E-books click big

[1]

It’s a mega treat for bibliophiles at the World Book Fair, 2013. But more than the printed volumes what is proving to be a big draw is the introduction of the e-books segment at the fair. The best of reads now come at just a click.
Considering that the market for digital content is on a steady climb, this time the organisers, National Book Trust, have come up with an enclosure for e-books where e-book publishers, developers and content providers are showcasing their e-books and deliberating with publishers for developing digital content.

MA Sikander, director, National Book Trust, says that it was time to promote digital books. “Everybody is on the run almost all the time. While paper books still lure readers, their hectic schedule often doesn’t allow them time to sit and read. E-books are a good alternative. We thought since it’s picking up, it would be good to include it as a separate section in the fair,” he says.
And the publishers are not complaining. Most e-content developers have been registering good sales. Konark E-publishers, who curate e-content according to individual choices, say that the last three-four days at the Book Fair has been really good. Sandhya Andresf, marketing manager, Konark Publishing International, says that digital content has seen a tremendous rise in the last few years. “Here, we are trying to make it even more popular. We are reaching out to publishers and consumers with a couple of I-pads and tablets and showing them how it works. It’s getting a lot of attention,” she says.
The publishers are tapping the potential of iPad and tablets. Vishv Books has developed over 1,000 active titles for children’s books and launched applications for Android phones and tablets. “We have also come up with web-links for stories that can be viewed by children on computers and laptops. To make reading more involving and captivating for kids, the application also has animation and moving characters,” says Mudit Mohini, director, Vishv Books.
However, Mudit says that it will take another five-six years for e-books to be really popular. “The initiatives at Book Fair and another literary events are necessary to make e-content popular. Right now, in terms of revenue, we have not really generated much. But slowly we expect it to rise,” she says.
To tap the potential market, many entrepreneurs are coming up with different initiatives. Infibeam hosted a seminar on e-books where they also spoke about how a publisher can create an online store to reach out to their clients.
Rockstand, the first eBook and eMagazine application on Mobile and Tablet platforms on the first day of the fair launched India’s first-ever regional e-Book collection. The app can be downloaded onto any Android phone free of cost. “And a reader can read the book even offline after downloading it once,” said an official from Rockstand.