Talkin' about the RP digital generation
In this second part of my interview, I'm still talking to Carl Javier, business manager for UST Publishing House. Essayist, music reviewer, comic book fan, and all around nice guy, Carljoe's also one of the few young writers of the Philippine literary scene who's welcoming the digital future with open arms. I asked him a few questions on where the digital road will go vis-à-vis Philippine literature and the reading public.
You're generally known as one of the few writers willing to go digital in terms of publishing books. How or why did you come up with this stand?
Yes I am a proponent of digital books. I love my Kindle. And while yes, fine people still love sniffing books, I love the idea of carrying a library in my pocket, in the same way that I got a kick out of carrying my music library in my pocket when I got my first iPod. Does it diminish the content (in the case of iPods, music, in the case of books, digital readers)? I don't think so. And that's why I'm such a big fan, because it provides us with new experiences, new ways of experiencing our literature. I still love books, and I still hold onto my comic books (there's the page-flipping, the lay outs, the physicality of that I love).
Do you see a future of e-books in the Philippines? How do you see the Filipino writer AND the reader in the future?
I love technology, and I love how technology and enrich our lives. I am a tech utopian, and I think that the more ways we have to access content like literature, the richer our lives will be. The cost of books can be prohibitive sometimes. That limits readership. But if we can make books, reading, literature more accessible, then I believe more people will read. Sure some people will pirate stuff. Sure not everyone will buy. But that's not the thing. It's about getting people reading. And I believe that if we develop a sense of community, a feeling that we need to support writing, literature, and publishing, then people will pay for content, that this can continue to be a sustainable endeavor.
You're generally known as one of the few writers willing to go digital in terms of publishing books. How or why did you come up with this stand?
Yes I am a proponent of digital books. I love my Kindle. And while yes, fine people still love sniffing books, I love the idea of carrying a library in my pocket, in the same way that I got a kick out of carrying my music library in my pocket when I got my first iPod. Does it diminish the content (in the case of iPods, music, in the case of books, digital readers)? I don't think so. And that's why I'm such a big fan, because it provides us with new experiences, new ways of experiencing our literature. I still love books, and I still hold onto my comic books (there's the page-flipping, the lay outs, the physicality of that I love).
Do you see a future of e-books in the Philippines? How do you see the Filipino writer AND the reader in the future?
I love technology, and I love how technology and enrich our lives. I am a tech utopian, and I think that the more ways we have to access content like literature, the richer our lives will be. The cost of books can be prohibitive sometimes. That limits readership. But if we can make books, reading, literature more accessible, then I believe more people will read. Sure some people will pirate stuff. Sure not everyone will buy. But that's not the thing. It's about getting people reading. And I believe that if we develop a sense of community, a feeling that we need to support writing, literature, and publishing, then people will pay for content, that this can continue to be a sustainable endeavor.
About the Blogger
Joseph F. Nacino is glad to be writing in the Internet Age as it's greatly opened up the field. He used to work for the news media site Philstar.com and was once the editor for the content side of EYP.com, the local Yellow Pages directory. He's currently working for an online content company and doing work on the sidelines like writing science articles for kids. He also serves as the series editor for the electronic publishing firm Estranghero Press in his free time, given that it's his crazy idea. And he likes reading and writing interesting stuff, especially this thing called technology and how it affects people. You can contact him at jfnacino@yahoo.com
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