Foreword, the Book Design Blog, has posted an interview with me about the publication of the book and what it means for book-design in general.
Foreword: You’re allowing the book to be converted to HTML with customizable style sheets to suit an individual’s design/viewing pleasure. Do you see customizable books as a coming trend?
Doctorow: I see customizable data-presentation as an existing trend. We’re already accustomed to copying and pasting, resizing windows, up-sizing type. I think that when “book” meets “Web,” we’re not talking about a book anymore — just another text-file.
Foreword: Beyond that, where do you see the role of books going in our society? Will books become a swappable digital commodity, much like music has been and video is becoming?
Doctorow: Absolutely. I think that electronic text already dwarfs hardcopy text. More words are written and read off a screen today than off of paper.
