How Will We Read: Textbooks?
“Technology has great potential for improving individual and aggregate performance of the educational system” - Vineet Madan (Photo courtesy of McGraw-Hill Education)
It isn’t my imagination. My children’s backpacks got heavier with the weight of those textbooks over the past few years. And I don’t think the weight of student backpacks are just my concern. I heard a rumor that even tiger moms are advocating for lighter school backpacks.
So what have I tried as a solution to the problem in my home? Purchasing an extra set of textbooks (expensive!). Trying to convince my kids that a rolling backpack is cool and won’t trip up their friends in hallways (no way Mom!). Trying to purchase the superman-strength backpack model available with bottoms that won’t blow out and straps that won’t tear off in one semester (still looking). Trying to understand why we can’t lighten things up a little with some innovative help from technology (I like the sound of this idea).
Three out of four parents with school-age children recognize the McGraw-Hill name in education. How does a leading provider of learning tools plan to help learners worldwide attain the 21st century skills they need to succeed and perhaps lessen their loads in the process? I had the opportunity to discuss this with Vineet Madan, Vice President, McGraw-Hill Higher Education eLabs, where he leads digital strategy across the company.
How will the evolution of technology affect the way students use textbooks in school?
We have been evolving our products and services along with the technology that has been deployed in schools. If we look back at the CD Rom days, we were doing interactive science programs which combined the textbook with media elements such as video and audio clips which came along with the book. That was state of the art in digital education.
Over the past couple of years, as the markets we serve have become equipped with better technology, we have moved a number of those stand-alone resources onto the web. The next steps were to consider what teaching and learning could become, using the tools and content we’d already developed. This meant envisioning experiences that were exclusively web based. We now have science and math products that are completely web delivered. We have personalized learning programs such as The Power of U that can assess each student’s skill level and determine how each can progress through lessons most effectively, i.e. a personalized GPS for a learning experience.
With The Power of U we focused on math instruction. We took our field-tested content, and matched that up against where students are in their learning progression. For example, all students in a third or fourth grade class need to learn the same things by the end of the year, but the reality is that all students don’t learn the same things in the same way and at the same pace. For some students, reading the material and then doing an online tutorial session may be very effective. For another student, a high engagement and retention level may be about working in a teacher facilitated group with four or five students. We are able to track how students are doing in each of these different modalities and understand the skills that they still need to master for a curriculum, which in this case is math. That’s an example of ripping the spine off the book, taking advantage of the data that’s available, and building a new learning experience with what we believe will be significantly better learning outcomes.
“Personalization will help break the performance rut associated with today’s industrial production model of education.” - Vineet Madan
(Photo courtesy of Perry Township Metropolitan School District)
What are you doing to help teachers develop the skills to use these new products effectively?
We are looking at the teacher side of this in a couple of different ways. We’re collaborating with some of the schools of education to ensure that future teachers have access to the new products, tools, and training they’ll need before they start using them in the classrooms. The bigger issue concerns teachers who have been teaching for some time. We’re investing a lot of resources in professional development, product training, and product support. As we move further into software based learning tools in school environments, the onus is on us as well as on the school district to ensure we’re providing fully satisfactory levels of product training and product support. You can’t put online products out in the field where teachers don’t have ways of accessing support in real time.
Can you share an example of how technology can enhance a teacher’s experience in the classroom?
We have a new social studies product that officially comes out in January called Networks. It is a mix of a print and digital offering, and can actually be customized to be more print or digitally centric depending on teacher choice. There are tools built into the digital program that help the teacher with lesson planning. It makes sure that the topics teachers choose track against common core standards and the things that the teacher needs to measure. In an offline world, teachers have to do this manually. We are using software to make that a more efficient and supportive process for them.
“We now have science and math products that are completely web delivered.” - Vineet Madan (Photo courtesy of The Dwight School)
What are your predictions in terms of the shift from the printed textbook to the online textbook in the next 3 to 5 years?
Let me talk about what I think can happen and then what I think will happen. The availability of tablets and computers here and abroad in schools is still very limited. I think the average number of students to a computer in the US is 3 to 1. First of all, you need to have better computers in schools, you need to have greater bandwidth available, and teachers have to be ready to use technology in their teaching process. Those things must be in place first before the instructional model will change significantly. Children are generally comfortable using technology. The K-12 education market has not quite caught up to where consumers and many of these younger learners already are. So I would say that in the next three years, a significant amount of investment needs to be made in technology infrastructure and training. Some school districts in the US are making those investments now, but it isn’t happening universally.
So what is happening now, and will continue to happen, is the use of interactive whiteboards (nearly ubiquitous in UK classrooms now) and projectors to bring a digital experience into the middle of the classroom. The live integration of audio, video and simulations at point of instruction enhance lesson delivery.
As price points for digital devices drop and they become more widely available in classrooms, we’ll see a shift towards more guided and supported learning where individual students will navigate through a personalized content experience with guidance from teachers and from the software itself. Personalization will help break the performance rut associated with today’s industrial production model of education.
Final thoughts on McGraw-Hill Education’s digital focus going forward?
As a company, we believe technology has great potential for improving individual and aggregate performance of the educational system across all of our markets around the world. We are sharply focused on developing the educational technology that will have greatest impact in the teaching and learning experience. We believe that if the teaching and learning experience is facilitated with technology, student performance will be tracked at a finer level, and as a result, we can tailor more of the instruction to individual student needs. We have documented how our individualized learning tools used in education can result in significant student performance improvement levels — close to a full grade improvement. We are focused on refining our technology and making it broadly available to students and teachers at every level, anywhere in the world.
Vineet Madan and C. M. Rubin
C. M. Rubin is the author of the widely read online series, “The Global Search for Education,” and is also the author of three bestselling books, including “The Real Alice in Wonderland.”
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read: Newspapers?
“Nothing replaces a good editor, and I would add, a good visual editor, creating the news for the reader so that it makes enjoyable and interesting reading.” — Francois Dufour
There are many more ways to read news material these days, thanks to the Internet. The Internet makes news easy to get, requiring nothing more than the click of a mouse or the touch of your finger. The Internet gives us many more places to get our news, whether that is the online version of our favorite newspaper, our favorite blog, or one of many social media outlets. The Internet also allows us to focus in more depth on the news that really matters to us and simply ignore all the news that doesn’t. Since 2008, more people have gotten their news from the Internet than from newspapers, and the latter continue to decline.
