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The US children’s digital book industry
is growing exponentially with the help
of more consumable content. But while
the numbers seem big, developers and
publishers are still forced to think small.
BY WENDY GOLDMAN GETZLER
Recently, Graham Farrar’s four-year-old son
went on a reading binge. The kindergardener—
whose father is the co-founder and CEO of
mobile publisher zuuka—developed a strong
affinity for the Meet Biscuit storybook iPad app,
which he would sift through more than 10
times in a row in just one sitting.
Maybe it’s because the book app, which uses animated
stills from the popular HarperCollins series, was developed
by his dad with him in mind. It’s also possible that the
younger Farrar is on the cusp of joining a class of young
boys, known as reluctant readers, who are finding more
reading inspiration in digital book offerings.
In fact, Scholastic’s biannual Kids & Family Reading Report
found that 25% of boys who have read an eBook say
that they are now reading more books for fun. It’s undeniable
that electronic book usage among kids is growing—
the number of US children reading eBooks nearly doubled
between 2010 and 2012, up from 25% to 46%. The Association
of American Publishers and Book Industry Study
Group found that eBooks accounted for 20% of total US
book publishing sales in 2012, or US$3 billion. And within
that, the children’s and young adult eBook category drew
US$469 million, a 117% rise over 2011.
But while the numbers scream big, developers and large
publishers alike are still thinking small, both in terms of the
overall piece eBooks contribute to the total US$15-billion
publishing industry, and the actual mode of content delivery.
“What’s attracting kids to digital books is the content,”
says Farrar. “There’s a demand for bite-sized media. Look at
popular games like Tiny Wings and Angry Birds, where casual
experiences can be had in five minutes. The same is true
for eBooks.”
Farrar’s iStoryTime library is home to more than 200
book apps, all of which are based on licensed properties such
as Ice Age, The Croods and Smurfs. iStoryTime also develops
content for large publishers like HarperCollins, with whom
the company has developed five Biscuit titles for iOS, Kindle,
Android and Nook devices.
Farrar says his company’s ability to achieve 14 numberone
book titles in the US App Store is partly due to the character
recognition found in its products. “Kids like their characters.
There’s an element to having Shrek there that motivates
them to have reading experiences,” he says, noting that brand
recognition and discoverability are both key to standing out
from the 50,000 apps being submitted to the App Store each
month. “Right now, discoverability is a real challenge. If you
create something with Daisy the dog and you’re not in the
Top 10 on iTunes, no one is going to know it exists. It could be
amazing, but unknown.” That’s what drove his company to
develop a channel-like home for kids digital books last month,
putting all titles for the demo into an iStoryTime app that will
house all the content on one virtual bookshelf.
As well as licensed book apps sell, Corinne Helman,
VP of digital publishing and business development at
HarperCollins Children’s, says at an industry-wide level
48 May/June 2013