With all my New Year’s Resolutions broken before I even had a chance to have a proper go at them (too wet to go running, sourdough starter didn’t take, drinking, it turns out, is a day-to-day necessity, et cetera) I decided to at least write down some thoughts that have been pervading and plaguing my mind for quite some time. In the world of publishing and books, everybody seems to agree that 2010 marked the beginning of digitisation and as a result the death of books is meant to be a matter of when and not if. The future of the book is apparently bleak, with Amazon.com reportedly selling more ebooks than hardbacks and with publishers from far and wide throwing their money at developing ebooks, with enhanced content, phone and tablet apps and whatever else making technologists drool. The year has barely begun and digital sales are already expected to save the book industry.

I know that there are lots of people who don’t believe that physical books will die out and needless to say I am one of them. I agree that there are obvious advantages to having certain books (textbooks, reference books or even manuals) on an electronic reader (search facilities, easy to carry around, et cetera). But for me the most exciting influence technology can have on books and the publishing industry is how it can transform physical books rather than replace them.

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Source: @thelitplatform