In the past couple of years, the demise of the book has been lamented, as more people gravitate towards the Internet and digital technology. E-books and e-publishing have taken center stage in the literary world, with traditional book publishers, editors and agents sweating their future. The book, of course, isn’t dead; it’s just changing.
Chris Rechsteiner, founder and chief strategist for BlueLoop Concepts, actually sees a bright future for books, albeit in a different format. BlueLoop is a research and advisory firm dedicated to helping companies establish market positions in the ever-expanding universe of digital media. Rechsteiner says the debate about form is “seriously misguided.” While everyone’s arguing about HTML vs. apps, etc., he says, the function of reading is being seriously disrupted by the convenience of Twitter, Facebook and a host of other new elements – and few people are paying attention. I’m not a big Facebook or Twitter fan, although I have accounts with each, just for the sake of it. People need to rediscover the ease and joy of real reading and not limit themselves to cell phone text messages. Read the rest of Rechsteiner’s opinion here.
Chief Writing Wolf 