OUR PURPOSE

This project is being created to make disciples.

Volunteer reading is not only a way to help another person hear a DTI book. It can also be a place for you to begin learning how to speak, teach, preach, and make disciples.

If you want to teach, preach, speak to others about Christ, or help make disciples but you do not yet feel confident speaking, this can be a great place to begin.

You can begin simply by reading what is already available.

As you read chapter after chapter aloud, you are practicing how to speak clearly, read carefully, communicate complete thoughts, become comfortable using your voice, and gain confidence speaking to others.

You do not have to begin by creating your own sermon.

You do not have to begin by trying to develop your own teaching.

You can begin by faithfully reading the material that has already been written.

Reading DTI books aloud can also help you become familiar with teaching that you may later be able to share with other people as you grow in confidence.

Sometimes one of the best ways to begin learning how to teach is simply to read good teaching accurately and clearly.

You are helping someone else hear the teaching while at the same time developing your own ability to speak and communicate.

HOW IT WORKS

A volunteer reader may choose or be assigned an available DTI book.

Books are to be recorded one chapter at a time.

If a book contains 21 chapters, you would normally create 21 separate audio files.

Each audio file should identify the:

• DTI book identification number
• Book title
• Chapter number
• Chapter title, when provided
• Reader’s name

DTI BOOK IDENTIFICATION NUMBER

DTI books may be identified by a book number within the following range:

Use the identification number supplied with the book when naming your recording.

For example:

AA001

HOW TO NAME YOUR AUDIO FILES

Each chapter must be saved as a separate audio file.

Example:

AA001_Christ-Within-You_Chapter-01_John-Smith.wav

The next chapter would be:

AA001_Christ-Within-You_Chapter-02_John-Smith.wav

Continue using the same format for each chapter.

Please do not combine the entire book into one long recording unless Discipleship Training International specifically asks you to do so.

AUDIO RECORDING RULES

1. Record one chapter at a time. Each chapter should normally be its own audio file.
2. Record in a quiet location. Turn off televisions, radios, music, fans, and other unnecessary sources of noise whenever possible.
3. Use the best microphone you have available. A good USB microphone is helpful, but a good phone, tablet, headset, or computer microphone may also be acceptable.
4. Remain approximately the same distance from the microphone. Avoid repeatedly moving close to the microphone and then farther away.
5. Read naturally and clearly. You do not need to use an artificial announcer voice.
6. Do not rush. Allow listeners enough time to understand what is being read.
7. Read the manuscript as written. Do not intentionally change the wording.
8. Do not add music, sound effects, advertisements, or personal introductions. DTI will prepare the final production.
9. If you know how to perform basic audio editing, you may remove obvious mistakes. If you do not know how to edit audio, leave the recording intact and mark the mistake in your TXT correction file.

PREFERRED AUDIO FORMAT

The preferred audio format is:

• WAV
• 44.1 kHz or 48 kHz
• Mono
• 16-bit or 24-bit

A good-quality MP3 may also be accepted when WAV is not available.

Please do not heavily process your recording.

Avoid unnecessary:

• Echo
• Reverb
• Pitch changing
• Voice effects
• Extreme noise reduction
• Artificial voice enhancement

A clean, natural recording is preferred.

READ THE BOOK AS WRITTEN

Do not add anything to the book being read.

Do not add your own commentary, explanation, stories, opinions, sermons, corrections, introductions, or additional teaching.

Do not intentionally remove parts of the book.

Do not rewrite the author’s sentences while recording.

Do not stop during the reading and add statements such as:

“What the author is saying here is…”

or:

“Let me tell you what happened to me…”

or:

“I would explain this differently…”

The purpose of the recording is for someone to be able to hear the same book that is available for them to read.

Some people may be looking at the written words while listening to you.

The words may also appear on a computer or television screen while your voice is reading them.

For that reason, we want listeners to be able to follow the book without reading errors or additional commentary.

