The year of the writer

We have officially entered the age of the writer. At least writers now have the ability to bypass the traditional stranglehold of talent and access to audience that was the earmark of publishing for years.

Much has been said about the upsides and downsides of the increasing ease there is in self- or small press publishing. But one interesting aspect that I don't think has been addressed in terms of this literacy revolution is how this ease "democratizes" writing. No longer is writing the purview of the agented, the rich, or even the talented.

In fact, it could be argued that talent/originality and success in publishing don't go hand and hand. In my opinion, the ease in publishing means a complete upending of literacy in general.

Democratizing all media, from the written word to video to music, is here to stay. My question is, what model of success, fulfillment, or even progress can there be in this open access?  What transformation will we see as literate human beings?

Because I think we are on the verge of something pretty remarkable.

To read more about my "years" as a writer, you can find my books at http://amazon.com/author/Melissa