« Publishing: Future of Reading & Writing »

Margaret Atwood, one of my all-time favorite authors (The Handmaid's Tale, The Blind Assassin, The Robber Bride and many others), was in Rochester NY recently to speak on the subject of being a writer and a reader in the digital age. A few weeks ago, she was keynote speaker at Rochester Institute of Technology’s three-day Future of Reading Symposium June 9-12, 2010.

Atwood, age 70,  expressed a less than enthusiastic commentary on e-media. She seems to view it as a necessary evil, acknowledging that she is a somewhat reluctant blogger and she does, in fact, tweet.

She empathized with contemporary writers caught between a half-dozen forms of less-than-lucrative publishing (including ebooks, audio books, and print-on-paper books). She noted people are still reading, which is good for society. But, she lamented that increasing numbers are reading ebooks because “they’re cheap and can reach you immediately.” That trend, she says, has had the unfortunate impact of turning today’s writers into mere “content providers” judged on the quantity that they produce.

Being a writer myself, I share some of the indignation Atwood expressed in her keynote address. But, perhaps because I’ve built a career on journalism and marketing/advertising writing, my leap from “writer” to “content provider” has not been as seemingly unjust. While I am quite skilled and successful at the craft of writing that I practice, I’ve always viewed the words I deliver to clients as “providing text” (not all that different from “providing content”). I’ve always written text to fit a predetermined need and fill a predetermined space. I view my work as equal parts art, craft and discipline.

What I lament IS NOT the new digital platform for writers (honestly, I'm grateful there’s still work out there for writers). The sad part for me is the steadily shrinking opportunities to write for print projects. I cannot overstate my love of print-on-paper marketing projects, advertising and magazines. I love the permanence of it. I also love all that goes into making great printed materials -- the art, the science, the seriousness, the team effort needed to bring a project to fruition. Those elements simply do not exist to the same degree in the digital age.

But, thank heaven, the readers are still there. Reading. Absorbing. Understanding. Engaging in dialogue. It’s a bold new world. Whether you’re international power-author Margaret Atwood or freelance copywriter Trish Fischer, the response must be the same: adapt or perish. You may not love the digital world like you loved the recent past days of print. But, with time, you’ll learn to like it. There simply is no other choice.