To say that writer/blogger Andrew Keen is a contrarian might be an understatement. In his latest book, The Cult of the Amateur: How Today’s Internet is Killing Our Culture
1. What is the premise for your book, The Cult of the Amateur?
My premise is that user-generated-content on the Internet (Web 2.0) has no economic or aesthetic value. Rather than rewarding talent, it feeds on the narcissism of our current cultural climate. Cult is a subversion of the original Web 2.0 subversion; it is Adorno-for-idiots. I argue that rather than amusing-ourselves-to-death, we are now expressing-ourselves-to-death.
2. You refer to yourself as “the anti-Christ of Silicon Valley” yet you’re an avid user of social media. How do you explain this seeming dichotomy?
My next book is a cultural analysis of social media. You can’t understand social media without participating in it. Besides, you can’t be a good evil “anti-christ” without indulging in a few unholy dichotomies of your own.
3. A recent blog post from you proclaims “Blogs are dead.” What’s next then? How can authors best promote their work online?
What’s next is real-time media like Twitter and Friendfeed which will transform blogs from static textual websites into platforms for live interaction with one’s audience. Authors need to aggressively promote themselves in this real-time environment. It’s an ideal place for writers to show off their talent. Any writer not on Twitter should have both their hands chopped off. In the 21st century, the shy and the reticent will starve.
4. What’s next up for you? Is there another book project on the horizon?
Yes, a book (maybe with an audio commentary and some videos too) about the broad cultural forces that have shaped the current social media revolution. Everyone always says this is the next big industrial revolution. I think that’s true. So the challenge is to explain how and why today’s digital revolution is both different and very similar to the industrial revolution of the mid 19th century.
5. In your opinion, what do traditionally published book authors most need to know about where the publishing industry is headed?
It’s generally going down the toilet. It will be just as bloody, perhaps even more so, than the music and newspaper businesses. Problem is that most people in publishing fetishize the physical book. And—like the physical newspaper or the vinyl long-playing record—the analog book will become an increasingly marginal high-end product.
Writers, then, have to become broadcasters and video stars if they are to remain viable. Words will matter in the future, but so will sounds and images. Ugly, mute writers, therefore, should probably switch careers. It’s gonna be very bloody (funny and awful).
-Maria Schneider
Agree? Disagree? Let’s hear it in the comments.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m trying to ignore that he used the word, “idiot” but other than that, I thought his comments on the new digital age were right on. It is a scary time for authors. Mr. Keen didn’t do anything to reassure us. But, some shock therapy toward a new paradigm is always a good thing.
I wish he would expand on how blogs will be replaced by the use of Twitter and Friendfeed (never heard of it). But maybe that is in his book.
Hi Mary,
Yes, some of his language is definitely over the top, but I see him as a satirist who uses that to draw attention to his ideas.
I’m going to work on getting some more info about Friendfeed.
Make that 3 who have never heard of Friendfeed. Sounds like an RSS reader, based on its name, but I could be way off-base.
Anyway, I agree that what he says is over the top but potentially true and certainly worth thinking about. Already I think there’s some evidence that an author (in addition to his/her book) has to be market-able, but to what degree? I also don’t know that writers will have to be “broadcasters and video stars” to stay viable. As with most things in life, though, looks can only help.
So only good looking extroverts need apply. To listen to Mr. Keen I may as well throw in the towel. Instead, I’ll respectfully disagree.
~jon
Keen has good observations, about Adorno and narcissism etc, but I disagree with the remark on “fetishize the physical book”. I still think there are technical, practical and psychological if you will advantages for print.
cf. Reading from paper versus screens: A critical review of the empirical literature
A Dillon – Ergonomics, 1992 – dlist.sir.arizona.edu
regards from the Netherlands
Despite the invasion of a personal computer in something like 85-90% of the homes, pencil companies remain in business.
The point is that for people to switch en masse to an electronic medium for their reading pleasure it’s going to take more than Kindle or other such electronic readers have to offer. It isn’t hard imagining something with a pleasing texture and form that may supplant a paperback for the public’s reading pleasure, but until you can take it on the beach, stuff it carelessly in your luggage or accidentally spill your morning coffee on it and keep on reading, electronic gee-gaws will not surpass books in popularity and widespread use.
–John