Just Can't Take This Anymore
Unit: Publishing Practice 212 - Writing for Computers
Ramble about chapter 7 of that damnded C-2-C book.
Ramble about chapter 7 of that damnded C-2-C book.
This is why I only commented on chapter 4 before even thinking about picking up chapter 7. (yes, its a weird reading schedule, but I'm mostly sticking to it) I am biased by now, most like, but this book irks me something nasty.
Let's see what benefits this chapter would like to offer. Authors will become responsible for the appearance and layout of their own books. Add to this the fact that anyone will be an author and, oh dear, what horror. Let's face the fact that not everyone has a good idea of what actually looks good. The majority of writers I know are just that, writers, and would admit any form of design work is beyond them. The one exception is my graphic designer co-author, whose dual abilities far outstrip my own and make me cry. But therein lies the point. Most authors are not also graphic designers. Most would not know how to make their stuff look good and let's face it, we do judge a book by its cover. You need only think of those god-awful websites that exist now to understand what I mean. (You know the ones, bright blue writing on brighter blue backgrounds, with flashing fuschia/yellow headings) Imagine if they got to design their book. You just know some fool masquerading as an author will get it into their head to make their pages pink and their writing green. The horror.
As for publishers, well apparantly anyone would now be able to become a publisher at no cost. Right, so, my university degree is redundant and I don't even have it yet. On the flipside, at least I will have a publishing degree and, I hope, some measure of publishing training. And for all those people who don't? Not only will we let them be their own graphic desginers, but publishers also. The absolute horror.
Where is the professionalism of this industry going? According to C-2-C models, straight out the window. As an arts student, I think we have a big enough fight for recognition and credibility, without all this shit making it so much the harder for us.
And what, I ask, happens when writers (note, not authors, because that takes something special) choose to market their work (note, not books, because they're not books unless they are physical holdable books) as something its not? There is a big enough debacle over truth and fiction as it is marketed now. Who will be held accountable? And how will it be prevented? At least now publishers (some of them are not doing so well, I admit) are the gatekeepers.
Think of the horror that will befall us.
Books are books. You have e-books, which aren't really books, but they're e-books because they're electronic versions. But d-books because they are digitally printed? No. No, no, no, no.
I began reading this chapter feeling like I've seen this bit before. Then, it occured to me. The authors didn't correspond with each other over the content of their separate chapters. There was no overseeing editor. They wrote the same damn chapter in at least 10 different versions, through lack of communication and professionalism that should be in place in commercial writing. Apparantly they would prefer a book industry that has removed all of the trained publishers, editors and graphic designers. Which is just [censor language]
I hate this book.
Admittedly, I didn't finish chapter 7. I couln't read it any more. COULDN'T!
Let's see what benefits this chapter would like to offer. Authors will become responsible for the appearance and layout of their own books. Add to this the fact that anyone will be an author and, oh dear, what horror. Let's face the fact that not everyone has a good idea of what actually looks good. The majority of writers I know are just that, writers, and would admit any form of design work is beyond them. The one exception is my graphic designer co-author, whose dual abilities far outstrip my own and make me cry. But therein lies the point. Most authors are not also graphic designers. Most would not know how to make their stuff look good and let's face it, we do judge a book by its cover. You need only think of those god-awful websites that exist now to understand what I mean. (You know the ones, bright blue writing on brighter blue backgrounds, with flashing fuschia/yellow headings) Imagine if they got to design their book. You just know some fool masquerading as an author will get it into their head to make their pages pink and their writing green. The horror.
As for publishers, well apparantly anyone would now be able to become a publisher at no cost. Right, so, my university degree is redundant and I don't even have it yet. On the flipside, at least I will have a publishing degree and, I hope, some measure of publishing training. And for all those people who don't? Not only will we let them be their own graphic desginers, but publishers also. The absolute horror.
Where is the professionalism of this industry going? According to C-2-C models, straight out the window. As an arts student, I think we have a big enough fight for recognition and credibility, without all this shit making it so much the harder for us.
And what, I ask, happens when writers (note, not authors, because that takes something special) choose to market their work (note, not books, because they're not books unless they are physical holdable books) as something its not? There is a big enough debacle over truth and fiction as it is marketed now. Who will be held accountable? And how will it be prevented? At least now publishers (some of them are not doing so well, I admit) are the gatekeepers.
Think of the horror that will befall us.
Books are books. You have e-books, which aren't really books, but they're e-books because they're electronic versions. But d-books because they are digitally printed? No. No, no, no, no.
I began reading this chapter feeling like I've seen this bit before. Then, it occured to me. The authors didn't correspond with each other over the content of their separate chapters. There was no overseeing editor. They wrote the same damn chapter in at least 10 different versions, through lack of communication and professionalism that should be in place in commercial writing. Apparantly they would prefer a book industry that has removed all of the trained publishers, editors and graphic designers. Which is just [censor language]
I hate this book.
Admittedly, I didn't finish chapter 7. I couln't read it any more. COULDN'T!
posted by Daebereth at 2:39 am
2 Comments:
I'm very glad you are finding the text for this unit so engaging.
I find that it rouses my passions for writing. It just makes me a little... overpassionate, and then I cry. Engaging? Perhaps. Frustrating. Certainly.
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