So what does this mean for the future of those printed newspapers that keep piling up on the kitchen table or being thrown out often unopened? And if the adults are reading less of the printed versions, what will the younger generations be doing in the not too distant future?
If you are creative and innovative enough, you can re-invent any business in decline, right? Even the struggling business of printed newspapers? The creators of America’s bestselling curriculum-based product, Brain Quest, are proving that when it comes to kids and even their parents — yes, you can.
Using the funds made in America from Brain Quest sales (the phenomenon celebrates its 20th anniversary this year with 36 million copies in print), Play Bac launched Mon Quotidien, the first daily newspaper for kids, in 1995. Le Petit Quotidien and L’Actu followed in 1998. The three dailies currently have about 150,000 subscribers and 2 million readers in France.
Editor-in-chief and co-founder of Play Bac, Francois Dufour, recently chatted with me about his follow-up to Brain Quest and why he believes there is a future for printed dailies for kids.
What do you believe is so unique about your proposition for kids?
We have no competition in France. Le Petit Quotidien (7 years and up), Mon Quotidien (10-14 years), and L’Actu (14 and up) are the only daily papers available for kids aged 7 to 17, 6 days a week. Our concept is about getting kids to read for at least 10 minutes a day. In terms of our uniqueness? How about 99 percent of our readers keep all the issues. And how about 1 father out of 2 and 2 moms out of 3 also read our newspapers for kids.
“Our concept is about getting kids to read for at least 10 minutes a day.” - Francois Dufour
Why do you think kids enjoy them so much?
Kids love them because the content is not adult news explained to kids! It is news a nine or 12 or 15 year-old is interested in. We seldom feature an article on the same day it is published in adult news. One exception was the day bin Laden was killed. Also, I think kids like the fact that our papers are short (four to eight pages long). Our papers are also very visual. Finally, the journalism in our newspapers is serious. It is not childish.
Paper newspapers in this country are experiencing declines in their audiences. Can you give some examples of the kind of strong content you believe is attracting your audience?
I do a monthly survey of each newspaper with a panel of 200 readers. We’ve discovered that the youngest readers like to read incredible animal stories in the news. The next age level of readers likes to be surprised by news. An example of this is news that reveals new records, new discoveries, or new inventions. Our oldest readers like news about injustice, such as stories about the death penalty or DNA mistakes. And all readers like “parlez-moi de moi” stories, meaning stories about my daily life at school or at home where I (the reader) can identify with someone in the news.
“Our oldest readers like news about injustice.” — Francois Dufour
Are you intending to launch your newspapers for children on the Internet in the near future?
First of all, we will stay on paper because our audience really prefers to read on paper. Please note I said our audience prefers to “read” on paper not “communicate.” Second, parents want their children to stay away from the Internet for at least 10 minutes a day. Parents don’t ask kids to read our newspapers. Parents just subscribe to them. The paper then arrives with the postman every morning. Parents would not pay for another Internet activity!
How do you see the evolution of the newspaper market in France and Europe for printed children’s newspapers, online news, and downloads to eReaders over the next 3 to 5 years?
I do believe the revenues will continue to grow on tablets and eReaders. Our newspapers have been downloadable for a year already. But right now we only have 150 readers per day per app.
What opportunities are you pursuing internationally and what are your results to date?
We have licensees in English in Hong Kong and we are now expanding in Asia. We are also published in Arabic in Qatar. We’ll be expanding soon to other parts of the Middle East. We also do a weekly “best-of” in French in a Swiss Sunday paper, and in English in an Indian newspaper.
What viable role do you believe printed newspapers can play in the spectrum of media providing news information in the next twenty years?
I believe some older people will continue to read on paper (a luxury). At 49 years-old (before getting old!), I have given up paper for the iPad. When everybody has a tablet, I do not see a use for paper. However, the viable role is still the editor. People can choose to build their own news sources for instance on Twitter. But nothing replaces a good editor, and I would add, a good visual editor, creating the news for the reader so that it makes enjoyable and interesting reading.
Francois Dufour and C. M. Rubin
Photos courtesy of Play Bac
C. M. Rubin is the author of the widely read online series, “The Global Search for Education,” and is also the author of three bestselling books, including “The Real Alice in Wonderland.”
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read? The Book Makers
“We are at a very early stage in imagining the future of the book.” — David “Skip” Prichard
The publisher delivers a single file. With that file, Ingram Content Group will deliver the content globally in a variety of ways, whether as a printed book or as a digital file which will ultimately create books for every digital platform around the world. They have the industry’s largest active book inventory (access to 7.5 million titles) and the markets they serve include bookstores, libraries, schools, and specialty retailers.
What do the book makers believe about the future of reading? I had the pleasure of speaking with the charismatic President and CEO of Ingram Content Group, David “Skip” Prichard.
How do you see the growth prospects for books in all forms over the next five to ten years?
I’m bullish on the growth prospects for books. First, the demographics are favorable. We have an aging baby boomer population that should fuel reading. Demand for English-language books is also a positive long-term trend. Second, technology is increasing demand for books whether on digital devices or through the ease of buying books online. Enhanced e-books are only in their infancy, allowing authors to add alternative endings or interviews. Down the road, who knows what’s possible? Maybe we will have biometric devices that can sense your pulse and body temperature and change the plot based on your feelings — and you think Stephen King is scary now. Third, the very definition of a book is evolving. The information in books is fast becoming linked to other content in various forms, blending into articles, research, and other media. As books become part of the larger information landscape, they become both more relevant and more important.
Are there enhanced books available this holiday season that have already changed the definition of a book?
Yes, for example, a biography can to come to life in many ways. Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy has all of the interview audios, videos, photographs, text, and transcripts available. Even classics — Penguin has updated Pride & Prejudice with clips from the movie and even instructions on dancing. For the 75th anniversary of The Hobbit, HarperCollins released an e-version with exclusives including J.R.R Tolkien’s book illustrations and recently discovered Tolkien recordings. Publishers are still learning what added value readers will or won’t pay for. I expect we’ll continue to see lots of experimentation in this arena.
Does this mean authors will require different skill sets to create books?
Yes, there is definitely a demand for new and emerging skill sets. Publishing is full of creative types, including talent that is savvy about the new tools becoming available. The challenge is less about talent and more about the need to find the right business model. For example, you don’t want to create a book that’s very cool but too expensive for the average reader. There’s no limit to what can be done, but there is a limit to what consumers will pay for.
