Can Books Survive in this age of electronic madness?
Sure they can. But only if publishers adopt Wark's perspective and provide new ways for people to encounter the written word. We need to stop thinking about the future of publishing and think instead about the future of reading.
Every other form of media that's gone digital has been transformed by its audience. Whenever a newspaper story or TV clip or blog post or white paper goes online, readers and viewers begin commenting about it on blogs, snipping their favorite sections, passing them along. The only reason the same thing doesn't happen to books is that they're locked into ink on paper.
http://www.wired.com/techbiz/people/magazine/17-06/st_thompson
Stop thinking about future of publishing and think instead about future of reading.
Publishing and publishers have sought to abandon the present by embracing the past. Authors are being shortchanged by shortsighted marketing plans and an out of date view of who the customer really is, where they live and what they want.
The future of publishing is a broad, positive and exciting place, full of new challenges that give way to new markets, new marketing and a two way communication vehicle that lets authors dialogue with readers to understand what the reader wants to buy.
"Fear Not," the angel said, because the shepherds would automatically fear the unknown ahead. That advice is as true today as it was in Bethlehem.
At WillowCreek Marketing, we connect authors to their readers and build lifelong relationships that enhance and promote positive communication to create stable and profitable, long term, customers.
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6 days ago
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This is a profound post. Just communicating with the next generation is a challenge. I find myself texting and IM'ing my 13 year old when we are both in the same house! I think the future must be electronic because historically, we are moving more and more in that direction.
ReplyDeleteThe future is bright and plugged in!
Sonya Lee
Audio Books, eBooks, and Kindle downloads are here to stay.
ReplyDeletePublishers who choose to stick with ink and paper, brick and mortar, will eventually see their sales dwindling away.
Still, readers are by and large loyal to the authors they read and (for fiction) the Characters and Worlds they enjoy. So it may take longer than music and video did.
Good post.