Month: February 2012

Dear Friend,

If you’re a regular reader of one of my blogs, or a Facebook friend, or if you encounter me in other ways, you know that I have a podcast–what you might think of as an Internet radio show.

Every week I sit down in my home studio and record a new episode. I do this because I believe in the show and because I believe in using the New Media to spread God’s word.

Since launching the program, I’ve received regular inquiries about whether there are transcripts available. People who listen to it find the content very valuable, but they recognize that it would be even better if there were written versions as well.

• Some people would like to refer back to particular parts of the show without having to listen to the whole thing.
• Some people would like to quote it in in email or through sites like Facebook for their friends, co-workers, and family.
• Some people have slow Internet connections that can’t handle the requirements of audio.
• Some people are deaf–or want to share it with those who are deaf.
• Some people aren’t comfortable working with audio and find using text much easier.

There are a host of reasons–and they are good ones!

The truth is: The show would be even more effective if it were available in text as well as audio format.

That’s why I’m writing this post today. I’d like to ask your help in taking the show “to the next level” by making it available in text format.

Unfortunately, there is a problem: How can I make this pay for itself?

You see, I do the show on my own time. Nobody is paying me, and I don’t charge for it. In fact, I pay in order to be able to present it. I pay for the equipment costs, the service providers that allow me to deliver the show, the music you hear on the show, and more. I also spend a lot of time on the program. Between researching each episode and editing it, I usually spend at least three hours preparing each one hour episode of the show.

I’d love to provide transcripts, but I need to find a way for the transcriptions to at least pay for themselves, and hopefully cover some of the additional costs of producing the podcast every week.

After researching the issue, I’ve determined that if I could raise just $3000, I’d be able to keep the podcast going and provide a year’s worth of transcripts.

That is not a huge amount of money!

• I know that there are some people in the show’s audience who could donate the whole $3000.
• Or three people who could donate $1000.
• Or six people who could donate $500.
• And there certainly are 30 people who could write $100 checks.
• And most definitely 100 people who could write $30 checks.

This is a very doable, very achievable amount. Or I think it is, based on my knowledge of my show’s audience.

And so I want to ask you to help me take the show to the next level.

I’ve already spoken with a transcription service (a good one–the kind that will be able to handle the technical terms from Catholic theology and the Bible that I use on the show). As soon as I’m able to raise the needed $3000, I will give them the “go order,” and we will begin producing a year’s worth of transcripts. For example, if we have the needed funding by episode 35 of the show then I’ll use it to produce transcripts for the next 52 shows (a whole year’s worth), which would carry us through episode 87!

Bear in mind that these will be transcripts of my own podcast–not my appearances on other radio shows or podcasts. (I’m not the rights-holder for those.)

Whether you can help by donating $3000, $1000, $500, $100, $30, $10 or some other amount, I hope that you’ll be able to help with this effort, because it’s really all about making the show more effective by making it available to more people, in more ways.

You can donate by Credit Card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover), by PayPal, or by check.

To donate by Credit Card or by Pay Pal, here’s all you need to do:

1) Click the “Donate” button below (or in the right hand margin of this page).

2) Enter the amount you want to donate and click “Update Total.”

3) Enter your Credit Card information or sign in to PayPal (if you have a PayPal account) and complete process.

HERE’S THE DONATION BUTTON (CLICK THIS . . .)

You can also mail a check to:

Jimmy Akin
9625 Mission Gorge Rd, Ste 2B (PMB 354)
Santee, CA 92071 

Thanks again, and God bless you for your generosity!

Your pal,

Jimmy

P.S. In the interests of full disclosure, I should point out that I am not a 501(c)3 organization, and so I’m afraid that I can’t offer you a tax deduction. You will, however, be helping to spread God’s word to people all over the world, and that should count toward having treasure in heaven.