In this paper, written during a Scripture Engagement course at Dallas International University, Beth Clark examines the micropublishing of Bible translations: looking at both the theoretical basis and practical applications.
From the conclusion:
“Planning to micropublish throughout a Bible translation project can have many positive benefits toward Scripture Engagement in the language community. It allows for the possibility of matching the translation style of specific passages of Scripture to their end use and format. It allows for the production of Scripture products in many different forms (stories, songs, literacy materials, etc.), to meet different needs in the community. It allows teams the opportunity to produce Scripture materials selected to meet current felt needs. In these ways, micropublishing can accelerate impact as Scripture portions are available sooner in the process. This may be particularly useful in difficult access contexts.
Micropublishing allows resources for reaching the last monolinguals of a community experiencing language shift. It also may provide resources for multilinguals with multiple heart languages, particularly in communities with common use of translanguaging. Finally, if thoughtfully planned, micropublishing provides the opportunity to engage the community and ministry partners from the beginning, and throughout, a translation project. This gives these vital partners a key role in the decision-making process and the ability to provide feedback to the translation team that can effectively guide further translation work and future decisions about content and format.
All in all, micropublishing can be a valuable tool in making sure that Bible translation resources are used wisely, and that produced Scripture is used to its fullest potential in the receptor communities.”