“We are able to print a book on demand within hours and deliver it the next day.” - Skip Prichard
How do you see the playing field for books evolving in the next five to ten years?
Three powerful trends in the last few years have been the growth of online retail, the rise of the e-book, and the explosion in the number of titles available. These will continue for some time. It doesn’t mean that all bookstores will close. And it doesn’t mean that the printed book is dead. What it does mean is that traditional bookstores will need to continue to be creative — change inventory, add more events, and make the local experience unique. Large print runs will diminish as e-book sales increase. Today, many printed books are created through the technology of print-on-demand, arriving in stores, libraries, or at home the day after printing. Finally, authors are finding new ways to reach markets directly. All of these potentially threaten players not adept at staying ahead of the changes. Fortunately, many publishers are ahead of the curve and already anticipating the next phase of growth. We are at a very early stage in imagining the future of the book.
What will be the effect on brick and mortar outlets? What recommendations do you have for these outlets?
Physical stores are redefining their role for the future by finding unique and compelling ways to differentiate the experience from online. Just as print and digital will find a balance, so too, will online and physical retail. My recommendation is, “Find your niche, your unique value proposition, and lock in your customer relationship experience.” The challenges ahead for brick and mortar outlets are not unique to bookstores. Almost all physical retailers are confronting these same challenges.
What will be the effect on publishing companies and what opportunities will this provide to authors for self-publishing?
Publishers are making changes and developing new models for the future. The publishing house of yesterday is being replaced as visionary publishers adapt to new ways to reach readers. Content creation will extend past the current definition of the book. With the explosive growth of books in recent years, the role of the publisher to select, edit and promote content is more valuable than ever. And the prestige of getting published remains for all authors and potential authors.
There are also more opportunities than ever for self-published authors as the barriers to publishing are lower than ever. Self-published titles are increasing in both print and digital formats. We’ve seen some self-published authors break into the bestseller lists. Interestingly, these same authors generally end up accepting lucrative publishing deals when they are approached.
“Three powerful trends in the last few years have been the growth of online retail, the rise of the e-book, and the explosion in the number of titles available.” - Skip Prichard
How can the book industry protect itself from piracy?
Piracy isn’t a new issue. In fact, the majority of pirated copies are from print books being photocopied and distributed rather than from the distribution of digital copies. Keep in mind that what separates books from other forms of entertainment: for those who can’t or don’t want to pay for books, they’ve always been available for free from libraries. The key is to continue to make books not only an engaging experience but also an affordable and easy-to-access experience. We need to make it easy for consumers to find and purchase books legally, meaning publishers must package and share e-content with consumers in formats they want to read without unreasonable restrictions.
Why should a book be your number one gift purchase this holiday season and what are your recommendations?
Books educate, inform and inspire. They cultivate curiosity, nurture the imagination, and promote a sense of wonder. Books are also terrific conversation starters. In addition, books keep on giving well beyond the day they are received whether to the original recipient or to someone else.
How is Ingram changing its culture to embrace the digital age?
We have been early adopters of a number of different technologies. Our print on demand business, Lightning Source, started fifteen years ago. As more books go digital, publishers will have to cut print runs. We are able to print a book on demand within hours and deliver it the next day. Last year we expanded to France. This year we expanded to Australia.
Ingram was an early investor in digital. We’ve had experience in digital for many years and expanded these services to include things like CoreSource, a digital warehouse for publishers. We can send an e-book to all the sources for digital devices, so a publisher does not have to worry about the logistics of file conversions, the bibliographic data about the book, and the security of delivery to consumer channels.
Ingram also purchased VitalSource, an electronic textbook platform that is our fastest growing business. We now have 2 million students using the platform worldwide. It’s transforming the way students interact with educational material. Textbooks come alive using video, audio, and text, and allow students to share notes. It has technology that allows us to tell a publisher: “Nobody is reading Chapter 8.” Or, “People like these three chapters best so you might want to expand them.” It helps the students learn better by engaging with the material in the way that they learn best.
We are watching the digital space carefully. We’re an active participant behind the scenes in this transformation. We embrace it and will continue to be a central part of it. Ingram sits as the center hub between the publisher and libraries and retailers. We get a wide view of what’s happening in the marketplace.
C. M. Rubin and David “Skip” Prichard
Photos courtesy of Ingram Content Group, Inc.
Visit Skip Prichard’s blog: www.skipprichard.com
C. M. Rubin is the author of the widely read online series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read: On Main Street?
“Independent book stores create interest by selecting a mix of products that the community is interested in seeing.” – Oren Teicher
Main Street is off to a promising holiday season, with online and in-store results indicating that sales in independent bookstores are well up for 2011 over 2010. Nielsen BookScan for Thanksgiving week showed an increase of 15.5% over the same week in 2010, and in-store websites powered by ABA IndieCommerce increased by 60% for Thanksgiving weekend (Black Friday through Cyber Monday) over 2010.
The challenges that independent book stores face this holiday season are the same challenges that most brick and mortar retailers will face. The good news is that independent book stores can always be relied upon for extraordinary entrepreneurship. As a result, many are already redefining their role for the future by finding new and compelling ways to differentiate themselves from online retailers. I had the pleasure of chatting with Oren Teicher, CEO of the American Booksellers Association, to talk about the key factors responsible for the resurgence of the main street bookstore, among other things.
How will we read in the future?
First of all, I absolutely believe that with all of the changes we are seeing in publishing, we will grow the number of readers. What we know about book buyers is that they behave differently at different times. They buy books in different places. They read different titles. If you’re a reader, you don’t read one kind of book nor do you buy your book from only one retailer. The anxiety that exists in certain circles about the book business that the digital format is going to make print books obsolete is nonsense. We think the formats are going to complement each other. In fact, we believe the formats will not only complement each other but will help each other grow and become stronger. An analogy that is often used is the movie business. Back in the 1950’s, people thought that television was going to put movies out of business. Why would anyone go to the movies when you could watch television in your living room? Fast forward sixty years, it’s clear there’s a pretty strong movie business in America and a pretty strong TV business. These are different formats, and they do complement each other.
What trends are you seeing in terms of categories of books moving more quickly towards the digital format?
