The Innovators
What is HarperCollins' approach with ebooks? Is there a focus on social, rich media, and gamification elements?
I don't think we've cracked that nut yet. We've done a lot of different things from enhanced ebooks to apps to gaming platforms.
We have an app that was received really well—Wonders of the Universe—and we're now developing a second brand, which has just launched, Wonders of Life. That was an example where the first product did well, so we created a similar kind of content on a similar platform so that we can continue to learn and leverage the consumer base that we acquired from the first app. It is important to think of the platform rather than the individual product. How much are we building something that we can repeat and use that platform for continued content feeds?
Ellen Harvey is a freelance writer and editor who covers the latest technologies and strategies reshaping the publishing landscape. She previously served as the Senior Editor at Publishing Executive and Book Business.