Future Think: What Will Shape Publishing in 2014?
– John Tayman, Founder of Byliner
"The ebook is still in its infancy. It's really just pretending to be a book at this point. It will morph into something very different in the next few years. Ebooks will begin to utilize mobile technology (far more than they have been), augmented reality and geolocation. This is what I'm anticipating most. Immersive Digital Storytelling. That is what I want to be working on in 2014."
- Nicole Valentine, Writer and Tech Consultant
"The trend I'm watching most closely is the increasing share of online behavior being captured by mobile devices. Online time jumped from roughly 12% in 2011 to 25% 2012 (Monetate Q1 2013 Ecommerce Quarterly). I believe the behavioral shift toward mobile will have a big impact on how consumers relate to book content not just the ebooks, but things like author websites and online book communities. If 88% of online time is spent "in app," publishers and other related sites better have a good mobile strategy in place."
– Kristen McLean, Founder and CEO of Bookigee
"The death of the term 'ebook.' Other content mediums think of 'e' as simply digital distribution. Neither consumers nor marketers would ever say, "I just downloaded the latest eGame from X-Box Live!" As book publishing embraces the understanding that digital publishers already have in these other spaces, the floodgates of understanding and market disruption will open in a way that will benefit smart book publishers, giving them the opportunity to lead the market instead of follow the trends that most benefit Amazon, Google and Apple."
– Fred Chong Rutherford, Digital Product Consultant
"I foresee the closing of far more Barnes & Noble stores in 2014 than their official financial guidance has indicated. Ironically, large publishers and authors needing significant scale to cover their own overheads will become more dependent on Amazon for their survival, along with well-run, local independent bookstores."
