Where Has Your Pen Been?

This may be a question that some writers will be asking themselves in 2006. Margaret Atwood will be launching her new invention the LongPen, produced by Unotchit at the London International Book Fair in March 2006.

The idea behind the LongPen is that an author on tour will be able to sign books in one country and through a video feed and a machine be able to produce their signature and accompanying message for a book buyer halfway around the world. Author tours could then be reduced to larger centres only with video feeds to surrounding regions or countries. More book buyers will get author signed copies.

I know how draining an author tour can be and how much the time away from writing can affect the creative process but I also can't help but wonder if an author will have very much less contact with their audience. For me meeting someone who loved my book is part of what sustains me as an author. Ah, the dilemma of modern technology. As a writer, how do you feel about the invention of the LongPen?