Don’t be lulled into thinking that an eBook is just a print book in digital form. A good eBook should offer an enhanced experience that makes the most of its digital home. But sadly, many publishers take the easier and cheaper route of just making their traditional printed book available in digital form. It’s a shame, as eBooks are better at offering deeper and more immersive experiences for parents and children. Parents should give children’s eBooks a try, but we know most of you aren’t so inclined.
In fact, our recent survey indicated that 50% of parents don’t own a single eBooks, despite owning an eBook capable device. When it comes to eBooks vs Printed Books, there’s many reasons why parents opt for the latter. But it also appears that a lot of those reasons result from uninspiring experiences with eBooks of lackadaisical design. Here are a few ways in which a well-designed eBook can offer something a traditional physical book cannot.
The most obvious benefit of using a touchscreen instead of paper is the way you can interact with the book. I like to use icons scattered through the pages of my books that are used to activate the text. When the child taps the icon, the text box pops up. This engages the child and reader in multiple ways. Initially it allows the full image to be displayed when first opened, so you can soak up the entire scene and provide more detail. The children then love to find the icon and tap it to bring up the text. Playing little guessing games and giving instructions – like, “it’s in the bottom left” – is part of the fun.
You can also use the interactivity to help further your child’s early learning growth. One of the syllabus requirements for teachers in Australia involves hiding the text when a page is first turned. The child is then asked to describe what is happening in the scene and what the characters are feeling based on the art. The text is then revealed and the story continued. I have had a number of teaches tell me that the pop-up text function of my eBooks works wonderfully at facilitating this process. You can even zoom in on certain areas of the images to ask specific questions about details in the art.
An eBook does not have to follow a linear trajectory from start to finish. The fourth book in the Willy Nilly series, which will be out very soon – sign up to the newsletter if you’d like to be notified of its launch – is a choose your own adventure. In the story, Willy finds a treasure chest filled with magical hats. Each time he puts one of the eight hats on he is transported to an environment that befits the headpiece. So the pirate hat transports him to a pirate ship, for example. What I have done is design the book so that the child can choose which order he taps the hats. The book then seamlessly jumps forwards and backwards through the book as the child makes their choices.
It’s a fantastic experience to share with your child as they love flicking between the scenes. It feels quite magical, plus you can stimulate their memory with prompt like “which one next?” and “have you seen them all?” I can’t wait to release this book. In the eBooks vs Printed Books debate, this experience is a huge tick for the former.
Audio is always the forgotten hero of the entertainment world and it’s next to non-existent in traditional books. With eBooks, however, you can use sound to further make fantasy scenes relatable to the children. For example, in The Fastest Kind in the World, I have sound effects that play when you turn to certain pages. For example, there’s a scene where Willy and his dad visit the park, so the sounds of playing children occur in the background as you read. And in another image there is a helicopter, so the sound of the blades twirling bursts from the speakers. The kids adore the sounds, and will go back to pages in the story just to hear them.
It’s not just simple sound effects. I made a theme song for the Willy Nilly series, and it plays when you turn on the eBook and the cover appears. The kid’s love it, and both my offspring - and those of friends I speak to - dance and sing to it every time it plays. You can also add narration. I’m in the process of getting my stories read and recorded live, so I can retrofit them to existing books. Then I will simply provide a small icon discretely on each page for the child to press and have the story read to them. When comparing eBooks vs Printed Books, it's very handy if you’re unable to read to them for whatever reason.
This is where the magic of eBooks can really happen. Elements on the screen move and behave in different ways depending on what is required for the story. In Can You See The Magic? I combined multiple animations to help not only create a magic effect, but do so in a way that really engaged their young imaginations. It’s challenging to describe, but I did a quick video - which you can see below - that shows exactly how it works. I created a spinning wand, fading images and sound effects to transform images like magic right before kids’ eyes. When it comes to eBooks vs Printed Books, Can You See The Magic? is half the experience as the latter.
The result of using these design features to maximise the “e” in eBook is unparalleled engagement and immersion. The children are not just seeing the images, they are hearing them. They are not just static, but that can be pressed and moved and jiggled. By engaging sight, sound and touch all at once, the world comes alive. And by providing little puzzles that use the brain, the kids really go with the story.
Digital eBooks can also be connected to the internet. I can imagine you might have some trepidation about this, but it’s not an open portal into all the web has to offer. Instead in our books we provide direct links to other parts of the universe for those who want more. This could be something as simple as colouring-in pages to print out or the next book in the series. Or meatier content like “making-of” stories and character profiles.
You can also be directly connected with the author. My books all have links straight to my personal email address and social profiles, so you can instantly connect. eBooks allow for a relationship between the author and the reader because the barrier between contact is literally a tap away. With eBooks vs Printed Books, in the former there are usually no agents, publishers or PR in-between.
The process of making a change to an eBook is a relatively simple one. Based on reader feedback, we can easily tweak the books to offer a more enjoyable experience for the parent and the child. But we can also add in information about fun giveaways, or new books in the series, to keep everything up to date and fresh. Obviously, you cannot do that with print. It stays as it is forever.
There are hundreds of thousands of picture books available that you cannot buy in physical book stores. Amazing, high quality experiences that are quick, easy and cheap to acquire. If you’re anything like me, you’re getting sick of a large portion of the books you’ve been reading for years to your kids. There is only so many physical copies you can have, and children always seem to choose the same stories. And as well as finding new tales and new authors, you can also find books from other cultures that never make it your shores.