There are obvious categories that lend themselves to the digital format. I think genre fiction (mystery, romance, and science fiction) lends itself to the electronic format because people are much more interested in immediate access to the latest titles and far less concerned about having a physical copy of the title on their shelves. In non- fiction you’ve got travel books, which is another example of a category for which there is a real advantage to having the content in an electronic format. However, I think we should be careful about drawing too many conclusions from the current trends. We don’t have enough data to really know what is going to happen. Last holiday season, millions of readers got iPads, Kindles, and Nooks. In January and February 2011, we saw a significant decline in sales in bookstores. Time passed and some people still loved their new devices, but in addition, after playing with them for a while, others decided e-readers weren’t for them, and now those devices are collecting dust in their drawers. We expect this holiday season there will be another avalanche of e-readers. And a certain number of people are going to consume books in a digital format, but I think it is too early to know how many. In the end, I think a very large number of readers will end up reading books in both formats.
How will the ABA participate in the Ebook revenue opportunity?
For almost a year we have had a partnership with Google. There are around 350 member stores that use our e-commerce platform to sell digital content, and we are selling Google eBooks across the network of participating indie bookstores. What we have learned is that it’s a lot more about the device than we originally thought. We’re aggressively in the process of trying to develop a device that our members can sell as well. There are of course many devices, and we will work with anyone who can assist our stores to sell digital content. As you know, the major publishers have adopted the Agency Model (i.e. in the agency model the publishers set the price and designate an agent—in this case the bookseller—who will then sell the book and receive a commission on that sale). With regard to the sales of digital content, under the agency model the publishers are setting the price. If you search for an e-book title on an ABA member’s website and then you search for the same title on another retailer’s website, you will find in very many cases that the price for content is the same. The agency model has leveled the playing field.
“A growing number of Americans understand that supporting their local businesses is good for the local economy.” – Oren Teicher
How did the loss of Borders affect your members?
There are millions of customers who were shopping in Borders who don’t have a store today. Clearly for our members that was an opportunity. And despite all the quantum leaps forward with technology, nothing beats a physical bricks-and-mortar store to browse and discover new titles. Independent book stores pride themselves on being interesting and exciting places to shop, where you can meet knowledgeable and passionate booksellers. It’s an environment people like to come and hang out in. Independent book stores create interest by selecting a mix of products that the community is interested in seeing. They also are very active in hosting in-store events, which attract people to the stores. In addition, they may form associations with local coffee shops, restaurants and art galleries. These are the things that bookstores do to connect to their customers. Also, a growing number of Americans understand that supporting their local businesses is good for the local economy.
What do you believe are the major challenges facing a large chain of bookstores such as a Barnes & Noble?
I think it always makes more sense to talk about one’s own strategy, but I think that does speak to your question. In today’s world, bigger is not necessarily better. The advantages that our members have are that they are able to be nimble and can adapt quickly to change. They are not saddled with massive square footage of stores that are expensive to operate. In this area I think we have a competitive advantage. Also, technology 20 years ago was a problem for independent booksellers. The large national chains could afford systems and we couldn’t. However the cost of technology has come down dramatically. We now operate websites for 350 stores. We use state of-the-art point of sale systems and tracking systems. We’re able to get books to our customers within 48 hours. The book business is changing so fast. Being smaller allows you to adapt quickly and change more easily.
Oren Teicher and C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of American Booksellers Association)
How Will We Read? Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read: Children’s Books
“In 5 years you will have an entirely new marketplace of digital reading material for young children, in all new forms” - Karen Lotz
Karen Lotz is the Group Managing Director of Walker Books Ltd., a London-based company that includes the children’s publishing companies Walker Books UK, Walker Books Australia, US based Candlewick Press, and a children’s television development unit, Walker Productions. She is the President and Publisher of Candlewick Press. The Walker Books Group is one the world’s largest employee-owned publishing companies, and it has a unique business model that includes more than one hundred and fifty authors and illustrators in its profit sharing. I recently interviewed Karen regarding the future of children’s books.
What is your estimate for children’s e-books and print books over the next 3 to 5 years?
The children’s books market was estimated to be over $3 billion in sales in 2010, approximately 25% of the overall book market. We are beginning to see traction for digital sales of young adult fiction, though children’s as a whole is well behind the adult marketplace in terms of what percentage of new releases might be purchased in print versus e-book. Over the next 3 to 5 years, I can imagine that digital will trump print in the majority of cases rather than the exception. Currently a lot of adults, as well as teens, buy new young adult books in digital form, which is a really good thing in terms of expanding our market overall. Teens are purchasing more than ever before as reading devices proliferate, and from Candlewick’s perspective we’ve also seen some significant growth in middle-grade digital purchasing during 2011. Picture book publishing in digital form is still in its infancy, but that too will change more quickly than we can imagine. In 5 years you will have an entirely new marketplace of digital reading material for young children, in all new forms - some of which we can’t even envision yet.
Sales in children’s picture books seem to have fallen in the last decade. Do you believe this trend will continue with e-books?
It’s interesting to hear that statistic, because from my perspective, it’s not so true. Some of the most successful picture book publishing has happened during the last decade, a period during which we basically doubled in U.S. revenues as a company, and it’s been a catalyst for our growth. For Candlewick Press and Walker Books globally, picture book investment continues stronger than ever, and our sales are also very strong, even given the loss of some key retail partners that supported picture books, such as Borders in the U.S. and U.K., and some key chains in Australia. Our other partners, though, including the U.S. independents, are as strong as ever. We do excellent business in China with picture books, and our first Chinese picture book that we’ve brought in, A New Year’s Reunion, has just been recognized as a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year. The market for young adult fiction has grown, but it does not seem to me that it’s been at the expense of picture books, as others suppose. Without loving picture books, kids are less likely to grow up to love chapter books or graphic novels, and so on. Reading starts here: that’s our picture book publishing motto.
“We must continue to support the importance of reading to our children as a culture” - Karen Lotz
What will Candlewick’s products for young readers look like - for print, e-readers, and tablets? How much emphasis are you putting on digital products?
