Today we live in the digital age. We have reached the point where our lives would be unimaginable without the Internet. We rely on it so much these days that our dependence sometimes borders on addiction. However, the Internet is slowly blending into our lives. It has come to influence every aspect of modern life. So, of all the things the Internet is influencing today, what impact does it have on modern literature? Also, has the Internet killed literature? With the Internet, a feeling of availability prevails. And to a certain extent it's true: fifteen years ago it would have been impossible to write a book today and publish it tomorrow. Or want to read a bestseller and have it immediately on your Kindle. Additionally, the digital age has brought many changes to the publishing industry, and the biggest of these has been the phenomenon of self-publishing. LOOKING BACK… Looking back to the early days of the publishing industry, we can see that the novel started it all. So it was the novel that created mass markets. For example, Daniel Defoe with his Robinson Crusoe, considered the first English novel, was a middle class writer. He cared little about tradition and antiquity, so what he did at the time was considered novel: he popularized the common man. From that moment on, the novel spread and evolved into numerous subgenres and is today the most important form of writing. Furthermore, another example from history, a century later and a continent away, would be Samuel Langhorne Clemens, or more widely known as Mark Twain. Likewise, Twain fought against established literary standards and witnessed changes in the publishing industry in the 19th century. “Look for...... middle of the paper... on the other hand, what impact does it leave on literary standards? Just because something is popular and available, does that mean it's good? For a piece of writing to prove to be good literature, some time must pass and then its value can be established. Although e-books are cheap and fast, only time can gauge their true value. CONCLUSION However, a good legacy will remain, that is: books are read. Just as it is easier for authors to publish them, it is easier for readers to purchase them. A good book is a good book, regardless of the form in which it reaches the reader. “It won't suddenly be horrible because it's self-published, and it won't be amazing just because some agent or publisher seems to think so. It will have to prove itself to readers, one way or another.” In conclusion, love for the written word, in any form, will prevail.