What's Happening? What's New? What's Evil?
Check out the latest articles, AI powered podcasts and curated lists below:
Joan Westenberg: The endless flood of MAGA memes isn’t some grand strategy — it’s a chaotic shitstorm. Progressives keep overanalyzing, but the truth is, it’s just a troll mob throwing anything at the wall, hoping something sticks.
Listen to an audio podcast discussion about this article (powered by AI).
Walter Rhein argues that traditional publishing is dead and will never return. The digital era has transformed writing, making it more accessible and less reliant on traditional gatekeepers. He suggests that writers should embrace the direct connection with their audiences, avoid the inefficient system of traditional publishing, and focus on building a following. Rhein argues that the modern writer has a greater potential for success due to a larger audience, greater diversity, global reach, instant delivery, no printing costs, and tremendous opportunities for visibility.
Listen to an audio podcast discussion of this article (powered by AI).
Walter Rhein - AI Podcast
Stephen Moore. Viewing almost any webpage online is shit — and even worse on smartphones. The internet is so polluted with inescapable ads, banners, autoplaying videos and more that trying to navigate most sites is unbearably awful. Many sites and apps are borderline unusable.
Stephen Moore
Read below our lists of articles by Medium writers we follow on topics of interest to our audience such as writing advice, politics, evil things happening in the world and more.
Editors note. The topics, content and opinions in these linked articles are those of their authors. Read at your own discretion.
Featured Book.
The Burning Tower
The Burning Tower follows Bryony, a Princess condemned to die after her people lose an ancient war, leaving her as the last of her family alive. A young adult (YA) book by Perry Wyatt.
Publishing Conference - call for papers
Background. The demise of the English language Welsh 'cultural' periodicals Planet, New Welsh Review and others has caused considerable consternation in Wales and questions about the path followed and priorities of cultural funding agencies. In addition, some aspects of the Welsh Books Council support for the sector is perceived to be 'not fit for purpose', dated or misdirected.
Purpose. The purpose of the conference is to bring together industry professionals and interested parties to discuss 'what's next' and to find 'innovative' ways forward for book and periodical publishing in Wales.
Although in an online dominated age threatened by political interference/ineptness, over reliance on grants, BREXIT, AI, unsustainable rises in production costs and a catastrophic drop in long-form 'reading' by the tictoc video generations, seems to spell doom for the industry, particularly in Wales, there are positive signs and innovations that should encourage publishers to adapt and thrive and these are the avenues which the conference wants to address.
Action. If you want to keep in touch, have an interest, or want to participate, you can let us know by emailing us or completing the form below. More details, venue, confirmed presenters and attendance cost - TBA soon.
