A short presentation on the modern (digital) landscape for writers - filled with doom and gloom for existing structures, and unbridled optimism for reading & writing. Presented to the Writers' Union of Canada's AGM, June 4, 2010. Very brief slides, and I am not sure they are any use without me talking through them ... still, perhaps of use to somebody.

1. Four Reasons to be
Worried
and
One Reason to be
Optimistic
About Publishing

2. Panel on Social Media for Authors
at
The Writers’ Union of Canada
Annual General Meeting
June 4, 2010

3. I’m Hugh McGuire.
I have Twitter accounts. Here is one:
@hughmcguire
I have blogs. Here is one:
http://hughmcguire.net

4. Worry number one:

5. There are so many damn books published
every year.

6. Worry number two:

7. Publishers can’t support all those damn books.

8. Worry number three:

9. Readers don’t have any damn time to read
books anymore.

10. Worry number four:

11. Prices are collapsing. Damn.

12. Reasons for optimism, numbers
one two and three:

13. There are more people writing
and more people reading
than ever before
and you can reach all of them on the web.

14. Hugh McGuire
some places to find me online:
Twitter: @hughmcguire
http://hughmcguire.net
http://librivox.org
http://bitesizeedits.com
http://blog.bookoven.com
http://huffingtonpost.com
http://mediahacks.org