Digital Publishing Workshop Spinning Gold Conference Wellington, 18 September 2009 Martin Taylor Digital Publishing Forum http://digitalpublishing.org.nz [email_address]

About Me

What we'll cover The drivers of the industry today Where’s the money ? Special requirements for digital children’s books Some examples Technologies Some (almost) free things to get you started today Questions ( Optional ) Techie tutorial –– Under the hood: HTML/XML for beginners PLUS a 5-step, 15 minute D-I-Y website

The drivers of the industry today

Where’s the money ?

Special requirements for digital children’s books

Some examples

Technologies

Some (almost) free things to get you started today

Questions

( Optional ) Techie tutorial –– Under the hood: HTML/XML for beginners PLUS a 5-step, 15 minute D-I-Y website

Where digital reading is at today We’ve been here before The rise and fall and rise of ebooks Why it will be different this time PCs rule no more : cloud computing and the rise of the mobile web Big players are driving it: Amazon, Google, Sony, Apple … This time, it’s much bigger than books It’s still too hard : not for the faint-hearted (yet) (But publishers need to start now )

We’ve been here before

The rise and fall and rise of ebooks

Why it will be different this time

PCs rule no more : cloud computing and the rise of the mobile web

Big players are driving it: Amazon, Google, Sony, Apple …

This time, it’s much bigger than books

It’s still too hard : not for the faint-hearted (yet)

(But publishers need to start now )

The e-reading experience Characteristics of today’s ebooks Small, downloadable files, internet technologies Simple layouts, reflowable text, typically B&W Multiple formats (but ePub winning) Copy protection ( DRM ) Limited availability of titles Two markets Longer, in-depth, immersed reading Casual (“ interstitial ”) reading Amazon targets both: a sign of what’s coming E-reading doesn’t have to be better , just better for some situations

Characteristics of today’s ebooks

Small, downloadable files, internet technologies

Simple layouts, reflowable text, typically B&W

Multiple formats (but ePub winning)

Copy protection ( DRM )

Limited availability of titles

Two markets

Longer, in-depth, immersed reading

Casual (“ interstitial ”) reading

Amazon targets both: a sign of what’s coming

E-reading doesn’t have to be better , just better for some situations

Ebook readers today Amazon Kindle 2 (approx 500,000 sold, USA only) Sony Reader (400,000 sold, US, UK) Apple iPhone / iPod Touch (30 million sold In 80 countries)

Coming up Colour Will start to feature from 2010 Plastic Logic Large e-ink displays due 2010 with wireless, touchscreen E-ink can be printed onto flexible surfaces Netbooks may become a viable reading platform

Technology adoption lifecycle Rogers bell curve

US consumer technology adoption Source: New York Times 10 Feb 2008

What’s happening in New Zealand Very early days – but the right time to start ! Digital Publishing Forum initiative to accelerate development of skills and infrastructure 2010 – Our major initiative will be the 1000 Great New Zealand Ebooks project Aims: Get publishers publishing digitally Get consumers trying the digital reading experience Bring essential skills and infrastructure to NZ early

Very early days – but the right time to start !

Digital Publishing Forum initiative to accelerate development of skills and infrastructure

2010 – Our major initiative will be the 1000 Great New Zealand Ebooks project

Aims:

Get publishers publishing digitally

Get consumers trying the digital reading experience

Bring essential skills and infrastructure to NZ early

Where's the money? Around 1% of trade sales in US But readers are paying Books are 100% 'paid content' Mobile users have been conditioned to pay But opportunities to monetise a bigger market Pass-along readers = more buyers More opportunities to read = more readers Global market opportunity

Around 1% of trade sales in US

But readers are paying

Books are 100% 'paid content'

Mobile users have been conditioned to pay

But opportunities to monetise a bigger market

Pass-along readers = more buyers

More opportunities to read = more readers

Global market opportunity

Where's the money? US wholesale ebook revenues Source: idpf.org June 2009 quarter +325% vs prior year

Children’s and Educational Markets Limited existing markets for paid digital content CD ROMs (consumer “edutainment” and school/teacher/IWB resources) Subscriber access to reference databases Web-based model Competition with “ free ” Creative Commons movement Copyright licenses might need to reflect desire for re-purposing/“mash-ups” of content in schools Protecting content with DRM becomes a tricky issue

Limited existing markets for paid digital content

CD ROMs (consumer “edutainment” and school/teacher/IWB resources)

Subscriber access to reference databases

Web-based model

Competition with “ free ”

Creative Commons movement

Copyright licenses might need to reflect desire for re-purposing/“mash-ups” of content in schools

