First Post

I’m an author. I also happen to know a lot about the culture of Openness–you know, open source, open education, open content.

I’ve seen the recording industry, the television industry, and the movie industry struggle as they move into the digital age. One particular thorn has been a compulsory form of openness–piracy. However, the shift to digital has also opened up some exciting new business models for these industries—models that benefit both traditional publishers, as well as artists.

Stillframe via Flickr

I’m starting this blog because I think the publishing industry’s turn has finally arrived. The Kindle, the iPad, podcasting…all of these technologies have serious ramifications on our industry—new models around openness are emerging all of the time. Right now we in the publishing industry have a choice; we can either be apathetic towards these models, we can fight them in hopes of preserving the status quo, or we can educate ourselves and embrace the new opportunities.

This blog is for editors, agents, publishers, but especially authors. These posts will attempt to describe the fundamental shifts that are happening in our industry, examine the models that are emerging, and teach you how to take advantage of the new opportunities.

Eric Hoffer said, “In times of profound change, the learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.”