You say you want a (digital) revolution?
Thomas T. Astrene, Publisher | TLT Inside TLT February 2009
The publishing world is undergoing a change that will forever alter the way we send, receive and use information.
When we asked TLT readers to list their favorite works of science fiction for this month’s Sounding Board, the top two answers were Star Wars and Star Trek. Many members noted that the technology in those two franchises either has become reality or soon will be.
When it comes to publishing, our readers are spot on with that forecast. Just as you never saw a sheet of paper on the bridge of the Enterprise, many media experts are predicting that digital publishing will completely replace traditional paper-and-ink printing. The only question is how soon.
Exactly how the Old Media vs. New Media battle will play out is anybody’s guess, but there’s no doubt we are at the precipice of a publishing revolution that likely will forever change the way we generate, access, send and receive information.
I believe this revolution could rival Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press. We are rapidly approaching a time when virtually any piece of non-classified information can be instantaneously delivered in a matter of moments to some form of wireless electronic reading device.
At the heart of the revolution is a perfect storm of technology and demographics. Every day more and more people are choosing some form of electronic media as their preferred way of receiving information. Every day we hear about yet another way of accessing information electronically, be it computer, cell phone, PDA or wireless reading device.
And, yes, younger people very much are the impetus for this revolution. This group has neither a fear of technology nor a sentimental attachment to paper and ink. Digital is their language.
One thing is certain—Old Media is hurting. Traditional print newspapers and magazines are struggling for both circulation and advertising revenues. Some media experts predict that within the next 18-24 months, a major U.S. city will not have a daily newspaper.
Meanwhile New Media—content delivered digitally through some form of electronic media—is flourishing. Readers like this media because of its immediacy. Advertisers like it because they can include audios and videos in their ads and link users to their Web sites.
The digital revolution is virtually unstoppable because of the many advantages it offers. Digital publishing costs less, is faster, offers more convenience and portability, gives readers more editorial choices and removes fewer resources from the planet.
Many of you undoubtedly have heard about Amazon’s Kindle, a paper-back-sized wireless reading device that allows users to access books, magazines and blogs in a matter of minutes, often at a fraction of the regular price. By the way, the monitor is not back lit, so you can read for hours without eye strain. Sony has two versions of this device. As of this writing Kindle sales are on a two-month backorder, and the next iteration is said to be magazine sized.
Think about the possibilities these technologies offer. Those of you who are parents—how much did you spend on textbooks for your high-school or college student? How much do those textbooks weigh? Now picture a world where you can download hundreds of textbooks into a wireless reading device that weighs 10.3 ounces—for a fraction of the price.
As someone who makes his living in the publishing industry, I find all of this staggering. Mr. Spock had his Tricorder, an electronic device that gave him seemingly any piece of information in the galaxy at the precise moment he needed it.
The publishing revolution is making this a possibility even for us non-Vulcans. Imagine having the ability to access any book, magazine, newspaper, journal, blog, reference guide, technical specification—literally any piece of information—instantaneously any time, any place.
Even for those of who don’t work in outer space, this is a whole new world.
Happy reading,
Tom
tastrene@stle.org
