At a The Bookseller conference, Andrew Keen, author of “The
Cult of the Amateur,” has lashed out against the tyranny of free content. Keen
warned: “The content business is in crisis, if you want to look
at the way it will go take a look at the music industry and newspapers, these
sectors have really been on the front-lines of a perfect storm: the problem is
that content has become simply an adjunct of advertising.”
He noted that this is a bad time for creatives because direct access to the audience also means “when you take away the gatekeepers everything becomes crap. Writers don’t get rich and famous on their own.”
His suggestion is that publishers fight back. “The future is the expert,” he said, adding that the challenge is no longer just selling the book but managing the talent and nurturing them through live events.
My guess is that another major implication is that we authors will have to take ever more responsibility for our own careers—a two-edged sword!
(Regardless of what happens in the future, being more creative and productive will help. For tips and techniques, sign up for my free monthly Brainstorm e-bulletin now--just send an email request to [email protected])
