Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.
VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION FROM SITE OWNER AND PA FOUNDER
** READ ME ** READ ME ** READ ME ** READ ME ** READ ME **
I've been asked to endorse a self-help workbook for procrastinators. I told the author that I can endorse in my own name, but because of the 6th tradition I cannot endorse for the fellowship. That is, I can say, "I, ________, founder of Procrastinators Anonymous, think this is a good book." But I cannot say, "Procrastinators Anonymous endorses this book". In other words, I can speak as an individual who happens to have been the founder of Procrastinators Anonymous (and therefore knows one or two things about procrastination). But I cannot speak for Procrastinators Anonymous as a fellowship.
It's a fine line I'm walking here so I wanted to put it out there that I'm thinking of doing this. My byline (I'm not yet going to make my name public here) will say something like this: "_______ is the founder of Procrastinators Anonyous and the author of ________" (name of a book I've written).
If anyone has thoughts on this, now is the time to air them!
DECISION:
I have decided against endorsing on the cover of the book due to the comments here which made me think more about the possible implications of doing this (and the reasons for the Traditions).
I have told the author I will review the book here on the Procrastinators Anonymous Web site, but I can't do the blurb.
Thank you all for your feedback.
-pro
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You could endorse without mentioning PA
I support your decision not to endorse the book, especially not on behalf of P.A., but also not even identifying yourself as the founder of P.A., or even, I might argue, as a member of P.A. This for all the same excellent reasons that others have posted, re: maintaining anonymity about your involvement with P.A.
But, if you feel strongly that the book is worthy of endorsement, you can always offer to endorse the book as yourself as an author, and say, "this is a good book" - quote from ___, author of ____.
I would agree with everyone that if this person is only interested in having your endorsement so long as your relationship to "Procrastinator's Anonymous" is revealed, then their motives don't jive with the 12 traditions.
Just my 2 cents - which may already have been pointed out by everyone else :)
piet
I feel very strongly it was
I feel very strongly it was the right choice not to endorse this book.Unlike several who have commented, I am steeped in the Traditions, having been in AA for over seventeen years. AA is unlike any other organization and I think the traditions are FUNDAMENTAL to it success. The 12 steps keep us straight: the 12 traditions keep AA straight.As mentioned the sixth step says >> .... never endorse .... lest problems of money, property and prestige divert us from our primary purpose.<<It seems to me if you were to endorse problems of prestige could appear instantly.GOOD DECISIONThe book "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" has lengthy explanations of why the traditions were adopted. These are recommended reading since these reasons are universally relevant. -- Julian
(Pro)
This comment has been moved here.
Thank you pro
pro, I have very deep respect for the way you have approached this. Thank you for your maturity and humility in working this programme.
Yours in recovery
Rexroth
bugsy's thoughts
i agree with some previous shares about the impression that the founder of PA endorsing something may well be, to the general public not in PA, that PA as a whole endorses it. i go with sticking to the tradition of anonymity.
you saw that I decided against endorsing the book, right?
You posted two messages AFTER I added text in red saying I'd decided against endorsing the book on its cover. Your messages did not indicate you'd seen this.
Thoughts
I guess it depends on how much this group identifies with the AA traditions. I think most commited members do.
The AA traditions 10:
Tradition 10 explicitly states that “AA has no opion on outside issues; hense the AA name out never be drawn into public controversy. The tradition does not disapprove of individuals becoming involved, provided the don’t use the AA name or announce they are members. , thus giving the impression that the Fellowship itself is taking a position..
second
second
I'm ok with endorsement
I'm not that steeped in the 12-step traditions, but I think we do agree to anonymity on the site - to me that means if I know who you are, I wouldn't out you to the rest of the group or to the public. However, it seems to me that I've seen lots of people say in public that they are members of AA. So, if you choose to tell others that you founded this fellowship, I think it would be cool.
Jo
'You become what you think about most of the time.' - Brian Tracy
My feeling on this is no
My feeling on this is no don't do it. What if there is a better book published later this year and an even better one next year? What about all the great books already out there? I think it would be more consistent to review the book favourably here rather than diluting your name especially as this is a twelve step program.Al-anon avoids endorsing products and members always maintain personal anonymity at the level of press radio and TV.
