I don't think the standards for online publishing approach print publishing. I do think the top literary journals can survive by being bundled into packages that include e-pub for universities. This is how the top science journals are surviving. They still offer print versions, but they make their money by being bundled into subscriptions that big universities pay for in bulk and now you can get "e pub ahead of print" in many cases.
I span the gamut. I've published poetry in places like the Cimarron Review, I had an essay column for 2 years (the magazine is on life support/hospice since the financial debacle), and have a 2 book contract for children's novels. And I can tell you it's all in trouble, the entire spectrum of publishing. One of my dearest, best editors was fired right before she was going to win Employee of the Year award. It was simply financial desperation. The magazine had to pare costs.
I do not believe reading online is the right medium for poetry or essays or books or anything that requires slow, thoughtful perusal. In addition, ebook reading devices are not nearly as comfortable though someday they may be, as real books, where you can turn and fold pages, make notes in margins, etc.
Moreover--are these profitable ventures? Even literary journals managed, through subscriptions, and perhaps grants, to self support. Are editors earning a living at this? Are writers being paid? If online journals are exercises in donation so one can be published, I don't regard that as a successful model.
As Colin Robinson points out, the online experience sacrifices the writers to the readers. The writing just is not as good generally.
I don't see an easy solution to it when Twitter has "literary awards." Although Susan Orlean has a nice twitter page and apparently is using Google Docs and so when her hard drive crashed, she still had her new book material available. I'm thinking of looking into that. But Susan Orlean is a fine literary writer who will publish real books. The day I have to read Susan Orlean on line, I'm emigrating to another solar system. |
