The Need for Linkers

Sometimes when I am working on the book, I wonder if I am actually creating a dinosaur. After all, in July, Amazon.com announced that in the previous three months (April, May, June), it had sold more ebooks than hardcover ones.

All of which indicates that with the advent of the i-pad and the new cheaper versions of the Kindle and Nook, the era of the electronic book is upon us. Do you blame me for wondering if I am creating something that may be extinct before it even comes out?

I heard Jennifer Weiner interviewed on the radio the other day about her new novel, Fly Away Home, which is in the top ten on the NY Times bestseller list, and she joked that when her kids grew up, they would make fun of her for doing something so obsolete as working with words on paper. What's paper they may well wonder?

For those of you who are concerned about my book, rest assured that we have pounced on the publisher about an electronic version. The truth of the matter is that when it comes to epublishing, the technology hasn't quite caught up with the demand. Photos still look better when reproduced on paper, at least until the publishers invest in the technology that will make them catch up to the rest of the world.

In the meantime, consider the true future--something called integrated books, in which you press a link and you can hear the song a character was humming to herself, or see the magazine ad which inspired her to buy a certain dress or better yet, buy the same dress yourself.

We won't be known as authors--just linkers--because every plot twist will be linked to the one that took you in the other direction and every word will come with a definition and/or translation to Chinese.

Wow--not sure I can handle that. But what a career for those kids who grew up multi-tasking. A linker will surely become just as valuable as an editor if not more so and will be the new go-to publishing assistant.

Attention all English majors and generalists. There is a market for your fountain of knowledge. It just hasn't been invented yet but stay tuned. We should need you in about a week.