I feel that it is a slippery slope.
http://www.al-anonuk.org.uk/media
BTW thank you for all the work that you do. It is a great site.
good point
That is a good point. An endorsement on the cover of the book may imply something I don't mean - that this is the procrastination book that I like above all other procrastination books, when actually it's just the only one that the author asked me to endorse. It may be a very good book (I only just received the advance copy - haven't had a chance to read it yet), but I don't mean to say it's "the best" or the "PA endorsed one" and it may read that way, though I don't intend it to.
We do have a Book Review section here. I can post a review here.
I'm still thinking about this and I don't want to do anything wrong. It helps me to read people's input. After everyone who wants to say something has their say, I'm going to read the traditions again very carefully.
Thanks for asking pro
Thanks for asking pro I respect your honestly and concern to do the right thing.
I think it would break anonymity.
In the 12 step fellowships I have been around one of the traditions is to maintain personal anonymity at the level of books, films, broadcasts etc.
Also I think it comes near to breaking the tradition of not supporting outside enterprises.
I appreciate that you are not supporting the book in the name of PA as a whole but by endorsing it as the founder of PA what is the relevance of PA?
This is my honest opinion from my understanding of the way other fellowships work and I don't want to be in the least way critical.
I have had a similar position in my own life though it was a leaflet I had written not a book someone else had written.
Hmmm
Hmmmmm, well,
....
As a newcomer to the 12 steps, and having found that they helped me more than any of the many books I have read, I think I'd go with the view that keeping the 12 step anonymity is sound...and it seems as if there s a kind of built in contradiction to recommend one particular book...any book.. with help for p. that doesn't follow the model here--or maybe it does? Also, not wanting to be presumptuous, but it seems as if for anyone, losing anonymity is more of a loss than a gain here??? Just thinking aloud, or rather, onto the keyboard.
Thanks for all you do here.
thanks for your feedback - OTHERS?
Thanks for your feedback, Rexroth. I'd like to hear from others, too - as many as possible.
Thank you
Thanks for sharing this and respecting tradition. Maybe in the future, PA can have its own book with compulsive procrastinators' stories, and using the 12 Steps and Traditions with permission from A.A.
yup
May I be (i) the first to vote in the affirmative (yes) and am fine w/ byline (ii) while also thanking you and (iii) wishing you great success with this venture.
love the idea...go for it ...
I love this idea and workbooks are a great way to work it all if one is not able to get to meetings etc....I am 1hr from town...so do my inner work at home. Thanks
thanks for your input
Thanks for your input. But note that this is NOT my book or potentially my success - it's a blurb on the cover of someone else's book. If it's a success, it will be her success. But thanks for your input.
Some minor thoughts
I have no experience with the tradition of "Anonymous" programs. I don't feel your decision will impact on me either way. I am wondering if perhaps listing yourself as founder or developer of the PA *website* might be a reasonable compromise. I also wonder if you are sure you want us to know who you are by name. Best wishes with making the best decision for you.
breaking my anonymity
The only way I could possibly endorse the book is by breaking my own anonymity since I could only endorse as an individual and not in the name of the fellowship. I do have some ambivalence about breaking my own anonymity.
In fact, I am the founder of the fellowship and not just the owner of this Web site. To say one and not the other is a partial truth and dishonest.
I think it's very important that I follow the 12 traditions, which is why I started this thread.
Points in favor of keeping PA connection out
I am not an expert on 12-step ethics. Reading comments from other PA members with more experience, my impression is that you can technically keep PA out by careful wording of your endorsement, but that you are walking close to the line in some people's interpretation.
More importantly, you have always placed a value on your anonymity in the group, and this does not seem to be sufficiently important to justify breaking that anonymity.
Since you have authored a book for which you are already identified as author (whether by real name or pseudonym), why not use that as your credential? Just say that "...endorsed by _____, the author of ________".
If you want to stretch just a bit farther, you could add "and other works on procrastination" since your essays here are indeed public writings on procrastination, and they represent your writing not group opinion. However, if you think this is again walking close to the line or just don't want to have to field the question "WHAT other works?" then just leave that out.
It's good that you are putting forth your opinion in support of another author, even if their book isn't "the ultimate" writing on the subject. I'm only suggesting leaving PA out since it appears that you find some discomforts with doing so. I support your decision whatever you ultimately decide.