Topic: WorldNetDaily
If WorldNetDaily was going through the trouble to set up a thus-far-murky deal with a nonprofit group to raise tax-deductible donations to publish editor Joseph Farah's upcoming book, it was eventually going to lean into that hard. And Farah does just that in his May 25 column unsubtly headlined "Spread gospel, get tax-deduction" (it's a sign of WND's current diminished state that it apparently doesn't have a copy editor who would have caught that unnecessary hyphen).
In it, Farah touts how "from now until its release in September, Gospel for All Nations, a missions organization that takes the message of redemption and restoration to some of the most hostile parts of the world, has offered to accept tax-deductible donations on behalf of the book." Again, Farah can't be bothered to explain how this deal works.
Farah also dramatically hikes the amount of money he's seeking. He had previously claimed that it would cost "over $200,000" to print the book in the numbers he claims he needs to meet alleged demand (he doesn't explain how he knows that), he now claims he needs more than $400,000:
Why do we need financial support for a book that promise to be one of the biggest-selling Christian books of 2018?
Because WND is still reeling from the attacks by the Google-Facebook-YouTube-Amazon online cartel I have been telling you about since January of this year. These attacks are real, specific, content-oriented and existential in nature, having dried up 50 percent of our revenues from 2016 through 2017, with no end in sight.
In fact, without support for this book totaling at least $400,000 between now and August, we will not be able to meet the demand for an estimated 100,000 first-printing copies from bookstores and ministries.
That would be a shame, because this book does more than provide a great resource for pastors, Bible study groups, foreign missionaries and others through a systematic book-by-book exploration of the Gospel in all 39 books of the Hebrew Scriptures. It also reveals the absolute cohesive and integrated nature of the Bible. It explains the Gospel that Jesus preached – the Gospel of the Kingdom. It shows the common thread of redemption and restoration through all 66 books of the Bible. And it’s sure to stimulate new interest by believers in the Old Testament.
I’m not asking you to come up with $400,000. I’m asking you to come up with $100, if possible. For that, I have arranged to send you an autographed Advance VIP Reader Copy and an early e-book version of the book. Patrons who give a minimum of $5,000 or more will be eligible to be listed as such in all editions of the breakthrough Bible book in September.
The only comment on Farah's column is from a reader who's calling BS on this whole enterprise: "Why would you sell advance reader copies that are cheap unproofed versions of the book. Better to give signed finished copies when they come out to the donors. But why, if there really is such great demand isn't another publishing company picking this up? Why not partner with a company or foundation? Why keep asking us for money?"
Indeed. We'll let you know if Farah deigns to answer those important questions.
