Books & Busy Lives Adapting to changes in reading habits Susan Danziger CEO

Key points There’s a crisis in the book industry Opportunities from digital innovation Take-aways

There’s a crisis in the book industry

Opportunities from digital innovation

Take-aways

A personal journey…

Should we be worried? People are reading fewer books People are buying fewer books Reading skills are declining More fun elsewhere? Is there something wrong with books? (Or with publishers?  )

People are reading fewer books

People are buying fewer books

Reading skills are declining

More fun elsewhere?

Is there something wrong with books? (Or with publishers?  )

We are reading fewer books Source: National Endowment for the Arts: To Read or Not to Read , 2007 % of literary readers among college graduates 1982 82% 1992 75% 2002 67% % rate of decline -18%

People are buying fewer books Sales of books (by volume) declined by 6% between 2000 and 2006 Consumers are spending less on books Down from $33 to $28 between 1985 and 2005 Source: National Endowment for the Arts: To Read or Not to Read , 2007

Sales of books (by volume) declined by 6% between 2000 and 2006

Consumers are spending less on books

Down from $33 to $28 between 1985 and 2005

Our reading skills are in decline % of College Graduates Proficient in Reading Prose Source: National Endowment for the Arts: To Read or Not to Read , 2007 1992 2003 % decline Bachelor’s degree 40% 31% -23% Graduate degree 51% 41% - 20%

% of College Graduates Proficient in Reading Prose

More fun elsewhere? Modern diversions TV, video, film Video games Social networking (e.g. Facebook) IM RSS Email Not time intensive Interactive, social and cool

Modern diversions

TV, video, film

Video games

Social networking (e.g. Facebook)

IM

RSS

Email

Not time intensive

Interactive, social and cool

Is there something wrong with books? Too long? Too expensive? Too daunting? Not interactive? Not customizable? Not social? Not cool? CAN WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? YES, WE CAN!

Too long?

Too expensive?

Too daunting?

Not interactive?

Not customizable?

Not social?

Not cool?

CAN WE DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT? YES, WE CAN!

Understanding the reader… Readers are changing Increasing and varied commitments Time-starved Short attention span

Readers are changing

Increasing and varied commitments

Time-starved

Short attention span

“You just don’t get me…” “ I’m a technology user, you need to be too!” E-mail RSS Twitter Instant Messaging Facebook

“ I’m a technology user, you need to be too!”

E-mail

RSS

Twitter

Instant Messaging

Facebook

“I want books the way I want them!” Print (when I’m in bed) Audio Books (when I’m driving) Mobile Applications (when I’m on the go) Kindle (when I’m traveling) DailyLit (when I only have a little time)

Print (when I’m in bed)

Audio Books (when I’m driving)

Mobile Applications (when I’m on the go)

Kindle (when I’m traveling)

DailyLit (when I only have a little time)

“Other media understand me…” My need to personalize Tivo TV on-line 20% of all Americans watch TV on the Internet* Double two years ago Films on demand iTunes – buy by the song *Source: The Conference Board Consumer Research Center, 2008

My need to personalize

Tivo

TV on-line

20% of all Americans watch TV on the Internet*

Double two years ago

Films on demand

iTunes – buy by the song

Personalization of Books: “ I want to read on my own time”

“Give it to me now!” 11% of DailyLit readers use the “send me next installment immediately” feature and the number is growing

11% of DailyLit readers use the “send me next installment immediately” feature and the number is growing

“You’re actually listening…” Longer installments RSS feature “To read” lists Ratings/Reviews

Longer installments

RSS feature

“To read” lists

Ratings/Reviews

Reaching out to our readers… Forums Comments to Own Blog Other Blogs On-line surveys Twitter

Forums

Comments to Own Blog

Other Blogs

On-line surveys

Twitter

“I love being heard!” Wikipedia Tours

Wikipedia Tours

“ ¡muy bien!”

“Hey, can I send it as a gift?”

Flirting with books… Make it social Make it fun Make it cool

Make it social

Make it fun

Make it cool

Twitter Initiatives

Collaborate and Innovate Publishers Booksellers Technology companies Others (corporations, libraries, etc.)

Publishers

Booksellers

Technology companies

Others (corporations, libraries, etc.)

A spark of knowledge a day…

Collaboration in Action

DailyLit on Viigo

“ Don’t charge a lot – free is even better!” Free books Public Domain, Creative Commons Original DailyLit content, e.g. Wikipedia Tours Pay-Per-read titles Ranges from $4.95 to $9.95 Experimenting with higher-priced titles

Free books

Public Domain, Creative Commons

Original DailyLit content, e.g. Wikipedia Tours

Pay-Per-read titles

Ranges from $4.95 to $9.95

Experimenting with higher-priced titles

“More free please…”

“Got it?” #1: Appreciate the changes in your readers’ lives #2: Be a user of technology #3: More formats = more opportunities #4: Personalization – key opportunity #5: Create dialogue with your readers #6: Collaborate and Innovate #7: Make reading cool!

#1: Appreciate the changes in your readers’ lives

#2: Be a user of technology

#3: More formats = more opportunities

#4: Personalization – key opportunity

#5: Create dialogue with your readers

#6: Collaborate and Innovate

#7: Make reading cool!

Presented by: Susan Danziger CEO [email_address]

Susan Danziger

CEO

[email_address]