Can authors survive if the printed book dies?
The Guardian has an excellently-reasoned (if not extremely depressing) article about the end of books and writers on its website right now — and if you haven't read it yet, you should.
The Guardian has an excellently-reasoned (if not extremely depressing) article about the end of books and writers on its website right now — and if you haven't read it yet, you should.
The article is a shortened version of Ewan Morrison's argument made recently at the Edinburgh International Book Festival that the publishing industry is in fatal decline. After reading the article, it's hard to disagree.
Check it out for yourself, but first read Morrison's rallying cry:
"I ask you to take the long view, to look a generation beyond where we are now, and to express concern for the future of the book. I ask you to vote that the end of "the book" as written by professional writers, is imminent; and not to be placated with short-term projections and enthusiasms intended to reduce fear in a confused market. I ask you to leave this place troubled, and to ask yourself and as many others as you can, what you can do if you truly value the work of the people formerly known as writers."
