With the world’s largest retailer of books Amazon.com recently announcing that their eBook sales now exceed print sales, the age of the eBook has finally arrived. People will continue to buy print books in large numbers but what is interesting is how eBooks are changing the way people read and how information is presented.
While most current eBooks sold are basically glorified PDF files, the eBook format can provide limitless options for the imaginations of authors and designers. A number of innovative companies are racing to develop a more interactive and engaging experience eBook experience. I recently had the opportunity to speak with Yoav Schwartz, the founder of an innovative Canadian company called Mygazines that is pioneering the future of the eBook.
Launched in 2008, Mygazines provides a platform for publishers and companies to convert traditional print versions of magazines, catalogs, instructional content, textbooks and newspapers into interactive digital editions that can be browsed on any web-enabled device. Their web platform can easily convert a boring PDF into an interactive Flipbook experience with embedded links, integrated social media and multimedia content like videos inside the content.
What I found really interesting about Mygazines is the data that they report. In the analytics dashboard you can find out which pages are read the most, how long people spend on each page and where they choose to zoom-in on any individual page. This can be very useful information for improving the reading experience and maintaining a reader’s attention for longer periods of time. You also get tracking of bookmarks, social media and e-mail sharing, clicks on embedded links and images or videos that are drawing the most attention.
The big advantage of Mygazines is the amount of control you have over the distribution, subscription pricing and making changes to the content. Unlike proprietary eBook platforms like Amazon’s Kindle or Apple’s iBooks, Mygazines is platform independent which ensures your content is easily viewable through the web, iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry and most other mobile devices.
Source: Kyle Pearce, GetConnected
Tags: ebook, GetConnected, Mobile, mygazines, publishing
CNN just released an article suggesting that Amazon may not be disclosing the entire truth about their e-book sales. ( http://bit.ly/jOMLhW ) These sales figures could be reflective of best sellers only. Either way, whether the information is accurate or not, this is only the beginning for digital publishing. Platforms like Mygazines, Kindle, Kobo and others are rapidly evolving and increasing the readers experience.