We consider digital editions to be simply another format. We have a very organic process for determining which books go into e-books, just like we do for hardcovers, paperbacks, novelty books, and board books. Every department at Candlewick is involved in making sure that the quality of our e-books is superb and equivalent in every possible way to our beautiful print editions. It is a much more intensive process than simply scanning a page and distributing it in digital form. One aspect of e-books that we have agonized over is typography. Thank goodness, technology is now catching up to enable more graphic choices, and to once again open the doors for a unique aesthetic of presentation. Decades, even centuries of wisdom about typographic choice go into the design of each print book, especially when it comes to designing books for young children. How we learn to read has everything to do with what we see - and don’t see - on the page.
Do you see brick and mortar outlets (bookstores, school libraries) continuing to attract the youngest readers?
I believe brick and mortar outlets - and I love that you include libraries in that category - are going to be hugely important for the youngest readers going forward. The experience of being in a room full of books, for a child, is one of the most empowering and exciting experiences one can have. To look at a shelf of books, to pull one out because it attracts us, and to begin to read is a sacred and amazing process. We know from research that the process of reading aloud to a child is incredibly beneficial and cannot be replaced by mechanical interactions of any kind. Bookstores and libraries are the perfect venues for the communal sharing of books, within families and between professionals and children. I can absolutely see a world where physical book outlets will continue to be places of wonder for young readers, made even better through the best technology being added into the mix, but this will only be true if one thing happens: we must continue to support the importance of reading to our children as a culture. If we don’t, a much bigger future than that of bookstores and libraries is at stake.
What will the evolution mean for illustrators and authors of children’s picture books? For example, will sound, animation and interactive features become important? Will authors and illustrators become less dependent on publishers?
I really believe that in our new digital world, publishers have the opportunity to be what we always have been: book lovers, spotters and nurturers of talent, cultural drivers, great marketers, thoughtful salespeople, and fanatical caretakers of all the detail. Authors often have wonderful ears, meaning that music, speech and drama are often very natural to them. To employ their talents in new ways is an interesting challenge. For illustrators, obviously the choices and possibilities are endless - no longer being bound strictly by the 32-page forms of the printing presses, for example. But for those authors and illustrators who love the haiku of a printed picture book, and the challenges the limitations pose, I hope those forms will always be there too. They certainly will be there at Candlewick.
What are your favorite paper and e-books for children this holiday season?
When it comes to our books, I love them all! And with that, a lovely backlist title for families with siblings pops into my mind: You’re All My Favorites, by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram. Among our new books, the picture book I guarantee you’ll clutch with joy is I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen. For teens, there is a series by L.A. Weatherly that begins with Angel Burn — it’s very satisfying and highly addictive. For a true holiday classic to give as a gift, try The Flint Heart
by Katherine and John Paterson, illustrated in full color by John Rocco. It is one of the most beautiful physical books we’ve ever offered. This is a retelling of a fabulous early twentieth-century novel by Eden Phillpotts that established how the heartbeat of ultimate good and evil came to be buried in England’s dark moors, years before Gollum even found the Ring. My favorite quote from Phillpotts: “The universe is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our wits to grow sharper.”
Karen Lotz and C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of Candlewick Press)
How Will We Read? Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read: In Public Libraries?
“When asked to support local library funding measures, communities have done so, voting in favor of 87% of operating funding measures last year.” — Molly Raphael
Libraries across the United States need our help as they are being closed or having significant cuts made to their budgets.
The public library service has impacted each of us at some point in our lives whether as a child, a student or as an adult. It’s presence in our communities reminds us that there are places that deeply respect knowledge and artistic and cultural achievements; places that are much more important than economic profit because of the larger role they play in enhancing our society’s quality of life. And so, before you read my interview with Molly Raphael, President of the American Library Association, please take a moment to look at 10 important things you need to know about our American libraries.
- Americans go to school, public and academic libraries nearly three times more often than they go to the movies.
- There are more public libraries than McDonald’s in the U.S. (total of 16,604 including branches)
- 59% of adults in the U.S. have a public library card
- Reference librarians in the nation’s public and academic libraries answer nearly 5.7 million questions weekly
- Public libraries are the number one point of online access for people without internet connections at home, school or work (98.7% of public libraries provide public access to the Internet).
- Public libraries are one of the greatest equalizers for equitable access to information regardless of race, creed or income level.
- In these times of economic crisis, over 65% of public libraries provide services for job seekers.
- Americans spend more than twice as much on candy as they do on public libraries.
- Americans spend $34.95 a year for the public library (and check out an average of more than seven books a year)
- A public library provides a safe, warm, friendly place for a poor family to read with their children.
(Sources: American Library Association, Henmead Enterprises, Inc.)
Molly, What are the major issues facing public libraries as the digital evolution of books continues?
Rapidly changing technology, adequacy of financial resources, and changing demographics are three major issues facing libraries. Keeping up with the rapid pace of technological advancement is very challenging. Demand is rapidly accelerating for e-books. At the same time, many library users continue to demand print books and resources. Libraries must meet the expectations of both kinds of users with limited financial resources. Issues related to digital content are being addressed by a new working group we created in the American Library Association. The financial resources issue is a particularly important one because now there are even more demands on those resources in terms of what the public expects and the services we need to deliver. Library use is increasing, dramatically in some places, while many libraries are experiencing a reduction in funding levels. Communities are experiencing major shifts in demographics, which require new approaches to meeting community demand. Libraries have to adapt services and often have spaces which limit their abilities to offer effective services.
What do you see as your key goals going forward?
Keeping libraries central in people’s lives and meeting the expectations of people who use libraries are central goals. This means that each library has to pay attention to the community that it serves and make strategic decisions about where it should be going and how it should be allocating resources. Another goal is to make sure that library staff has the training and skills needed to serve people in this rapidly changing environment. So it is a hugely challenging but also a very exciting and rewarding time for libraries.
“Each library has to pay attention to the community that it serves and make strategic decisions about where it should be going and how it should be allocating resources.” — Molly Raphael
In terms of the challenges facing libraries today, can you speak to some of the strategies you have seen put in place by successful public libraries around the country?
If we think about how libraries operate and deliver services now versus 15 or 20 years ago, we know that they must make smart, strategic choices about the virtual library versus the physical library. Those strategic choices depend not only on financial resources and technology but also on the nature of the individual communities themselves. The changing demographics all across the country are also central to how libraries are now making strategic choices. For instance, if a community is a middle class community where lots of people have e-readers of some kind, there is likely to be far more demand for e-books than there is in a lower income community where people may come into the library to use the computers because they are dependent on the library to provide access to e-resources and the Internet.
