Published by deborah.woehr on 08 Mar 2006 at 01:55 am
What Technology Has in Store for Authors
Remember the days when you had to go on grueling multi-city book tours in order to get your books in the hands of a scant few people? Technology has boomed over the past ten years, thanks in large part to the Internet. This boom has spawned the ebook, blog, video and podcast.
Technology isn’t stopping there. Canadian author, Margaret Atwood, has created a digital handwriting device (called The LongPen) which records the author’s signature, zips it to a specified location, and uses a robotic arm to sign the book. Imagine conducting a virtual booksigning anywhere in the world from your hometown. Pretty impressive, huh?
The device is still in beta form and malfunctioned when Atwood tested it out at the London Book Fair. Once the bugs get worked out, this will be a cool asset to have in your PR arsenal.
I can’t think of a better time to be a writer. Can you?
Marti on 08 Mar 2006 at 5:04 am #
Oh wow! I own several of her books…I wonder if I could use the Star Trek transporter to get them there for autographs…oh wait they haven’t invented THAT yet LOL!
Indeed, this is a fine to be a writer!
deborah.woehr on 08 Mar 2006 at 7:45 am #
Give ‘em time, Marti.
Give ‘em time.
Karen Lee Field on 08 Mar 2006 at 2:31 pm #
I don’t think I like this idea. I certainly wouldn’t think anything of an autograph gained in this way. The author may as well organise to have the signature printed in the front of the book and be done with.
I’ll pass on this.
deborah.woehr on 08 Mar 2006 at 9:42 pm #
They’re already doing that with ebooks. The best part about this technology, as I see it, is that writers won’t have to spend thousands of dollars on airfare.
fredcq on 09 Mar 2006 at 6:22 am #
Can I have it write my next novel too?
deborah.woehr on 09 Mar 2006 at 8:43 am #
Hmm. That’s a nifty idea, Fred.