Obviously lugging around a pile of heavy, physical books when travelling is not ideal. You could have a thousand books on your digital device, however, which can keep them entertained for hours. It’s also handy to just have a book accessible in your pocket no matter where you are. Like waiting at the doctors or stuck in traffic. “Here, read this!” And off they go on a reading adventure while you focus on the task at hand. When on the road, eBooks vs Printed Books is an easy choice.
Is there anything more frustrating than finding one of their favourite books ripped and torn? The kids just love destroying things! Flap books are the worst; they love the experience, but within weeks at least one flap has been torn off and discarded. Well digital books are a lot harder to break. Obviously they exist on expensive technology, but these devices are pretty robust nowadays and most are even waterproof. You really have to throw them to hurt them.
I was surprised by feedback from parents concerned about eBooks not offering a shared experience. With all the interactions, animations and sounds we put into books, they’re great fun to read with the kids. Modern screens also have such a high resolution, they are easy to read from a distance and at an angle. As mentioned in our case study, I have read my books to groups of 20-plus children on an iPad and everyone in the room has been engaged.
While hard cover books can cost upwards of $20, picture eBooks rarely cost more than a coffee. We’ve priced all of our books under $5 and we’re looking to bundle them in the future to make them even more attractively priced. Considering you get all the added features mentioned above within that price, it’s pretty good value. Plus you can usually get a collection of brand new, top quality eBooks for around $10.
Perhaps this is the most obvious point in the eBooks vs Printed Books debate, but it still needs to be said. No trees were harmed in the making of my eBooks. And there’s no waste product either. While we know from our survey that many of you make a green choice to use libraries or second-hand stores to boost your child’s book collection, did you know that children’s books are one of only two genres in print that are growing. (The other is cookbooks.) So if you are conscientious about the environment, it’s an eBook that has the less impact on the future world of our children.
Below are eight reasons your next children’s book should be digital. Plus, we’ll share some of the top children’s eBook publishers .
Today, many children's authors choose to publish eBooks because of their numerous benefits. In fact, eBooks for children are becoming more and more popular. But why publish an eBook vs print book?
Wondering - why publish an eBook? If you’re writing a children’s book, you’re probably contemplating why publish an eBook vs print book. Don’t worry - we’re here to help.
Not sure whether you should publish an eBook vs print book? These eight benefits of eBooks will help you decide which option is right for you.
One of the top reasons children’s authors choose to publish eBooks is that they are inexpensive to create and share. In fact, eBooks cost significantly less to produce and distribute than print books.
When creating print media, there are many costs that add up quickly. These costs include printing, binding, distribution, and labor (if someone publishes your book for you). Not to mention, publishers take a considerable fee for their services as well.
With an eBook, you can eliminate many of these extra costs. In some cases, you may be able to publish an eBook without incurring any significant upfront costs! So, when you’re considering why publish an eBook, keep this in mind.
In addition to being less expensive, eBooks are also much easier to publish than print books.
Getting a traditional publisher to pick up your book can be difficult. On the other hand, you can publish and share an eBook at the click of a button! With eBooks, you just need to find a platform that will allow you to submit your work – and, voilà, you are officially an author! You’ll eliminate all the complexities of self-publishing or finding a legitimate publisher.
As society becomes more environmentally aware, people are seeking ways to do their part. eBooks offer an environmentally friendly alternative to print materials. Therefore, many readers are turning to eBooks rather than print.
You can contribute to this initiative by publishing your work as an eBook. First, by publishing an eBook, you create digital content that will help others reduce their carbon footprint. Second, you can minimize the use of paper products and other materials, as well as the destructive processes involved in publishing print media.
Sellers often feature print books during their initial release. However, after this initial introduction, they are removed from the featured selections (unless they remain a top seller). Thus, print books commonly experience peak sales only when they are first published. Unfortunately, this often means a pause in printing additional copies and an overall decrease in revenue for authors.
Digital books, however, do not need to be featured in a bookstore to get attention. Regardless of when you first publish your children’s eBook, parents, teachers, and kids will be able to easily find it by exploring interests, similar books, and keywords.
With increased access to phones, tablets, and other devices, millions of people prefer the accessibility and ease of reading eBooks. As a result, digital books have become a billion-dollar industry!
To join this thriving industry, all you’ll need to do is create a great children’s book and publish it through a top eBook publishing platform like Booka.
Are you wondering how to write a great children’s book? Here’s what makes a good children’s book.
eBooks allow readers to consume content when and where it is most convenient. On the other hand, traditional print books are more challenging to acquire and cannot be accessed at the touch of a button. Therefore, publishing an eBook for children will make your work easily accessible to millions of people across the globe! This is another excellent reason why publish an eBook vs print book.
Publishing an eBook will allow you to create an interactive and enjoyable reading experience for all. For example, digitally publishing your children’s book will allow readers to change the font size and zoom in or out for their reading comfort. In addition, readers can quickly access a dictionary to look up new words. Plus, when you use Booka to publish your children’s book, your readers will also gain access to read-aloud options. This can be helpful for young readers, as it allows them to follow along with the text.
Another great answer to why publish an eBook is that digital books allow you to include interactive images and videos, as well as accessibility features for those with disabilities. eBooks are also an excellent resource for parents and teachers wondering how to help a child with reading difficulties.
Want to make edits to your children’s book? With an eBook, you can easily make changes and updates, even after your book is published. This option isn’t available with print books unless you do a complete reprint.