Week 2: Integrated Physical Digital Books

Paper-based media is in decline in favour of online publishing. To our generations of book reliance, this is saddening and affronting. While this decline is unfortunate digital publishing supplements some drawbacks of publishing that weren't previously evident (other than the obvious sacrifice of trees for paper). I believe with technology and imagination printed and published media can be integrated to work together for humans.

Don't be satisfied with the book store

Even though there are a variety of books to choose from, is there a better budding author somewhere else?

The manuscript acceptance rate in publishing houses is very low.

This may be due to draft books not meeting the minimum quality, but it may also be due to the publishing houses' desire to meet profit margins.

Here, I insert the real world example of the continuous rejection of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter being prudent here.

<< http://www.cracked.com/article_20285_5-hilarious-reasons-publishers-rejected-classic-best-sellers.html >>

This raises questions of are readers in publishing houses qualified to identify potential in manuscripts for new markets, how many potentially successful authors have been rejected and discouraged, and shouldn't manuscripts be trialled with their target market instead of the limited tastes of a few select employees in a busy publishing house?

Digital publishing counters this in that they allow anyone to share their work directly with their target market. Online publishing also benefits authors when they receive a variety of feedback from the extensive reach of the internet, and also good content garners a lot of attention very quickly.

But don't convert entirely to digital books!

When I first discovered that I couldn't focus well on readings, I assumed it was the heavy content because focusing on online news articles was not a problem for me.

Then when accessing printed readings, I realised it was not the heavy content, but the medium the text was presented to my brain in.

After reading some articles,

<< http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/reading-paper-screens/ >>

<< http://healthland.time.com/2012/03/14/do-e-books-impair-memory/ >>

Studies support the theory that it is harder to focus when reading online due to the nature of screens to project light which physically tires the body, the lack of impression of text location which reduces memory retention, and inability to physically engage with the text through note making and highlighting relevant information. Therefore when studying or seriously reading, paper may be the better choice.

SO WHAT CAN I DO?!

People aren't ready to give up the revolutionary book, however the convenience and benefits of technology are irrefutable. I believe the two can work together to benefit people, ensuring the endurance of the book but also utilising digital technology.

Here, I have to include the (regretful) example of best-selling Fifty Shades of Grey.

<< http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/04/after-fifty-shades-of-grey-whats-next-for-self-publishing/255338/?single_page=true >>

but don't stop there!

INTRODUCING: PHYSICAL DIGITAL BOOKS

Marshall McLuhan stated

"In the name of 'progress', our official culture is striving to force the new media to do the work of the old"

Take this single technology:

<< http://vimeo.com/90653961 >>

We are not limited to merely typing books on our devices and not printing them.

We cannot force people to purchase books, and we cannot stop the prevalence of the digital world on nearly every aspect of our lives, because this is new technology and we as humans will not stop until we explore every alley of possibility it can offer. What we can do is stop placing print books and digital books on opposite sides of the playing field but instead figure out a system where they can work with each other.