I’ll give you examples of the kinds of strategic decisions libraries make. When Blu-ray came out, some libraries decided to skip this new format because they believed everything would be downloadable soon. If you invest in something and two years later technology has moved on, your investment in that technology isn’t worth much. Successful libraries today are spending a lot of time developing mobile applications because of how their communities choose to use services. You see websites for libraries that have a mobile app because they realize that’s how people are accessing those libraries. Investing in different ways of delivering services is a strategic decision.
Many libraries have focused on libraries as “place”, as centers of their respective communities. They’ve created wonderful programming in the library, turning it into a real cultural and educational center. Some libraries don’t do that because people in those communities have many other options, and those activities are just duplicative. Libraries need to engage with the local community and what are that community’s needs and aspirations, and look at what else might fit with the community as well.
Thoughts on the Google book digitization project?
Google Books has been a topic of conversation since it started. Now the intellectual copyright issues are in the courts for resolution. There are other digitalization projects that are also underway. Some only digitize books that are in public domain, so they don’t have the kinds of issues Google Books does. There is an effort that is being initiated at Harvard at the Berkman Center for the Internet and Society called the Digital Public Library of America (http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/node/7117). That project is looking at digitalization that would be comprehensive. This effort is in early planning phases, figuring out what the scope would be, the governance, and other key issues. I think the whole area of properties that aren’t born digital is going to be center stage for a while until a number of these issues get resolved. Libraries and library leaders are very interested and involved because digitization holds potential for making resources accessible in ways never imagined decades ago.
In closing, would you elaborate further on the importance of the two way street between libraries and communities?
In general, most libraries receive their funding from the local level. The responsibility that libraries have to pay attention to their respective communities is central to the success of each library. For instance, if you are a community that has a lot of at risk children, then putting funds into programs that prepare those children to be ready to read when they enter kindergarten is an important focus. If we don’t pay attention to the community, we can end up with library services that are not appropriate for that community. It’s not just connecting with the people who are already using the library. It’s also looking broadly at the different elements of the community and understanding how we might serve them better – how do we support and sustain services to small businesses, how do we contribute to lifelong learning, how do we support learning and development for children and youth, how can our services contribute to the advancement of different segments of our populations? What we see in terms of support for libraries is very heartening because it means those libraries have really connected with their communities. During this economic downturn, many libraries have struggled with funding issues, but often their communities have stood up and said, “Our libraries are essential and they need to be funded.” Examples of communities standing up and speaking out for their libraries can be found all across the country. Even in these tough economic times, when asked to support local library funding measures, communities have done so, voting in favor of 87% of operating funding measures last year.
Molly Raphael and C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of Kansas City Public Library and American Library Association)
How Will We Read? Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read: A Book by You?
“There’s never been a better time for an author to publish a book.” — Kevin Weiss
Write, edit, design, publish, market, sell your own book and book rights with highly experienced publishing staff assisting you? The self-publishing opportunity has changed significantly.
Book formats and channels of distribution will continue to evolve, but one thing remains constant in book publishing – it’s a hit or miss business. Even the most experienced editors and publishers agree you often can’t predict where the next hit is going to come from. The high risk of book publishing – the advances, promotion and printing in a market where brick and mortar chains are disappearing and thousands of new products are released every month — explains why fewer new authors and even established authors are simply not getting book deals anymore. But everyone has a story to tell and everyone should have the chance to have his voice heard.
Kevin Weiss, CEO of Author Solutions, is one of the major game changers helping to spur the fastest growing segment in the publishing industry today — the self-published author. I had the pleasure to talk with him about the new technologies and services that are helping more authors achieve their personal publishing goals, as well as helping traditional publishers and passionate readers discover new talent.
How large is the self-publishing business in the US market today? Can you break it into print books and ebooks?
I’ll give you a few numbers, and then I’ll discuss them in more detail. Last year, there were approximately 225,000 ISBNs created for traditionally published books. In addition, there were approximately 2 million ISBNs created for non-traditionally published books (including ebooks) that found their way into the distribution channels. Many of those ISBNs were issued to authors who were bringing books back into print. Because of that, we can’t say for sure what the actual new self-published book numbers were, but it is safe to say that number has likely increased significantly over the past few years. Also, the current industry tracking doesn’t enable you to identify the split between new print and ebooks. However, I estimate the self-published book market is probably around 150,000 titles in total per year. Of those titles, Author Solutions will publish about 30,000 titles this year, and all of our titles will be published as paper and electronic books for all platforms. The other main players are Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes &Noble, and Lulu.
What’s your forecast for ebooks over the next few years?
Ebooks will eclipse print books. Our authors’ revenue from ebooks is up tenfold from last year. I would expect that to go up another fourfold during the next twelve months. I would not be shocked if in the next couple of years we will see ebooks at 40% of the entire market. Look at all of the ereaders and tablets that we are seeing in the market today, plus the fact that the prices are starting to drop on ebooks. In addition, this Christmas, there are going to be millions more devices given as gifts. What’s the first thing you do when you have one? You buy a couple of books.
“We hire editors from traditional publishers, and they are very good at what they do.” — Kevin Weiss
Why should authors choose to publish their print or ebooks with Author Solutions?
There’s never been a better time for an author to publish a book. There are so many options available today, starting at publishing for free, using assisted self-publishing, and even getting picked up by traditional publishers, although that market is shrinking. Where Author Solutions fits in the continuum is we are an assisted self-publishing company.
Have you ever tried to upload Word documents to some of the ebook platforms that are out there? In many cases, it is a back-and-forth process. This can be very frustrating. In addition, some authors need help with cover design or creation of the galley. In other words, they want the added services that we bring to the table.
We also offer every form of editorial service currently on the market, including content and developmental editing. We have twenty people on staff in our editorial group, but we also have an extensive freelance editing group. We hire editors from traditional publishers, and they are very good at what they do. It’s a service that’s there for our authors if they wish.
We also offer marketing services for authors that want to build a platform around their book. Approximately 50% of our authors take advantage of some form of marketing service. One example is Hollywood. We have built an organization out in California that has deep connections in the film industry. We created a forum that we call Pitchfest where we teach people how to pitch their concepts to Hollywood executives. We have helped about 300 of our authors pitch their books. This is one example of a service, but we offer over 200 unique services across the marketing spectrum.
