The new world of digital publishing

Mobile technology is testing the creative abilities of publishers like ourselves. We must devise viewing solutions that give easy access to content – and at the same time look so good that readers are drawn in to engage with the medium. As our company name indicates, marrying content and design in this way has always been one of our strengths.

That’s why our web team is hard at work developing a solution that will allow us to publish our client magazines in whatever format their audiences want to read it – tablet, iPhone or at their desks. Our deadline is November and we’ll keep you posted!

Graphics educator Colin Seton from hypermouse has spent a couple of hours a week in our studio recently, sharing his knowledge of the rapidly evolving world of digital publishing. As he was heading out the door, we asked him to answer a few questions . . .

Can you explain – in simple terms – where you think magazine publishing is heading?
The market is still primarily paper-based, with a few of the major publishers producing their key publications in the digital space. Soon, as the tablet computers find their place in the larger consumer market, more and more publishers, especially those previously too small to get their content out on paper, will begin to realise just how empowering this new market can be.

How can you take advantage of the new technology to: a) tell better stories and b) provide the reader with better value?
Because of the costs associated with print, stories have traditionally needed significant editing to get them to fit into a publication's predetermined length. In the digital space, while editing is still to be encouraged, more imagery, multi-media content and inter-article linking will allow readers to explore an author's original intent more fully. 

The same would apply to your second question. Digital publishing allows the option to share articles through social media. And it gives readers the confidence of knowing that content is always going to be up-to-date.

What do you see as the biggest plus of digital over print magazines?
Probably the ability to expand the scope of articles through the inclusion of multimedia content and more visual imagery, and establish links with relevant or current online articles.

Digital publishing allows publishers to gain insights into how readers interact with content. Can you explain how?
As with HTML emails, most digital publication systems can track when a link has been clicked inside a publication. Sometimes data such as location and frequency can also be tracked. This certainly gives feedback at a level higher than anything possible with print-based solutions.

Can you suggest a list of apps or publications currently available on iPad that showcase what you’ve talked about?
• Popular Science
• Zite (Flipboard, Pulse)
• NZHerald
• USA Today
• Blancspot – the Art of Now
• Macworld Express
• Retro
• Rochester Review – University of Rochester – 4 Free Issues

Colin Seton http://web.mac.com/hypermouse/hypermouse/index.html