It seems to be that in the 21st century we are becoming quickly accustomed to investing a lot of our time into digital devices that the digital platform keeps providing for us as a consumer market. ‘The move into digital is all about e-books,’ (Dredge, 2012), this market is being embraced by all generations which also include young children. For children are now engaging in the digital aspect of technology from ages as young as three, whilst developing the skills to work devices, such as tablets and smart phones.
Consumers may be worried with the impact digital technology is having on the traditional business model of printing books but ‘early reports indicate that this content is not replacing traditional books, it’s replacing games,’ (Springen, 2010).
What may not seem to be an unusual occurrence anymore are children becoming digitally advanced, as data provided by Pearson (Hughes, 2014), shows that in 2014 the age range from 0-7 year old's are the ones most likely to being using a tablet over other devices such as an e-reader and smart phone. The graph also illustrates in comparison to the 2012 data that the tablet has increased drastically overtaking all the other devices such as, the PC, gaming, smart phones and e-readers within the same age range.
Consumers may be worried with the impact digital technology is having on the traditional business model of printing books but ‘early reports indicate that this content is not replacing traditional books, it’s replacing games,’ (Springen, 2010).
What may not seem to be an unusual occurrence anymore are children becoming digitally advanced, as data provided by Pearson (Hughes, 2014), shows that in 2014 the age range from 0-7 year old's are the ones most likely to being using a tablet over other devices such as an e-reader and smart phone. The graph also illustrates in comparison to the 2012 data that the tablet has increased drastically overtaking all the other devices such as, the PC, gaming, smart phones and e-readers within the same age range.
How can publishers take advantage?
E-books
Publishers have had to keep up with the digital times and generate products for the new market. As a result producing e-books for children is seen as a lucrative market. Children’s books tend to be categorised into groups aimed at different age varieties for trade publishing. These categories fall into, ‘baby books, picture/activity books, teen books, young adult and new adult,’ (Hughes, 2014) so the publishers audience is extensive.
With any digital product produced ‘reading digitally there is an expectation,’ (Eyre, 2014), into how reading should be read with the, ‘enhanced e-books,’ (Hall, 2013). The cross over from print to digital for publishers and ‘the ability to view visual material,’ (Hall, 2013), is a key selling point because part of how it looks will determine how well it sells and as a result generate sale figures and publicity.
Cross media story telling
A further exploitation of digital and print is cross media story telling. ‘Children expect a presence of a story across different media. There are many ways kids can consume a story,’ (Hughes, 2014). A huge success of this is books being produced into films or television programmes, as Hughes (2014), explains that the benefits of selling the rights, is that in the long run film and television help with the book sales. So even with digital slowly taking over the ways in which we publish the two platforms can also be beneficial to one another.
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Bibliography-
Dredge, S. (15th Apr, 2012). ‘Penguin, Macmillan and Nosy Crow Talk Digital Books for Children.’
[online] Available at: http://www.theguardian.com/technology/appsblog/2012/apr/15/digital-books-children-lbf-2012 (Accessed: 22/11/14).
Eyre, C. (17th Aug, 2014). ‘Digital Publishing and Children- Tipping Point.’ [online] Available at: http://www.thebookseller.com/futurebook/digital-publishing-and-children-tipping-point
(Accessed: 22/11/14).
Hall, F. (2013). ‘The Business of Digital Publishing: An Introduction to the Digital Book and Journal Industries.’ (p.120). Routledge.
Hughes, S. 2014. ‘Children’s Publishing in the Digital Age- Where Reading and Interactivity Collide’. [Lecture, Publishing Media Year 2]. Oxford Brookes University, 28th October 2014.
Springen, K. (19th Jul, 2010). ‘The Digital Revolution in Children’s Publishing.’ [online] Available at: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/childrens/childrens-industry-news/article/43879-the-digital-revolution-in-children-s-publishing.html (Accessed: 23/11/14).