BTT: Literary Evolution (Part 1)
This week’s post asks you to:
…[do] something a little different today–
First. Go read this great article from Time Magazine: Books Gone Wild: The Digital Age Reshapes Literature. (Well worth reading.)
Second. Stop and think about it for moment. Computers and digital media are changing everything we do these days, whether we realize it or not, and that includes our beloved books.
Third. DISCUSS!
To be different, today, I’d love to see a discussion here (at the BTT post), rather than scattered amongst all our separate blogs. Because this is an issue that affects ALL of us, and I’d really like to see us hash out the merits and demerits of this evolution.
Hmm… Very interesting article! It’s a lot to think about, really! So, here are my scattered thoughts about what I read there…
On the one hand, I like how the book publishing world is evolving, especially since I’m a wanna-be author! If it’s becoming mainstream for authors to self-publish, that leaves me with more hope of getting my amateur work read! I like the idea that I could just put my book ‘out there’, and have it be enjoyed by the people, even when a publisher might not think it’s “good enough“.
I haven’t had a look at sites like FanFiction.net, but I’ve heard about them. And, while I like the idea of not having to go the ‘traditional’ route to publish, I’m not sure I like this sort of thing. I’m still really leery of letting just anyone read my work. I still like copyright laws and all that jazz. 
Of course, I love the thought of books becoming cheaper and more accessible! This is one of the big reasons I’ve loved being an independent book reviewer — I get access to TONS of new books, and don’t have to fork out millions for that access! All I have to do is provide a fair, decent opinion of that book for the sake of publicity. And, I’m happy to do so! It’s a fair trade, IMHO!
As far as all books going digital, though, I’m not on board with that one at all! While I like the idea of something like the Sony Reader, especially because it’s space-saving, convenient, and a bit cheaper, I also don’t want to lose my “old-fashioned”, paper-bound books! I want the best of both worlds! And, I think that’s doable! It’s where we’re at right now. I’m with those who like the feel of a book in their hands, and the sound of turning pages, and the musty smell a book gets after a while. Heck, I even love the brand-new-book smell! 
So, I guess, overall, I’m torn… I’m sitting on the fence on this one. I love the thought of having options — being able to get books cheaper, and being able to have the convenience of the e-book readers. But, I also want my good old-fashioned novels, too. I like the look of those books on shelves. An e-reader just isn’t the same. But, yeah… publishing could stand to loosen up a bit, too… be more open-minded and not so “survival of the fittest”.
To see more for this post, see Part TWO here… I’ve responded to what everyone else wrote in part two.
