Bookcamp and the Future of Children’s Books
I attended Bookcamp on Saturday, which was an opportunity for people to host impromptu talks/seminars about all manner of topics concerning books and writing in the digital age.
The open atmosphere was a true melting pot for ideas. I suggested a discussion on what the digital future holds for children’s books – on a personal level, this is obviously very important to me – but the interest and involvement of everyone who joined in was amazing.
Too many points were raised for me to stick them all down here now, but we discussed issues such as whether new digital technologies could be used to get more books into schools. What influences the books that are read in school, and for how long are the reading lists relevant? Could this be a factor in turning people off reading? How does one teacher who’s done something amazing in class based around a book, get word to other teachers about it?
Could DRM-free Creative Commons licensed eBooks be used to get around this, and could that lower the cost of getting contemporary and relevant fiction into the hands of children, at the time when they need it?
It was definitely agreed that a main issue was simply getting the books into the hands of the children, as children’s literature is amazingly good at present. But what are the barriers to that? Are some bookshops, particularly the bulk-buying chains and supermarkets, doing harm by having too narrow ranges?
There was also the question of whether utilising ebook readers or using different multimedia platforms could make books appear more exciting to children who would rather play computer games. Could releasing children’s books on the Nintendo DS, for example, entice a different audience?
We also discussed what children’s books could learn from how the web works. When you finish a book, how come there aren’t always extras at the end? Even if it’s just a bibliography, or a few links to sites for further reading and interviews etc.
We also talked about the book ‘event’ – workshops by authors, getting children involved in books from an early age. It was even suggested that London needed an 826 store, such as in New York. I think it does.
There’s so much more I could put here, but it would go on forever. We talked about a lot, and if it wasn’t for the super speedy typing of Annie Mole, I wouldn’t have remembered half the things I did. Thanks for that!
It was a brilliant event, where I met many great new people, and big thanks goes to the good people at Penguin for organising and sponsoring it. Let’s hope there’s another soon.
Edit: and here’s an article in the Guardian proving why all this discussion is important. It’s been found that children are cramming more than 6 hours internet time into each day…
Tags: bookcamp, children's book, digital books, ebooks, ereader, penguin
January 19th, 2009 at 10:59 am
Some really interesting thoughts here.
I think your point about readers and digital multimedia making reading books more appealing to a computer game generation is an especially good one. People keep waiting for the ebook thing to take off, but I think like most new trends it will take an enthusiastic embrace from kids and teens for it to really kick in.
Using digital platforms also opens the door for ‘extras’, like you suggested books should have – it’s something that we’ve come to expect (nay, demand) in DVDs and games and on websites, and especially online it changes the whole experience from a passive, static one to an interactive one that’s going to appeal to younger audiences in a new way. Part of me rails against this sort of thing (“When did we decide our imaginations weren’t enough?!”), but for the most part I think that changing the way kids read, or in fact changing the way they relate to books, can only be a positive thing if it gets eyeballs on pages.
Sounds like Bookcamp was fun.
January 19th, 2009 at 11:49 am
I think most people I talked to had an immense respect for the printed’book’, and what was interesting was that lots of people felt authors and publishers should be using technology and the web to enhance and build on the printed ‘book’, rather than get rid of it.
As an aside, I asked Cory Doctorow about how his ‘free’ Creative Commons digital versions of his books had affected sales, and he said that, when compared to a similar author, it had actually increased them. He also felt that the digital form of a book was most successful when a printed version existed in shops, backed by a publisher. I’m sure he could explain it better than I have, however…
It made me realise that simultaneous free online release, along with printed version, could be a way forward. Both for marketing and sales.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
For me, nothing will replace the printed book, but recently i have been yearning for and e-book to carry around with me. The problem with technology is that it needs to be an agreed standard (similar to MP3 being it for music) and format so that everyone is on an equal platform. When you look for e-book readers they all support different things and that’s not going to help someone delving in for the first time to be able to make a choice.
Also there’s the issue of those people who don’t have computer access. Sure it’s a smaller number of people than it used to be but you can’t go down the digital only route unless you have some way of making that accessible to the masses.
January 19th, 2009 at 1:46 pm
The digital format needs sorting for sure. I really feel though, that children often take a major role in changing the market. Children ultimately lead the way on this, and the important part is to make sure books/stories are involved in some way.
If children spend more time on the web consuming everything, books need to be found there (and will be just as loved) as much as music and video. It doesn’t mean books will die, it means they still need to be shown to exist.
January 19th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
Completely agree. I have felt immensely protective of the printed, physical book in the midst of all this digital format talk of the last few years, but I’m beginning to think that it just won’t do to be too precious about the tactile experience of turning pages. Firstly for the fact that children’s publishing has to stay with the programme and evolve at the same rate that the web, gaming, music etc are evolving (if it’s going to a) keep kids reading and b) more importantly – get MORE kids reading) and secondly because I’d bet my life there will come a point in the next 10-20 years when people will look at the publishing sector and start to seriously question the amount of materials used to print books each year and whether that is sustainable. News media is leading the way on this, and within a few years supposedly all the glossies and newspapers will have made the switch to online – and not just to supplement their print product, but actually to replace it. Think it stands to reason that books will be next, maybe not on such a scale but certainly with a bit more urgency than there is at the moment.
Also – v. v. interesting, the results seen by Cory Doctorow. I’d be keen to read more about this.
January 19th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
Here’s a link to Cory Doctorow explaining the benefits of CC licensing on his books!
He explains it much better than I could!
January 21st, 2009 at 12:47 pm
My daughter is only six months old so at the moment finds the side of a packet of crisps nearly as interesting as Calm Down Boris, which is a most entertaining book with integrated puppet. This, I feel, is a barrier to digital books especially for younger children. How can the parent get involved and interact? I love reading to Niamh and her reaction to my silly voices and scary faces, but the bright colours and drawings of the printed book are also part of the experience and that would be a really tough challenge for digital publishers. An eBook in its current format simply won’t cut it.
For older children I think there’s a great opportunity for authors to fill in the spaces in their printed matter with short stories that riff of the full version. A spin-off blog of a certain character rather than simply issuing the entire book online as a freebie would be a great way to promote the full book. Short stories on the Nintendo DS, just long enough to distract but no so long as to become tiresome to read would be fantastic. Rather than just using the success of a product to complete a portfolio of ‘brand’ goods or try to replace print with digital the two need to work together. Printed books are too perfect a delivery medium to be replaced easily that’s for sure.
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Hello Chris!! you’re absolutely right about the medium. That’s the tricky thing – like reinventing the wheel. And with young books, especially picture books, it’s the physical qualities of a book that’s so appealing, and the interaction it brings.
And Calm Down Boris is amazing.