One secret of the industry is that the traditional publishing companies do not extensively market every book they publish. They expect the author to build the platform and bring it with the book. No-one is able to sell a book better than the author. The author is expected to invest in marketing. Self-published authors are no different – they have to invest in marketing.
Amazon has entered the hit or miss business with its Encore imprint. Is a traditional imprint in your plans for the future?
My boss asks me that on a regular basis. I don’t think we are equipped to pick what will be a hit in the marketplace. I don’t think that’s something we will get into. I’ll tell you what we do instead. We have publishing partnerships with six houses: Thomas Nelson, Hay House, Harlequin, B&H Publishing, Writer’s Digest and Guideposts. With these partnerships, we have created self-publishing imprints where authors make the initial investment, but the publishing partner watches the titles for those that may be worthy of being picked up. A number of them have already been picked up.
What about an author who is selling well? What capabilities do you have to further increase sales of those titles?
We have pushed some of our authors with increased marketing from time to time. There are a lot of great self-published books out there. When we see them we do our best to get them in front of the right audiences.
What are the major changes for Author Solutions in the future?
We’re seeing a huge explosion in our international business. The UK is seeing resurgence in growth. We launched in Australia and New Zealand about a year ago, are about to launch in Singapore and are currently doing final stages of due diligence for South Korea and Japan. We’re also seeing a lot of growth in our publishing partnership business. In the future, you will see us get into ebook-only kinds of imprints.
A lot of electronic books that come out today are not properly formatted. We want to come up with a better model for the electronic book that helps authors create better products. We’re also working on things in the audio area. I think there’s potential for DIY audio books. And finally, we want to build tools that help authors get discovered in this new world of eBooks.
I also believe that we are the largest self-publisher of children’s books in the world. We’ve done over 24,000. Children’s books allow you to do fun and interesting things with tablets, including using audio to prerecord parents or grandparents reading the book to a child. We’ve been able to turn pictures into puzzles, which then enables kids to interact further with the product. I think all this transforms the reading experience for young children. What we have also discovered is that kids are more engaged with the book for much longer and even learn new things.
Any special message to authors for the holidays?
There has never been a better time to be an author. You have more opportunity and choice than ever before. If you have been considering writing a book – do it! As Lisa Genova, author of Still Alice, who published with us because she could not get a traditional publisher to pick her up, said, “It just doesn’t do any good to leave that manuscript in the bottom drawer.” Thank goodness she didn’t because nine months after publishing with us she was picked up by Simon & Schuster and debuted at number 5 on the NY Times Bestseller list.
Finally, a message to all of the readers out there, support Indie authors. Encourage them through your purchases and comments. You will find some incredible reads out there.
Kevin Weiss and C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of Author Solutions, Inc.)
How Will We Read? Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read - In Book Chains?
“Waterstone’s is to the British what Barnes and Noble is to Americans” – C. M. Rubin
British businessman James Daunt gave up a career on New York’s Wall Street at the end of the 1980’s to occupy the world of bookshops — “the kind of bookshops he would like to visit” (shops, not stores, as Daunt likes to call them). If you’ve ever been to one of the 6 extraordinarily beautiful Daunt bookshops in London (a tourist attraction in travel guides) you will understand why people call James Daunt one of the all-time great booksellers.
Waterstone’s is to the British what Barnes and Noble is to Americans — the last of the UK’s major book chains, after Border’s collapse last year. Founded in 1982 by Tim Waterstone, the chain consists of 296 shops. In 1993, Waterstone’s was bought by its major competitor, WH Smith, which sold it to HMV Group PLC in 1998. Billionaire Russian businessman Alexander Mamut bought the struggling chain earlier this year from HMV and installed James Daunt as its Chief Executive.
Can James Daunt achieve success with Waterstone’s in face of its competitors and the evolution in the ways we read? I had the opportunity to discuss this with him.
James, how will we read in the future?
I think we will be reading books in all sorts of ways and probably reading the same books in different ways. You may well own a digital reader and you may be reading a book on a number of different platforms as well as in the paper book format. I don’t think it’s a question of the paper book disappearing . I think the paper book will continue to hold its own in some sectors. However, compared with today, our reading will transfer to a much greater degree to the digital medium.
How hard will it be for books continue to compete with all the alternative forms of entertainment in the future?
You are talking to the parent of two teenage children, so I know this is a challenge, and it has always been a challenge, even when I was a child. If the media by which you choose to do a portion of your reading is some form of electronic device, whereby with one swipe you have your entry into many other forms of entertainment, then clearly the challenge is much greater than it was in my day when television was seen as the end of reading.
For Waterstone’s to continue to be successful you will need to have strong digital sales and strong sales in your brick and mortar outlets. How do you plan to achieve this?
We are the process of finalizing the launch details of our own digital reader. The physical environment of our bookshops is very stimulating and that continues to have an enduring appeal to a certain part of the market. Our shops need to continue to earn their customer’s loyalty and be places of real recreation. People must choose to visit them because they love them. While customers are there, they will hopefully select our digital reader or tablet over someone else’s. Similar to the Barnes and Noble Nook proposition, we in the UK need to be making the same proposition to our customers. The UK is much smaller than the US and the density of our stores is much greater. About 87% of the UK population is within a 30 minute drive of a Waterstone’s and is able to visit one of our shops on a regular basis. So it is about us making the physical environment of our stores utterly compelling and therefore it is completely natural that you will use our devices to download your digital books.
“From a customer’s point of view, having someone who has sensibly and intelligently curated a book for him or her is hugely beneficial” – James Daunt
Prior to joining Waterstone’s, you ran your own bookshops recognized for their excellence in each community. Any changes planned based on this experience to the structure you find at Waterstone’s?
And extremely quickly! I am dramatically changing the structure of this business to propel exactly that transformation from which we have homogenous offerings throughout all our shops to one in which we are going to a local and regional selection of books. This is really to inject individual personality into each of our shops which I believe is essential. A homogenous offering works well with a limited range of products but the opposite applies with books. We are offered literally millions of titles and it is about creating a bookshop from amongst that large list that applies to the particular demographics of the store’s location. Of course, you must bring in the systems and the techniques that allow your booksellers to do this.
How important is the bookseller?
Booksellers are central to all of this. What are important about them are their individual qualities as well as their skills. I have now met the booksellers within Waterstone’s and the quality is exceptional. You are talking about people with a decade or two of experience and dedication to the job of selling books. Bookselling is a culture that motivated me to come to Waterstone’s.
