B-Hebrew: The Biblical Hebrew Forum

My dictionary is approaching version 1.0, as they call it in IT. I have been sending it out to people, mostly connected to this discussion board, though also to some others, mostly pastors and seminary professors. Where would you all recommend that I publish it?

I considered Amazon, but I wonder how useful a Kindle version would be? I want it to be electronically searchable to make it easier for students who merely want to read the text.

While this is not an analytical dictionary like Davidson’s, it includes many forms that can come from two or more words, as well as some where a student wouldn’t recognize from where it comes.

The biggest change from before is now it includes all the names listed in the back of Lisowsky’s concordance.

Is it perfect? Of course not! Nothing made by man is perfect. But I think it can add to the discussion of Biblical Hebrew vocabulary and grammar, and as such deserves a hearing.

Any thoughts on where would be a good place to publish it?

Karl W. Randolph.

The best place to publish depends on your purpose for publishing.
What's important? Reputation? Peer-review? Good editors? Publicity? Royalties? Just making it available?
Have you considered Lulu.com?

Karl, one site that welcomes independent scholars is www.academia.edu.

Shalom,
Dewayne Dulaney

These are my present thoughts on publishing:

First of all, this is the dictionary that I wish I had when I first started reading Tanakh through cover to cover. It isn’t a scholar’s dictionary, rather a reader’s dictionary, giving definitions that are compact yet complete. It lists words both alphabetically and according to roots, but only those roots that are extent in the written Tanakh. It doesn’t have the vowel points, because I’ve found that those are not always accurate. Where forms could be derived from two or more words, or are exceptionally difficult to recognize, they are listed as well as from where they come. In other words, it has some of the functionality of an analytical dictionary without listing every form. The people who would be best helped by it are students: not just beginning students, rather those who have had the equivalent of about a year’s classroom learning. Yet at the same time, it would be good for that classroom.

As far as wowing scholars, you have dealt with me over the years I have been on this forum, and should recognize that titles don’t impress me, nor do I look for their approval. Results are what impress me, and I’m not afraid to call out even a “scholar” with a world wide reputation but whose results show less than stellar understanding of Biblical Hebrew.

I’ve considered giving it away for free. But then there is the consideration that people who “purchase” it will value it for what they paid for it. Yet at the same time I don’t want it to cost so much that students can’t afford it (just like I can’t afford the Accordance scholar’s suite). Therefore I think a nominal fee should be charged.

I also want it widely available, relatively easy for non-scholars to find.

I want electronic publication: I have spent the time with paper dictionaries, and over the years recognized how slow it is to look up words. When I started, that was the only way to read it, so I put up with the slowness. Now my dictionary is the main one I use when reading, because I can usually copy and paste from Tanach to dictionary search function to look up meanings. (Even though I wrote the dictionary, I don’t remember all the lesser used words.) That won’t prevent those who “purchase” it from printing out their own paper copies of the dictionary, but will keep the cost down for those who use it electronically.

One idea is to publish it in more than one venue. I’ve considered Amazon, but is the Kindle version easily searchable? In other words, the main reason I hesitate the Amazon path is its usability.

These are my thoughts as to publication. There may be considerations that I don’t know about that will help me choose or could lead to other possibilities.

Any thought?

Karl W. Randolph.

At one time the Kindle ONLY handled right-to-left text via images. Does anyone know for sure that it can handle right-to-left text and a capable Hebrew font, such as SBL Hebrew?

Thanks,

Chris Kimball
West Redding, CT
USA

(This is necessary for Karl to consider Kindle distribution as an option.)