About Spirit Light

Philosophy

Paradiagm Busting: Our Philosophy

Spirit Light Books was established to bridge the gap between traditional publishing in which the publisher has full control of every project and self-publishing in which the author has total control but may be overwhelmed by some aspects of the publishing process.
Current Publisher to Author Relationship:
Publisher dominant, Author dependent

Knowledge: Publisher holds knowledge of market, and power in relationship

Skills: Author's skills are utilized (and sometimes exploited) to make quick sales. Author is expendable based upon sales or non-sales, editor in charge, trends in publishing

Desire: Author decides publication is worth subjugating their power to publishing companies; companies seek to publish volume/quantity not necessarily quality

In this paradigm the Golden Egg is far more important than goose. You can get a new goose when this one wears out.
 

Current Self-Publishing to Author Relationship:
Author is totally independent
and thus must fend for him or herself; learn technical and marketing skills alone. Must gather own resources and rely on self-knowledge.

Knowledge: Author must have knowledge in a wide range of areas to even begin-formatting, editing, marketing, Internet marketing

Skills: Author must master all skills to self-publish

Desire: The desire to see one's work in print and to find an audience (which sometimes turns out to be hollow as they come up against obstacles)

In this paradigm the goose tries to be more important than golden egg, but must rely solely on self which burns out goose.

Spirit Light Books to Author Relationship:
Spirit Light enters into creative cooperation with Author
in order to produce and sell the resultant golden eggs. Interdependence is key. We seek to empower authors to be their best not to fit some pre-determined mold.

Knowledge: Any and all knowledge from SL or author is recognized and utilized to the benefit of all involved.

Skills: Skills from either SL or author are honed so that authors help authors as well as SL helping authors

Desire: The desire is to build a solid foundation of God-worth in the author allowing him or her to reach for potential they might not even know was available. The golden eggs are a product of learning to trust God, to put all in His hands, and to help each other.

In this new paradigm, the Goose is valued, the golden eggs come from the value; neither is exploited or taken for granted.

In this realm, we also emphasize that a Goose derives his or her power to bring forth golden eggs from God and only God. The power comes not through self-effort or self-aggrandizement, but naturally comes from their direct, personal, and ever-deepening relationship with God.

Putting the Philosophy to Work


We seek as a company to foster an intimate relationship with God on every level.

We seek as a company to encourage our authors to delve into positive resources that will help them to understand and commit to such a relationship with God.

We seek as a company to help our authors grow from either dependency or independency into the fullness of interdependency-encouraging them to use their own gifts for the benefit of others as well as helping them to accept the help of others so that what is produced is better than any individual could have produced.

We seek as a company to promote creativity rather than competition between and among our authors and other companies.

We seek as a company the best solution to problems rather than temporary fixes that disempower or build ourselves on the weaknesses of others.

We seek as a company to elevate the world through personal and interpersonal relations-publisher to author, author to author, author to reader, and reader to reader.

In addition to our faith statement, we believe the following:

"The greatest opportunities and boundless accomplishments of the Knowledge Worker Age are reserved for those who master the art of "we." True greatness will be achieved through the abundant mind that works selflessly--with mutual respect, for mutual benefit." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

We encourage our authors to: Search your own heart with all diligence for out of it flow the issues of life (Psalms)

We understand that each of us sees the world as we are, and so to change the world, we must change ourselves from the inside out. Encouraging each other in this pursuit is a cornerstone of Spirit Light Books.

Spirit Light is based on the paradigm that each author has gifts, skills, and knowledge, given by God, that He intended to channel through us in order to impact our world. We exist to empower authors to step into His Vision for them.

Principles that underlie Spirit Light


Fairness

We strive always through the whisperings of the Holy Spirit to create win-win situations for our authors, for the company, and for our readers.


Integrity

We are committed to integrity and transparency in our dealings with our authors and readers.


Honesty

All dealings will be undertaken with the utmost honesty.


Human dignity

We believe that God gave each author a unique voice. We are committed to helping authors find that voice and use it.


Service

We are committed to using our knowledge and skills to help authors produce a quality product, to sell it at a reasonable price, and to market the books as effectively as possible in cooperation with the authors.


Quality or excellence

Anything given by God is by its nature excellent. We will seek always to allow God to show us the best possible outcome in each situation, thereby, attracting quality and excellence to Him in us.


Potential

We are committed to unleashing the potential in every author and to encourage them to develop their talents-not just in writing but in life and in their relationship with the Holy Spirit.


Growth

We encourage growth and praise the growth when it occurs-be it large or small. We are the green beneath the roses in the garden, nurturing, feeding, building, and recognizing that the greatest growth is always that of a soul in the direction of God.


Patience

We understand that we are not working in our time but are learning to live up to the commitment of being LIGHT through which we learn to Live In God's Holy Time.


Nurturance

Nurturing the talent and potential in each author is one of our primary goals.


Encouragement

Supporting our authors and giving them demonstrable ways to use their talents and skills through the writing and beyond.
 

 

Philosophy

Spirit Light Books is not built on external shifts--that is making authors successful through contracts and sales. It is built upon creating internal shifts in ourselves, our authors, and our readers.

Too often the book industry revolves around a fear-based paradigm. The author is stripped of power--their fate is in the hands of the editors, agents, etc. They are told that to be successful, they have to do X or else.

Spirit Light turns this paradigm on its head by encouraging and empowering the latent potential of the authors. To do this, we will promote one Answer from the top down: Go to God. Go to God. Go to God. We will teach our authors to do this as well. The more His power comes through them, the more successful the entire organization will be--not because we force them to be through some external means but because of a deep, internal change.

We do not operate on "borrowed strength" which ultimately weakens the author and the organization. Borrowed strength (that which I gain through putting someone else down) reinforces dependence on external factors to get things done. It builds weakness in the person forced to acquiesce. In this paradigm "fear replaces cooperation, and both people involved become more arbitrary and defensive." (The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People)

Instead Spirit Light Books is about entering into a PARTNERSHIP with our authors, not in finding exploitable talent. The paradigm of "they are the editor, you'd better listen to them and do it the way they say or else" mentality is not welcome at Spirit Light. We believe that God led the authors who come to us, to us for a reason, and we will honor all those who come as partners in changing the world. We are not moving the Boy Scouts to the church basement and calling it something new. We are actually DOING something new.

 
 
 
 
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