Jan 23, 2009

DIY?

Time's Lev Grossman wonders if a radical transformation is really here for the publishing industry and what it might mean for the novel as a form. Interesting thoughts, particularly about self-publishing and what it means for the idea of traditional publishing as an act of cultural gatekeeping. We need gatekeepers, but who should they be, and where should the gates be built? (Why do we need gatekeepers? Because without them, it's a rush to the bottom, and also because without them, there would be so much noise that it would overwhelm our ability to distinguish what a culture thinks is valuable at any given moment.)

2 comments:

CRYPTORAMA said...

"Why do we need gatekeepers? Because without them, it's a rush to the bottom..."

Ummm...how do we know this is so?

"...and also because without them, there would be so much noise that it would overwhelm our ability to distinguish what a culture thinks is valuable at any given moment."

Same question as above.

Unknown said...

Same reason that you know you can't trust anything you read on wikipedia.