FutureBook 05.11.15

PORTER
ANDERSON
TOM
BONNICK
JO
ELLIS
MOLLY
FLATT
It must continue to focus on the
digital future because that’s all
there is. Even print is evolving
into a creature of digital, as
POD becomes the obvious
answer to warehouses full of
unsold books, but beyond such
obvious elements, there simply
is nothing that digital doesn’t
impinge on going forward.
The industry is digital, which
doesn’t mean that it has gotten
“to the other side”, but simply
that the distributional engines
of the world ahead are all—and
rightly—digital.
The “Wall of Content” is the
challenge—simply the sheer
amount. Think of how many
more books were out this year
on Super Thursday. What does
a reader make of 503 titles
dumped into a bookstore on
a single day? How can anyone
comprehend all this content?
The most important thing—for
trade publishing, at least—
is that we don’t become
complacent. Firstly, because
we should be thinking
about digital in terms of the
opportunities it offers, rather
than in terms of the threat
it represents. And secondly,
because “digital” does not
equal “e-books”. There is so
much for us to consider within
the catch-all term “digital”
beyond the most simple
commodity product.
For the children’s industry,
establishing a market. Digital
still represents a negligible
percentage of sales . . . I don’t
think it’s great if we entirely
ignore the possibilities of digital
publishing for kids just because
there aren’t many commercially
viable product forms yet.
In one word, very. While digital
technologies are woven into,
and increasingly underpin,
every aspect of the industry
supply chain, nothing stands
still. The pace of digital and
technological development
continues to accelerate and
it is crucial that we, as an
industry, come together to
debate and to be challenged
and inspired by industry
colleagues and, perhaps more
importantly, by people and
organisations from outside of
the sector.
The concentration of power in
the hands of one very powerful
player; the challenge of
monetising writing beyond the
e-book; how to create value
and stand out in an age of
entertainment abundance.
There is no such thing as “the
digital future”. There is just
the future, and digital is an
inevitable part of that. The
divisions we make between
the digital and physical will
increasingly blur and dissolve,
so the book business—like
all businesses—has to focus
on evolving to suit how we
will read, write, buy and
communicate in a hybrid world
where digital is not digital, it’s
just a seamless part of the way
we live.
For publishers, resisting the
urge to be entirely consumerled.
For retailers, creating a
seamless on/offline discovery
and purchasing process.
For writers, combining the
investment and mentoring of
traditional publishing with a
self-driven start-up mentality.
From its roots
in digital, I’m
hoping to witness
the FutureBook
Conference
embracing new
developments in
print publishing,
as it finds new
formats, routes to
market and a new
consumer profile
—Lisa Edwards
I’m interested in hearing
how the industry regards
the centricity of the creator:
the author.
New ideas (and old ideas
challenged), new people . . .
and new books!
What I would love is for
something to completely
surprise me; to make me think
“this changes everything”.
I hope that speakers and
audience will open my
horizons to unexpected
new opportunities.
ALISON
JONES
SARA
LLOYD
PETER
MEYERS
RICHARD
MOLLET
SAMANTHA
RAYNER
We are cheerfully multichannel:
print, e-book, app, e-learning,
online database . . . I don’t
think getting hung up on
print versus digital is helpful.
Obviously, as most people
increasingly access most of the
content they consume digitally,
it’s vital for publishers to be
taking an active creative role
developing that space. That
doesn’t have to happen at the
expense of print—there is still
space for innovation there and
print books can complement
online content brilliantly.
The digital future is less
clear than it has ever been.
That makes it all the more
imperative that we focus on
what it will mean for authors
and readers and the space in
between them. The rise (and
potentially fall) of the e-book
as we know it is the least
interesting thing we have to
consider; future opportunities
and threats will no doubt be
digital, and they will come from
leftfield. We would be wise to
keep our eyes firmly peeled
and fixed on the horizon.
It is an existential imperative
. . . not to mention a
once-in-a-lifetime opportunity
to shape the future of
books. Print is not going
away. But the new materials,
connection points and creative
possibilities are just too rich to
forgo experimentation.
It is not just important, it is
essential, not only for the
future of digital products and
services, but the digital supply
chain and infrastructure.
As consumers of books become
more connected via a global
online network of readers
and texts, the digital realm
will continue to develop as a
key context for “the three Ds”:
Dissemination, Discoverability
and Discussion. But the
digital future does not just
mean e-books. “The three D”
environment also holds huge
creative opportunities for
supporting new print books,
too.
The ubiquity of content and the
scarcity of attention. Books have
traditionally been the place
for in-depth engagement and
it’s hard for a reader to sustain
that level of engagement on a
multifunction device. On the flip
side, those conditions create
other opportunities.
The key challenge is that the
Next Big Thing is no longer in
focus; the lens has shattered
and we don’t know where it
might come from. Digital gives
anyone, anywhere, the capacity
to innovate and the drive to
innovate orientates around
consumer benefit.
Figuring out direct to
consumer; identifying true
consumer pain points;
working with authors who
can innovate creatively on
the digital canvas.
Competitiveness in the e-book
retail sector; the ongoing need
to attract digital skills into the
workforce; ensuring continued
strong relationships with
authors.
Connectivity, both in ensuring
that new platforms and
business models can be
sustainable, preservable and
usable, and in collaborating
with different communities of
practice to develop effective
and creative outputs for now
and for the future.
I always come away from
FutureBook energised and
inspired by the can-do approach
of the trade’s key figures.
I would like to learn something
new, be challenged, take away
at least three new contacts—
and I’d like to have some fun.
Meeting and learning from
those who are helping invent
the book of the future!
Fresh strategic insights and a
sneak preview of the latest
product innovations.
New ideas, new perspectives
and seeing the collaborative
spirit at the heart of the book
business in action!
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