No added commentary.
No intentional rewriting.
No unnecessary additions.
No intentional omissions.

WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU MAKE A READING MISTAKE

Do not become frustrated if you make a mistake.

You normally do not need to start the entire chapter over because of one reading error.

If you:

• Misread a word
• Miss a word
• Repeat a word or sentence accidentally
• Have difficulty pronouncing a word
• Lose your place
• Cough during a sentence
• Begin a sentence incorrectly
• Make another noticeable reading mistake

follow this procedure:

1. Stop speaking.

2. Wait approximately three seconds.

3. Return to the beginning of the sentence in which the error occurred.

4. Read the complete sentence correctly.

5. Continue reading normally.

The incorrect portion can then be removed during editing.

The three-second silence also makes it easier for the editor to see and locate the mistake in the audio waveform.

MAKE A TXT CORRECTION FILE

Along with each chapter recording, please create a simple TXT correction file identifying any known mistakes.

Use a plain text file ending in:

.txt

Example audio file:

AA001_Christ-Within-You_Chapter-01_John-Smith.wav

Matching correction file:

AA001_Christ-Within-You_Chapter-01_CORRECTIONS.txt

Inside the TXT file, write something similar to:

BOOK: Christ Within You Is Your Daily Life
BOOK NUMBER: AA001
CHAPTER: 1
READER: John Smith

CORRECTIONS

00:02:14
Misread the sentence beginning:
"Christ is already present..."

Correct reading begins again at approximately:
00:02:20


00:07:42
Coughed during the sentence.

Correct reading begins again at approximately:
00:07:48


00:12:31
Missed the word "within."

Correct sentence begins again at approximately:
00:12:37

END OF CORRECTIONS

The timestamps do not have to be exact to the millisecond.

A time such as:

00:07:42

meaning 7 minutes and 42 seconds, is sufficient.

If you know of no mistakes in the chapter, write:

NO KNOWN CORRECTIONS

Please submit a TXT correction file. No XML file is required.

WHAT DTI MAY DO WITH YOUR RECORDING

After receiving an approved recording, Discipleship Training International may prepare it for publication.

This may include:

• Removing reading mistakes
• Removing false starts
• Removing long unnecessary pauses
• Removing coughs or unwanted noises when possible
• Adjusting the volume
• Cleaning the audio
• Synchronizing the audio with the written book
• Adding the book title
• Adding the chapter title
• Adding the reader’s name
• Adding the DTI book cover
• Displaying the written words on the screen
• Adding captions
• Adding DTI graphics
• Creating audio presentations
• Creating video presentations
• Creating DTI website presentations
• Creating DTI app presentations
• Creating television or Roku presentations
• Creating other DTI ministry and discipleship media

WORDS MAY APPEAR ON THE SCREEN WHILE YOU READ

Some completed DTI reading videos may show an open book on the screen while your recorded voice reads the book.

The background book image may remain stationary.

The words on the two visible pages can change instantly as each section of the book is completed.

A typical DTI reading presentation may display approximately 60–64 words on each page.

That means approximately:

This helps keep the words large enough for people to comfortably read on a computer or television screen.

READER CREDIT

When practical, DTI may identify the volunteer reader in the completed presentation.

If you do not want your full name publicly displayed, please tell DTI before submitting your recording.

VOLUNTEER READER PERMISSION

By voluntarily submitting your recording to Discipleship Training International, you acknowledge that you are contributing the recording without expectation of payment, wages, royalties, commissions, or other financial compensation.

You give Discipleship Training International and Discipleship Training International Press permission to edit, reproduce, synchronize, publish, stream, distribute, archive, and use the submitted recording in connection with DTI books, teaching resources, websites, apps, videos, television applications, streaming platforms, and other DTI ministry-related media.

This permission includes normal technical and editorial changes necessary to prepare the recording for publication.

Submitting a reading does not transfer ownership of the written DTI book to the reader.