Bookshops are part of the cultural fabric of this country. Bookselling is something you just get better and better at. From a customer’s point of view, having someone who has sensibly and intelligently curated a book for him or her is hugely beneficial .
If only we could lock the experienced bookseller into the ereader.
That happens if you choose your digital reader in a bookstore environment. I have a digital reader and I also like to own a real copy of the book. I don’t think it’s one or the other. I do think, however, that selecting a book in a book environment is still one of the most pleasurable places to do it.
An author no longer needs to go to a traditional publisher. An author can self-publish with highly experienced professionals guiding the process. How do you see the evolution of the publishing process with respect to authors and publishing companies?
I think the publishers still have an enormously important role. Part of it is the physical production of the book as well as warehouse and distribution. Publishers, in terms of the marketing and support that they can give a book, are important. Let us also not forget the process of editing the book. Helping the author who is trying to establish himself to deliver a great book requires genuine skills and these exist within publishing firms. Once you are established and have gotten the brand name, you see more people saying they can do it by themselves.
Do you anticipate dealing directly with self-published authors in the future?
I think that is possible. There are an enormous number of self-published authors out there and if J. K. Rowling decides to produce her own book, we shall certainly deal with her. I actually think that the big elephant in the room, the game changer in publishing, is much more likely to be Amazon. There is a clear dynamic within Amazon to dominate its markets. Then it may push towards the logical conclusion which I see as swallowing up the publishing industry. However, my money is on the publishing companies for the reasons I have already articulated. I do think that where the money is made in publishing will shift. Where there is rare talent, more money will stick to it as it does in most forms of culture.
Why should the consumer’s first choice of a gift be a book this season?
You give a book because it gives a tremendous amount of enjoyment. If you give your teenager a beautifully made book now, she will be able to pass it on to future generations. The literary fiction and non-fiction this year are extraordinarily strong. We’ve got a new Robert Harris. There’s a phenomena in the UK that is called Jamie Oliver. I suspect for us in the UK it will be Claire Tomalin’s Charles Dickens: A Life, Max Hastings’ Inferno, Simon Jenkins’ A Short History of England, Jeremy Paxman’s Empire, and the list goes on.
What will you be buying your daughter for Christmas?
I am on a highly successful drive with my teenage daughter, whom having gone through a phase of thinking that Facebook and You Tube were the only places to bury herself, has suddenly discovered Russian literature. So I am buying her nice editions of the great Russian classics such as Anna Karenina. I don’t know whether this drive will last but I am certainly going to milk it for all its worth!
James Daunt and C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of Waterstone’s)
How Will We Read? Community Page
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
How Will We Read? - The Book Given
The book given by Lewis Carroll to Alice Liddell for Christmas
On November 26, 1864, Lewis Carroll gave my relative, Alice Pleasance Liddell, a book he had written for her. He called the book Alice’s Adventures Underground after considering titles such asAlice’s Golden House, Alice Among the Elves, Alice Among the Goblins, and Alice’s Doings In Wonderland. Carroll had spent over two years writing and illustrating the book for Alice. It consisted of ninety-two pages covered with his print like writing as well as thirty-seven of his own pen and ink drawings. The book given to Alice Liddell would change her life forever.
It all began (as Carroll reminded his followers on a number of occasions) because of a 10 year-old girl who had encouraged Carroll’s storytelling for years, and in particular a story he told about Alice in Wonderland during a summer day’s picnic on July 4, 1862. Alice was continuously insistent that Carroll write the story down for her, which he eventually did and ultimately presented to her as an early Christmas gift. The book would also change Carroll’s life forever, but it might never have happened if a young girl had not inspired the previously unpublished children’s book author to write the greatest children’s book of all time.
There are over 20,000 books, films, operas, plays and video games based on Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. It is estimated that over 8 billion people have read or seen presentations of the “Alice” books. Lewis Carroll is behind only the Bible and Shakespeare in the number of quotations from the “Alice” books that appear in published discourse. In addition to the new adaptations of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Carroll’s and Liddell’s lives continue to inspire numerous new books, works of art, and film projects. And all because of “a book given.”
If the book given to Alice in 1864 was given today, just imagine the variety of different ways a creative chap like Lewis Carroll might have presented it to his Alice. Quantum leaps in technology have completely changed the way we write, illustrate, publish, market, promote and consume books. I find myself (like Alice) constantly curious and excited about discovering all the new products in the digital books wonderland, while at the same time overwhelmed by all the new found freedoms the technology revolution promises to offer me. Is the device simple stupid enough for me to connect with quickly in my already complicated life? Is it time to buy this tablet or this e-reader? Will I look out of date to my bridge pals when the new updated version is released in 6 months time? I also wonder whether any of us will recognize the content of yesterday’s “book” once the revolution settles down. Will writing for Google become such an integral part of the book marketing culture that creative processes are dramatically changed?
Amazon’s Kindle Fire
Between you and me, I yearn for some form of consolidation in all the craziness that would enable me to feel I can comment intelligently on what appears to be the longer term trends in the publishing model. One thing I know for sure: An entertainment business career which kept me moving through the theatrical, television, video, DVD, pay on demand and pay television formats taught me that we don’t stop watching great movies. As a passionate movie lover, I would argue that the changing technology enabled me to watch more great and even not so great movies than ever before, since I was able to do it more often thanks to a variety of formats that accommodated my ever-changing hectic lifestyle. In addition, those great movies that made that unforgettable connection and changed my life forever, I not only watched again and again, but I insisted on owning them in every possible format I could fit onto the living room shelf.
And so I don’t believe that passionate readers, like passionate movie lovers, will ever disappear. The way readers read will of course continue to evolve and change, but certain things about the cultural experience will not. For example, everything will still begin with the written word, and if that written word is to survive the test of time and change lives forever (like the book given to my relative in 1864), it will happen because of rare talent and creativity and innovative thinking in an age that is redefining how we shall read.
C. M. Rubin
(Photos courtesy of Amazon.com, Inc. and Henmead Enterprises, Inc.)
C.M. Rubin has more than two decades of professional experience in development, marketing, and art direction for a diverse range of media businesses. She is the author of the widely read on-line series, The Global Search for Education, and is also the author of three bestselling books, including The Real Alice in Wonderland.
Follow C. M. Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/@cmrubinworld