Protecting content with DRM becomes a tricky issue

DRM or DRM-free ? Some Pros Some protection against casual copying Controls usage , eg time limits for borrowing Some DRM systems can be relatively benign, eg 'social DRM' Some Cons Can't stop hackers entirely Restricts use to particular readers/technology – 'tower of eBabel' Reduces consumer demand Locks publishers in to DRM suppliers Complicates creation and distribution of ebooks Restricts sales channels Restricts re-use of content

Some Pros

Some protection against casual copying

Controls usage , eg time limits for borrowing

Some DRM systems can be relatively benign, eg 'social DRM'

Some Cons

Can't stop hackers entirely

Restricts use to particular readers/technology – 'tower of eBabel'

Reduces consumer demand

Locks publishers in to DRM suppliers

Complicates creation and distribution of ebooks

Restricts sales channels

Restricts re-use of content

Children’s publishing differences Going beyond today’s limited eBook technologies Pictures are often important, more complex design Sound ? Movies ? Interaction ? Re-purposing of content – “mash-ups” Is it still a “book”? Home vs Classroom use What devices will children use to “read” Will smartphones become more important, eg iPhone? Still a role for PCs in the classroom , though increasingly connected to the ‘cloud’

Going beyond today’s limited eBook technologies

Pictures are often important, more complex design

Sound ? Movies ? Interaction ?

Re-purposing of content – “mash-ups”

Is it still a “book”?

Home vs Classroom use

What devices will children use to “read”

Will smartphones become more important, eg iPhone?

Still a role for PCs in the classroom , though increasingly connected to the ‘cloud’

Education – OLPC The next educational computer? One Laptop Per Child building a very cheap, universal computer for children everywhere MIT Media Labs Laptop.org “ Sugar on a Stick” is its free operating system, runs on most computers Developing content community though focus on free contributions Sugarlabs.org New Zealand project The XO Laptop Sugar Learning Platform

One Laptop Per Child building a very cheap, universal computer for children everywhere

MIT Media Labs

Laptop.org

“ Sugar on a Stick” is its free operating system, runs on most computers

Developing content community though focus on free contributions

Sugarlabs.org

New Zealand project

iPhone as a children’s book platform Some examples ScrollMotion ( http://scrollmotion.com ) Curious George’s Dictionary Mobistories ( http:// mobistories.com ) Two versions MPEG-4 video – iTunes or iPhone/iPod Touch) App Store application ( http:// fusioncreativestudios.com ) QBook NZ company Kiwa Media ( http://kiwamedia.com ) Launching soon – sample Multi-platform incl iPhone App Store

ScrollMotion ( http://scrollmotion.com )

Curious George’s Dictionary

Mobistories ( http:// mobistories.com )

Two versions

MPEG-4 video – iTunes or iPhone/iPod Touch)

App Store application ( http:// fusioncreativestudios.com )

QBook

NZ company Kiwa Media ( http://kiwamedia.com )

Launching soon – sample

Multi-platform incl iPhone App Store

Technologies behind the digital media Rich content Video/animation Adobe Flash MP4 (MPEG-4) – also useful for iPhone PDF – still useful in PC-centric environments CD ROM – still used, but passing its used-by date Internet technologies : HTML, XML, CSS Both for eBooks and websites Learning Management Systems (LMS) Eg Moodle Open source There is a huge amount of free, high quality tools and technologies on the web to do all of this

Rich content

Video/animation

Adobe Flash

MP4 (MPEG-4) – also useful for iPhone

PDF – still useful in PC-centric environments

CD ROM – still used, but passing its used-by date

Internet technologies : HTML, XML, CSS

Both for eBooks and websites

Learning Management Systems (LMS)

Eg Moodle

Open source

There is a huge amount of free, high quality tools and technologies on the web to do all of this

Simple steps you can take today Buy an iPhone or iPod Touch ($349) Install Stanza and start reading Publish and sell your first ebook(s) smashwords.com or calibre ( calibre.kovidgoyal.net ) or scribd.com , Adobe Buzzword Get your digital rights in order Join a social network and see how they work facebook.com , linkedin.com , twitter.com Keep learning Martin's eReport blog – activitypress.com/ereport Mark your diary : Internet Marketing seminar, Heritage Hotel, Auckland 2 December 2009

Buy an iPhone or iPod Touch ($349)

Install Stanza and start reading

Publish and sell your first ebook(s)

smashwords.com or calibre ( calibre.kovidgoyal.net ) or scribd.com , Adobe Buzzword

Get your digital rights in order

Join a social network and see how they work

facebook.com , linkedin.com , twitter.com

Keep learning

Martin's eReport blog – activitypress.com/ereport

Mark your diary : Internet Marketing seminar, Heritage Hotel, Auckland 2 December 2009

Thanks! Martin Taylor web: digitalpublishing.org.nz email: martin@digitalstrategies.co.nz blog: activitypress.com/ ereport