The Trouble With Books (part three)

7th March 2010

Clouds over traditional publishing and book shops are casting shadows over the physical book. In parallel, the age of print-on-demand and rise of consume-on-demand continue to pose challenges for content creators (writers) and distributors. All change and all the same; people can still write and get themselves heard and known. Can, B-friended by hundred’s (possibly thousands) of people around expressions of self or common interest; projects, products or services; what they write, how they write, who they write about. But, when we’re all broadcasters and our collective noise screams louder and louder for personal attention, what does it all mean? There’s so much content around but there’s less space to hear it or appreciate or contemplate it. Unheardwords – is still about the new writer and new writing (most recent freelance initiative focuses on writers and writing). Is still in an evolutionary phase, reviewing where it fits, in the context of fluid change. It was once a simple exchange for the ideas of lesser channelled writers. It was once a platform for writing by new writers. It was once contemplating becoming a publisher. And in a way, it remains all of these whilst not fixing on any of these as sole endeavours. For me, this seems to sum up the contemporary writer, publisher, vendor world. Don’t fix what you are just yet, carry on adapting, rolling with the pace of change. The site holds onto a heartfelt belief; that the writing is all important. It’s through writing that people will make a difference. The form, the length, the formality matter far less than the act and the output. Let me reiterate, as is my way. The style. The new. The push. The thriving. Genuine. New. Original. Different writers are going to be bigger than the medium. It’s the content and not the package that matters. Topics I and unheardwords' readers / contributors are still fascinated by are things like: how do you establish and promote yourself as a writer (nowadays – in contemporary and varied ways). Somewhere unheardwords weaves in and out, fits in through the rolling programme of content everywhere, Borders going into administration (see part one), the idea for bind-on-demand, the falling away of the currency of the physical book, content viewer replacements such as audio, ereaders and touch screen devices. And, generation next - recent talk has been of the role of email diminishing, as those coming through abandon the long in favour of the 100 plus character shorter or instance forms. We live the change and, What ever the writing, and however it is formed, still unheardwords exists to encourage the new.

© Khome, 2010 (all rights reserved)

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