You Have Now Entered “The Digital Zone”

by rebecca "head elf" flansburg

Recently I’ve noticed  how quickly children’s publishing is changing. There are so many choices to be made now as a parent. Gone are the days of deciding between the hardback edition or the paperback. Now there are e-books to contend with on a variety of readers. As I find book apps that I like, I’ll share them with you here on Tuesdays. Any app that is presented here is one that I’ve actually purchased and the children as well as myself have used.-Valarie Budayr (In a November 2011 blog post)

Q): How do you feel digital publishing helps strengthen the story?

Valarie: Digital publishing lets us add and enhance information that we couldn’t before. We can put in music, videos, games, hyperlinks right within the pages of an ebook. The challenge is not to over do it and to have each enhancement move the story or activity forward in some way. By publishing digitally we also have the opportunity to create a balance between the digital world and the real world.

The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was created to enjoy the actual book as a family, reading or school group. Publishing digitally allows you to access the story from any point anytime you wish. It also allows one to turn off the device and go have fun creating memories together via your favorite book.

We can’t talk about digital publishing and not have the cost conversation. To print a book, especially a color book, makes a huge impact on the environment in the tree population as well as the pollutants of the ink dyes. It also cost a lot of money to print a full color book which translates into a lot of money for each family to spend. Digital publishing lets families buy books in beautiful graphic detail for a lot less money. It also allows us as creators and Audrey Press as the publisher to be able to afford to produce more books because they aren’t having to spend on the huge printing costs.

Coming of age in a digital world, it’s hard not to notice the changes of late in the publishing industry.  For one, digital technology has started becoming more common. The days of breezing through a neighborhood bookstore or spending hours immersed in books at a library are being challenged with enjoying leisurely strolls on your iPad and other digital devices. Physical books will never go away, but thanks to today’s technology, you can experience adventures like never before. No longer are you limited to the words on the page; you now have the ability to see those words come alive. You get to feel the adventure in every book like never before.

To read more about our enhanced digital children’s book  The Ultimate Guide to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, visit Charlie’s website HERE.