Publishing has gone through a revolution – it has completely changed – and yet it’s exactly the same as it always was.
From the first days of committing the written word (in graphic or written form) down onto a surface mankind has constantly striven to share knowledge with one another.
What has happened with ‘digital’ is the promise that we were given a glimpse of with DeskTop Publishing (DTP) – the ability for anyone with ‘everyday’ technology to speak immediately to others. Only this time; this instancy is to the entire world.
We can now write, orate or otherwise record ourselves and share this with our fellow man so they can watch, hear, read this material.
Not only this, but our thoughts can rapidly be transferred from the internet to other media – in a diversity and at qualities never before imagined – never mind available.
And yet, despite this, the basics haven’t changed – how to tell stories, how to communicate, the use of language and the emotions involved – the raw ingredients have stayed exactly the same. Also, so have the rules. The law is largely the same in it’s application equally to all works published – intellectual property, libel and the freedom of the press, for example.
So – why WePublish?
That’s simple – to give everyone in Leeds and the region around it who is involved in publishing – from the humblest diarist through part-time bloggers to professional writers and content creators of the many kinds – an arena in which to share ideas, experience and to discuss the future.
We hope that this will allow those attending to find new allies, create relationships and imaging future projects and other collaborations.
I work in publishing and use modern media to communicate my ideas and artworks – I am looking forward to finding out how others approach the problems and situations find themselves in.
Cheers!
Jon Eland
WePublish chair