The written book and its underlying publishing rights remain with the appropriate copyright holder.

DTI is not obligated to publish every recording submitted.

DTI may edit, replace, update, archive, or remove a recording when necessary.

Unless another arrangement has been specifically approved, recordings are submitted on a voluntary and royalty-free basis for DTI ministry and discipleship use.

FUTURE VIDEO READING OPPORTUNITIES

In the future, Discipleship Training International may also ask volunteers to submit video recordings of DTI books being read.

Approved video formats may include:

• Reading in front of a green screen
• Reading in front of an approved or acceptable background
• Reading while seated at a desk
• Reading while seated at a table
• Reading while standing at a pulpit or lectern
• Reading with another person
• Two-person presentations of DTI 99 Questions and Answers books

When a green screen is used, DTI may replace the green background with an approved DTI background during production.

For DTI 99 Questions and Answers books, one person may read the question while another person reads the answer.

This can make the presentation feel like a natural conversation while still remaining faithful to the written book.

Unless DTI specifically requests otherwise, participants should not add unwritten commentary to these presentations.

Future video instructions may include standards concerning:

• Camera position
• Lighting
• Microphone placement
• Clothing
• Framing
• Background appearance
• Green-screen setup
• Reading position

As with audio recordings, volunteers should submit one sample video first before recording an entire book.

SHARE THE BOOK YOU READ

Your participation does not have to end when your recording is completed.

When DTI publishes your reading, you can send other people directly to the book that you read.

You can share it with friends, family members, church groups, Bible study groups, coworkers, neighbors, or other people you meet.

You may even meet someone who needs Christ but you do not yet know exactly what to say to that person.

You do not have to pretend that you know how to answer every question.

You are simply saying:

“Here is something you can read or listen to that I made.”

Then send that person to the book you read.

You may share the:

• DTI book page
• DTI Free Library page
• Audio presentation
• Video presentation
• DTI app
• Approved DTI link
• QR code leading to the resource

SHARE DTI RESOURCES WITH A QR CODE

You can also share DTI books and resources using a QR code.

The QR code can direct someone immediately to the book you read or to another approved DTI resource.

A QR code may be printed on:

• A business card
• A bookmark
• A small piece of paper
• A church handout
• A Bible study sheet
• A ministry card
• Another appropriate printed item

The person can point their phone camera at the QR code and open the resource.

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO SAY EVERYTHING YET

You may want to make disciples but think:

I don’t know enough.

I don’t know what to say.

I have never taught anyone.

I have never preached.

I am not comfortable speaking to people yet.

You can still begin.

Read one chapter.

Then read another.

Learn to speak clearly.

Become comfortable hearing your own voice.

Complete a book.

Share the book you read with another person.

You can simply say:

“Here is something you can read or listen to that I made.”

Then send them to the book you read.

BEGIN BY READING

Reading a DTI book aloud can be more than creating an audio recording.

You are practicing how to speak.

You are learning to communicate clearly.

You are becoming more comfortable speaking aloud.

You are becoming familiar with Christian teaching.

You are gaining confidence using your voice.

You are helping another person hear something that may help them understand Christ.

You are learning how to communicate complete thoughts without feeling that you must invent something new every time you speak.

You may begin with an audio recording.

Later you may become comfortable reading on video.

You may participate with another person in a 99 Questions and Answers presentation.

You may become more confident speaking to people personally.

You may eventually become more confident teaching or preaching.

But you can begin very simply:

Read the book faithfully and help another person hear it.

THE COMPLETED READING WILL POINT PEOPLE TO THE BOOK

When possible, the completed DTI audio or video presentation will point the listener back to the corresponding book in the DTI Free Library.

The listener may be able to:

• Hear the book being read
• See the words while listening
• Visit the corresponding DTI book page
• Read the book for themselves
• Share the book with another person
• Continue exploring other DTI discipleship resources

Your voice may therefore become the doorway through which another person discovers the written book.