The emergence of new information technologies, in particular the Internet, has triggered new ways of writing and new ways of reading which are breaking away from traditional conceptions of the book as a printed final product. As these new conceptions give way to reconceptions of the book, they are reshaping the creative process by which books are written and read. As new notions are fostered, the creative spirit of writers and readers and the function of books spans out in many directions and takes many different shapes, spiralling the creative process away from publishing circuits. The very importance of the contract- based and technological nature of the printed book industry becomes diluted amidst a variety of alternative forms that have broadened the industry beyond its traditional boundaries.