Thanks for the comment.
I don’t deny that digital text enables choice, in fact I rather welcome that> I just suspect that it is unlikely to create new markets.

As for helping kids read, that can never be a bad thing and I’d never oppose it, if it works. Fundamentally better teachers (or just more of them) is probably more important than the tools that get used.

As a lover of a good PC game as well as a heavy reader, I’d caution on the use of the word mindless, most of these game, regardless of the theme or content, requires a lot of learning, even if not the kind we necessarily think of as valuable.

Eoin

As an ex secondary school teacher, I did some really interesting literacy studies which I’ll post to my blog later this week. Part of the results indicated that the interactive features discuused in your original posting would encourage a lot more interest in reading. But basic obvious truths also play a huge factor -Parental/siblings reading was also a huge factor in the interest and reading consumption of the students.

I HOPE you are right. Really I do but if you explore that concept it presents problems:

1) Are people NOT reading now because books are inaccessible or inconvenient?
I think on the whole not, most likely they are reading because they don’t want to*. There may be a segment of the population whose only real access to books is through libraries, if the cause of that lack of access is poverty, digital products are unlikely to reach them or be affordable for them. That is tragic, but it is also true.

2) Appeal to the “digital natives”?
You might be right with this perspective, but the evidence is just not there yet. If anything the evidence suggest that these digital natives tend to read less in long form and like multimedia presentation, but even that is not certain. I see no reason why just having access to a book on a mobile device will make this segment read books (digital or print) more?

3) Dailylit
I love Dailylit, I think it is an amazing tool. But what’s its age profile? I’ve asked on twitter, if I get a response I’ll update!

Eoin

*I accept that there is a market for those with poor sight, hearing or some other physical or other difficulty. But this is hardly a massive money spinner for authors or publishers

In regards to eBooks attracting new readers, I really hope they do. To me thats one of the most remarkable and important aspects of digital texts – the accessibility and convenience. I think that ebooks will appeal to the “digital natives” now emerging from the social networking mist as well as its different delivery options appealing to a broader spectrum. Take Dailylit for example – bite size chunks of books by subscription via your email -hundreds of thousands of subscribers.

Enjoyed meeting you at the CBI workshop on Saturday. It opened up a lot of ideas for me. Would love the chance to meet up and discuss what we are trying to do at The Authors Friend.

Kind regards and many thanks for an interesting and useful Saturday morning.

David Jones