4. Digital writing and the future of text

At a time when literature is questioning its aims and means, when authors are looking for an audience and publishers are worried about falling book sales, it's worth considering the role of digital technology in the changes underway. Digital writing is set to expand, and its media to diversify. The digitization of existing texts is well underway. It is part of a more general movement affecting all media. The day is not far off when digital libraries will be able to rival traditional ones. There is no doubt that this evolution will give rise to new ways of distributing and appropriating texts, which will take their place alongside the ways in which paper books are circulated and read. In its current form, the e-book seems capable of ensuring a seamless transition between the present and the future. The first titles offered by operators are classic books. But new reading habits will emerge,...