GRAPHIC BOOK COMPANIES… ...SHOULD THEY GO DIGITAL? With a restrictive e-reader fixed layout and lack of aesthetical value, it is widely presumed that readers of graphic books won’t buy into the digital transition of the print book into digital products. But with the rise in digital sales across graphic books (such as comics) from $25 million (2011) to $90 million (2015) in North America alone; are UK graphic book publishers missing out by not investing in the digital? And if they do transition, how do graphic book publishers modify their business plans? WHAT IS 'NOBROW PRESS'? Nobrow Press, a small indie publisher opening in late 2008 by Sam Arthur and Alex Spiro, endeavours to bring fresh new illustrators and authors to the forefront of the graphic books industry. Primarily their focus is on producing print books with 172 print books currently available on their website. However with the closure of their physical bookshop in 2014, recent partnership with digital production company ‘Minilab studios’, new comics app and regular news blogs on their website it appears Nobrow is gradually migrating into the digital age. Alex Spiro, co-founder and creative director states (on a press release on Nobrow’s website), that the digital products that this company is beginning to produce ‘won’t replace what we already love doing’. Insinuating that Nobrow’s business model is and always will be primarily focused on print not digital- digital being used only to ‘enhance the reader’s experience’. With the print graphic books market valued at $910 million by Comichron and ICV2 in North America alone, could it be more financially viable to stick to print? NOBROW'S COMPETITORS- ARE THEY EXPLOITING DIGITAL PUBLISHING MORE EFFICIENTLY? A mix of both print and digital, augmented reality is becoming more and more popular with publishing companies such as the DangerKatt Creative Studio and their augmented reality comic book ‘Bloodsworth’ using Blippar’s self-service AR tool builder. Readers can interact with this comic easily, downloading the free ‘layar’ app in which they can view special videos and interactive content on their phones enhancing their experience. With tools such as Blippar’s self-service AR tool builder it is becoming much easier and cheaper for smaller publishers to invest in augmented reality and the digital. Other graphic book companies have also ventured into digital publishing such as Taptastic, an online freemium comics website profiting through an ad revenue program, voluntary subscription and donations scheme where readers can support their favourite artists. DOES NOBROW NEED TO GO DIGITAL? Graphic books are pricey, Angus Cargill, of Faber and Faber, agrees in an interview with the guardian in 2012, “The production costs, the time, and the fact that the comics market is smaller means we”, “try to find the best ones and make them count”. Consequently Faber and Faber only produce 2 to 3 graphic books a year, which when compared Nobrow’s Flying Eyes children’s imprint alone is incredibly low, producing 12 graphic books a year. By only offering digital products companies such as comicsfix.com avoid the high costs of printing full colour print books and comics and therefore will have higher profit margins. Nobrow’s new comics app (introduced in January 2015) enables its readers to click on the images in the comic and see the artist’s original sketches, enhancing the readers experience. This extra dimension to the graphic book couldn’t be achieved in a traditional print book, giving Nobrow a USP in their market, differentiating themselves from their competitors. However, equally there are issues with transitioning into digital. Arranging lower quantities in print runs will mean higher prices per book, increasing the already high retail price of their print books and therefore deterring a lot of their customers. Also, relying on ad revenue for income like comicsfix.com, is risky business as recent studies (a study taken by Nora Ganim Barnes, University of Massachusetts, 2015) show how ‘millennials’ (the younger digital native generation) are becoming ‘immune’ to adverts on websites, not clicking on them. People in this study are shown to be highly distrustful of advertising online and consequently fewer companies are paying publishing website companies to host their digital adverts, causing a serious decrease in revenue. EVOLVE OR STAY THE SAME? Though Nobrow is primarily a print company, its diversion into the digital with its comics app allows it a USP its competitors don’t have therefore making digital vital to their business plan. However to maintain the balance between the print and digital products they are so proud of, augmented reality may very well be the future for Nobrow, allowing their readers access to the world of digital without turning completely to enhanced ebooks. This way issues regarding higher priced smaller print runs may be avoided. Print appears vital for this industry, being worth $910 million for graphic books in North America alone. To completely digitise their stock would be a mistake for Nobrow. It is obvious that though digital is important it should only be used to compliment the print book NOT take over. REFERENCES:
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1 Comment
Helena Beauchamp
12/13/2016 09:12:16 am
As a fan of graphic novels myself, I found this to be a very interesting article on the issues that publishers who specialise in this field face when considering transitioning into digital formats. You have data and statistics to support your argument which lend credulity to your piece. There is something that I am curious about which I found through my own research. You have mentioned that the reason Nobrow could be reluctant to move into digital formats for their graphic novels is due to the fact that 'e-reader's have a fixed layout that can lack aesthetical value'. I do agree with you that the outer exterior of e-readers can not match up to a well-designed cover, but as for the internal content, I was wondering what your opinion was on enhanced e-books that have integrated content without the need for a phone app? I know you have mentioned Blippar and the upcoming comics app that Nobrow are bringing out which would be used on a phone, however, through research for my own blog, I came across the enhanced and illustrated ebook versions of the Harry Potter series that have been released through Pottermore. These have in-built animation such as moving portraits and a Golden Snitch flying across the pages of the Philosopher's Stone. I was wondering if you thought Nobrow would consider, rather than an app with a print book, using integrated ebooks? Throughly enjoyable piece of work!
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AuthorMy name is Victoria Bush and I am a Publishing Media/Fine Art student at Oxford Brookes. I'm 19 years old and I'm a self confessed bookaholic. I'm going to write 6 short blogs on this website on the realm of 'digital publishing'. I hope you enjoy them! ArchivesCategories |