NEEDED: Literacy & Web Publishing Skills; the Earlier, the Better!!

I just finished reading a fascinating article in the Commemorative Inaugural issue of Time Magazine (2/2/09) regarding changes in novel publishing, "Arts: Books, Television, Short Lists (Grossman,pp71-74)" that really related to our course resources for the week. It is about the changes in traditional publishing and how first-time authors who are refused publication these days are publishing their own novels and selling them online. Traditional publishing houses are then "crowd-sourcing," or watching their sales and offering to publish (for millions of $) once interest is proven through online customers. I don't know about you, but this proves to me that students need literacy and web publishing skills more than ever. The article makes a good case for literacy, both reading and writing, being on the rise globally, due to the pervasiveness of the read-write web. Two-way written communication is critical, and will only become more so for our students, as will navigating and staying abreast of web changes.

Moreover, Grossman made an interesting comparison of the fact that while many people may be uncomfortable with online publication lacking the traditional controls of editing by scholars, the novel got its name as being something new and was even considered quite "vulgar and immoral" when it made its debut! Traditionalists in the 18th century did not trust the medium or its publishers at first, and look what it became in such a relatively short time! As an amateur historian, I loved the comparison. Imagine a time when reading about people's family issues, romantic involvements, and work lives was considered immoral, whether fictional or true... And, what a lesson against condemning new things before giving them a chance!