from his life. I may not know much about the life of an author just by knowing his (or her) name, but I could investigate if I wanted to because it's a matter of public record that this particular person wrote this book. If the book is anonymous, I have no way of doing that. I do trust you guys, but just as we encourage people to read the Bible for themselves instead of just trusting what we say about it, I think we should also give people the ability to check authors out for themselves.

Also, the fact that you are publishing a particular author may mean I am more likely to read other books they have written, because I trust you. If the book is anonymous, I can't do that. I think your guidance as a publisher is really important (in terms of discerning good, biblically-faithful material), and I don't think anonymity aids you in that guidance.

Carl Laferton

10:33 AM EST on February 1st
Hmmmm... I'd not thought of the whole "personal touch" thing, Alice, nor of the being able to investigate point, Emma. Thanks. I suppose what we're keen to avoid is to say "Do what this book says because so-and-so prestigious, famous pastor-guy wrote it" but rather "Do what this book says if as you read it you think it's speaking biblical truth into this particular situation/topic/question". I know that sometimes I read what a famous person writes without thinking enough "Where is he/she getting this from in the Bible" - which I don't do if I don't know who wrote it, or don't know they're "famous". Which is an argument, I suppose, in favour of not putting the author on (or at least, not very prominently).

Carl Laferton

Carl is Editorial Director at The Good Book Company and is a member of Grace Church Worcester Park, London. He is the best-selling author of The Garden, the Curtain and the Cross and God's Big Promises Bible Storybook, and also serves as series editor of the God's Word for You series. Before joining TGBC, he worked as a journalist and then as a teacher, and pastored a congregation in Hull. Carl is married to Lizzie, and they have two children. He studied history at Oxford University.