Digital publishing platform Pubsoft announced today that it has partnered with Transmedia Story Stream to help authors create an entirely immersive storytelling experience within their ebooks. Utilizing features like videos, audio clips, live streaming of social events associated with the book, and even gaming, the innovative process will help authors and publishers offer an even richer experience to their readers.
When enhanced ebooks first emerged on the market, many readers weren’t ready for the intrusion of audio and video in their books; many didn’t even like the ability to tap on an unobtrusive hyperlink to learn more or to access features like photos or maps. but with the far wider reach of tablets, coupled with the growing popularity of enhanced digital magazines, the public may now be ready for this type of experience.
“We’re excited to be a part of this project because we see the potential for growth. How many of us have played online social and casual games like Words With Friends or Candy Crush for hours without realizing it? What if games such as those were incorporated into some of our favorite story lines, like Twilight, and Harry Potter? What if participating in different activities provided different additional parts of the story that could only be unlocked by experiencing it in a different way? We don’t want to diminish the traditional narrative form so much as we want authors to have the ability to add to it,” said Heather Wied, Marketing Director for Pubsoft.
What actually may make this venture far more profitable than enhanced ebooks from a few years ago is the building on the HTML5 platform for ease of consumption across multiple platforms, as well as Pubsoft’s original offering to the digital publishing industry of creating streamlined, one-stop-shopping for authors and publishers to market, sell, and retrieve royalties on their titles, regardless of retail outlet.
The platform, like so many smart moves in publishing, will start with romance titles, as romance readers are not only avid consumers of books, but are also found to be near the top of the list for casual gaming use.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.