E-Pub: Publication via the
Internet
Lance Curtis
With the growth of the Internet, society has
witnessed the electronic or virtual replication of practically everything in the real
world. Publication is no exception. While scorned by many, electronic publication has
permitted many to publish their work who otherwise were unable to do so. Much of what we
see on the Web has been called Acrap.@ Indeed, much of it is crap. But much of it
is also quality work which epitomizes those feelings ennobled by true art.
Electronic publication (referred to hereafter as
e-publication) attended the advent of the Internet, and by the mid-1990s e-publication had
grown. There were many advantages to publishing electronically, including savings in time
and money as well as the opportunity to reach a large audience, one which continued to
grow as more and more end users became connected to the Internet. Some predicted that
e-publication was the way of the future, the new paradigm that had come to conquer the old
and replace it with a new system, a new way of doing things. Instead, we note that
e-publication has served to augment the status quo. In fact, some would argue that we have
enriched the previous methodologies through an increased flux of ideas and participation
in the Great Conversation.
The advent of hypermedia and hyperized fictional
forms have expanded the artistic palette. A number of notable scholars have experimented
with traditional notions of space and time, two essential elements in traditional
narrative. Genres once too taboo for print media began making an appearance on the Web.
Now they have begun to blend together with more traditional formats. Virtually (pun not
intended) every conceivable combination has been performed somewhere. We also note
differing levels of assimilation of promising new technologies: Some sites feature work
which has essentially been transported onto a nice new background with buttons to navigate
through the text instead of pages to turn, whereas other sites have truly integrated the
features of electronic media into their work. Every shade of gray in between these black
and white extremes exists. Every audience has its recourse.
Not only e-fiction but also e-zines have invaded the
Web. Just like their counterparts in the world of print media, e-zines attract every
conceivable audience on the planet. In some cases, they come and go just as quickly as
many of their print relatives, while in other cases, they come and stay, providing a
strong presence in virtual reality. E-zines, which have a good hold on their audience,
will likely continue to grow just like their print cousins because the content is the
same, only wrapped in a new form. The only notable difference would be e-zines of
hypertextualized fiction, but even in this case, the essence of the idea remains
unchanged.
E-publishing has not confined itself to the
Internet, however. E-books have introduced a new way to experience literature in the palm
of one’s hand. With an e-book reader or an adapter, which can be downloaded for use on a PC,
e-books offer amazing versatility and a quick reach to massive amounts of information.
Unknown words can be defined instantly simply by selecting the word. References to notes
or other sources can be quickly followed at the leisure of the reader. And as many books
as memory will hold can be downloaded for use. An entire library can be held in the palm
of one’s hand.
Although these self-proclaimed bastions of
convenience have been available since the mid-1990s, e-books have not really made
the splash that early market analysts have predicted. One reason lies in society’s inclination towards
traditional technology. The feel of e-book readers presently on the market resemble more a
computerized schedule planner than what most consider a item of pleasure reading. There is
something about the feel of the book against the fingertips, the turning of pages every so
often, the smell of the binding, the weight of the book in one’s hands that provides a unique
experience which e-books cannot replace in their
present form. Nevertheless, researchers have been looking
into ways to duplicate that experience for readers in an attempt to increase the market
share for e-books.
Despite many problems (most involved with
shifting paradigms), the future looks bright for e-publishing. As e-everything turns our
reality into a virtual one, the audience for e-publications will grow. Still, this
transformation will take time. How much time depends mostly on two items: (1) how long the
older generation, steeped in traditional expectations of the reading experience, lives,
and (2) how many of the rising generations choose to eschew tradition and replace it with a new e-one.
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