tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post8720931656385369544..comments2024-03-28T06:28:49.282+00:00Comments on Picture Book Den: Picture Book Apps - Creating Good Screen TimeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger19125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-55032532514406185542014-03-19T19:21:51.123+00:002014-03-19T19:21:51.123+00:00I hope so Pippa! Yes, that sort of sharing is bril...I hope so Pippa! Yes, that sort of sharing is brilliant. I wonder if bigger screens can help, like classroom whiteboards.Helen Dineenhttp://capptivatedkids.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-83789100549418115172014-03-18T17:53:32.490+00:002014-03-18T17:53:32.490+00:00Ah, that makes me happy! And I would claim that&#...Ah, that makes me happy! And I would claim that's a book that is interactive between book and audience, especially when the audience is of more than one person. Let the jumping around happen in heads rather than on a screen page! But I do enjoy a good app, and I'm sure that stronger app story telling/showing will develop fast. Exciting times!Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-28106702388771665462014-03-18T10:15:14.422+00:002014-03-18T10:15:14.422+00:00Thanks Romelle. My Twitter followers are very &quo...Thanks Romelle. My Twitter followers are very "booky" and so perhaps there might be different answers in a wider environment. But it was still very interesting to see their answers which mirrored my own personal thoughts about use of story apps.Helen Dineenhttp://capptivatedkids.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-76219788517294459442014-03-18T03:14:45.583+00:002014-03-18T03:14:45.583+00:00Great post Helen. About 7 years ago, I polled peop...Great post Helen. About 7 years ago, I polled people asking whether or not they owned iPhones. I also asked how likely they were to purchase a story app. This was when story apps were just starting out. I found your findings intriguing because I always wanted to do a follow-up poll and see if any of them changed their minds. The comments I received were similar to yours so I guess that hasn't changed. But I do know that majority of the people I polled back then now have iPhones. I was interested in this research because I am a picture book writer who contemplated getting my feet wet in the app/eBook market. I decided to do so since I knew technology wasn't going away. Thanks for this wonderful post! P.S. Sometimes games can get in the way of the story apps. I prefer the eBook without all the games.Romelle Broashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11860032539164234533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-15269331227607341792014-03-17T20:02:18.740+00:002014-03-17T20:02:18.740+00:00I think developers and coders etc charge a lot for...I think developers and coders etc charge a lot for developing apps. I get approached every now and then by firms wanting to digitise my content etc, they aren't offering a partnership, they are touting for business and ask for ridiculous sums. 'Content' is hugely undervalued in the digital world. We need some consumer level app creation software. it would mean a lot of crap would be produced, (so what's new) but it would democratise the process and give people with fresh ideas the platform on which to develop them. I'm all for that!Jon Burgess Designhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686489273842347796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-3679272792607642502014-03-17T19:53:00.755+00:002014-03-17T19:53:00.755+00:00Actually there were some cracking CD roms. Lets ho...Actually there were some cracking CD roms. Lets hope apps develop to be as good.Jon Burgess Designhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686489273842347796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-19100320093018750862014-03-17T19:51:42.788+00:002014-03-17T19:51:42.788+00:00They want electronic rights to everything though. ...They want electronic rights to everything though. . . <br />The trouble is that the 'economic crisis' devastated most of the more nimble, smaller independent publishers who might have shown the big boys a thing or two, leaving them without much competition. imho. Jon Burgess Designhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686489273842347796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-8568275411930297652014-03-17T18:10:08.638+00:002014-03-17T18:10:08.638+00:00Pippa, on a completely unrelated note, we "re...Pippa, on a completely unrelated note, we "rescued" a very battered copy of You Choose from the library the other day for 10p. So good to see just how loved it had been by so many borrowers! A reminder again of how difficult it can be to replicate the physical experience of books on screen.Helen Dineenhttp://capptivatedkids.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-11515984790910187982014-03-17T18:07:45.952+00:002014-03-17T18:07:45.952+00:00I absiolutely agree about the difficulty in findin...I absiolutely agree about the difficulty in finding good apps and the parallels with self publishing. Even harder because some big publishers are guilty of putting out the apps with minimal added value to print, and some tiny independents produce some of the better apps. I find Apps Playground (a review site put together by the Guardian journalist Stuart Dredge and his partner) to be a very good resource, as well as his round-ups of the best apps each year. Kirkus Reviews can also be a good place to look. But it certainly isn't nearly as easy as browsing in a book shop.Helen Dineenhttp://capptivatedkids.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-59546707073955240132014-03-17T17:09:32.633+00:002014-03-17T17:09:32.633+00:00That's a wonderful, and important, and everso ...That's a wonderful, and important, and everso slightly scary, challenge! Thank you.Pippa Goodharthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17709422048047155208noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-73691814127955515162014-03-17T14:57:54.672+00:002014-03-17T14:57:54.672+00:00But there are zero print costs and minimal 'di...But there are zero print costs and minimal 'distribution' costs with digital, so surely if you have a good in-house digital production facility and create strong content, you should be making MORE than you make in print these days, given how few people buy books compared to apps?! But time has to be invested from the off - with everyone working together from concept - not tagged on as an after thought. That's a working culture thing and culture takes a very long time to evolve.Michelle Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09620246793467493696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-68891941079144907472014-03-17T14:44:16.982+00:002014-03-17T14:44:16.982+00:00Most interesting! I've been told that it's...Most interesting! I've been told that it's so expensive to create Apps, there's hardly any profit to be had...Hence the amount of cheapy stuff out there, I guess. The point here is that those with storytelling experience, who are used to creating entertaining mind pathways through story, can help here, I am sure. Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-71612027255901697172014-03-17T13:29:25.857+00:002014-03-17T13:29:25.857+00:00AND! (sorry for disjointed reply) I think the same...AND! (sorry for disjointed reply) I think the same problem is happening as with the self-publishing thing. SO MUCH CR*P is getting made, and because traditional publishers aren't doing enough, the rubbish is outnumbering anything half decent. I totally agree with Moira's point about how hard it is to shop for good apps. A publisher's logo is at least a sign of a certain level of quality (if not 100% story satisfaction!). I'll shut up now.Michelle Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09620246793467493696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-80924620470372037342014-03-17T13:12:37.433+00:002014-03-17T13:12:37.433+00:00Digital and print should get along, Helen, but som...Digital and print should get along, Helen, but somehow they don't just yet. It's very odd. I think it's to do with traditional publishing houses being slow to move with the times - a lot of dinosaurs at helms, doesn't help! It took my agent a lot of long, hard wrangling to even persuade my publishers to print my URL on book jackets. Tried to get them to include QR codes to download colouring sheets and audio games - forget it. Complete nightmare! They are so slow to embrace change, so perhaps expecting them to lead the charge is wrong. This is where companies like Nosy Crow are so refreshing and exciting (I just still think there's a lot of clever thinking that hasn't been done yet, but that's to be expected in what is still really a fairly new market).Michelle Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09620246793467493696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-18971102968109454942014-03-17T13:02:09.426+00:002014-03-17T13:02:09.426+00:00Thank you for all these comments - I particularly ...Thank you for all these comments - I particularly appreciate the point of view of established writers such as yourselves, as I definitely wrote this piece from a parental perspective (I am not involved in the making of them) It's a shame to hear it is difficult for writers to be involved. I also agree with the somersaulting, but that was an early app and I think Nosy Crow has dropped most of the "nice but not useful" interactivity like that from future apps. I do feel there is still storytelling there, but can understand it isn't for everyone. I think my main point (though I tried to cover a lot in a small space!) was that books will be books, apps will be apps, but I hope we can all get along and maybe share expertise between them so that children have the best of both worlds. It's such an interesting debate though - will apps go the way of CD Roms? Let's see...Helen Dineenhttp://capptivatedkids.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-36834797531914716902014-03-17T12:16:38.673+00:002014-03-17T12:16:38.673+00:00I love your rant, Jonathan. And totally agree - ev...I love your rant, Jonathan. And totally agree - even with the slightly controversial bit about Three Little Pigs. Where's the story gone?! My kids don't like it, I don't like it. Sure, blowing down the houses is fun - but that's a game, not a story. I find even where production values are high, story is lost. Someone show me a 'story' app where that isn't the case - PLEASE! I'd love to see it, but haven't yet. And I've actually tried approaching publishers with picture book texts alongside interactive digital versions of the text, they're not interested. They either want to create content themselves or sell the rights to someone else. There's no interest (read 'profit') in creating quality content for stand alone picture books, as far as I can see. I'm torn; part of me thinks it's a missed opportunity, but then having not been impressed by any of the apps on the market as a parent and story lover, what are we really missing? Want to share a story? Read a book.Michelle Robinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09620246793467493696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-45635935125168886082014-03-17T09:42:10.620+00:002014-03-17T09:42:10.620+00:00Deep breath, Jonathan!Deep breath, Jonathan!Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-83325633517030225412014-03-17T09:14:56.063+00:002014-03-17T09:14:56.063+00:00Really good post. I have an issue with apps being ...Really good post. I have an issue with apps being much more like games, and not very good ones at that. Like you I would love to see the app being exploited for what it is rather than as an adjunct to something else. The last time I looked at any kid's book apps (admittedly a year ago at least) I wasn't impressed. Even the much vaunted Nosy Crow 3 little pigs didn't do much for me. How does making the characters turn a somersault when clicked on further the narrative? it really annoyed me. Remember CD ROMS? I do. They were going to change the World weren't they? Did they? No. Apps are CD roms on a tablet, pretty much. Colour me underwhelmed. As for Picture Book authors getting involved in making apps. OK, so when was the last time anyone here was asked to do that? I never have been. I would love to work on apps but you have to understand authors and illustrators are just 'content providers', we don't do anything clever like coding pigs so they turn somersaults. Put the story tellers in charge for god's sake! Fah! ;-) <br />Ooh I do like a good rant ;-)Jon Burgess Designhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11686489273842347796noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3758609568631190155.post-32761677431159727422014-03-16T09:37:20.062+00:002014-03-16T09:37:20.062+00:00Fascinating. Thanks, Helen. Parental attitudes are...Fascinating. Thanks, Helen. Parental attitudes are very interesting - suggesting that, at the moment, apps are seen as competing with games rather than books. My problem, as a parent, is finding quality apps from the many on offer - as I hardly ever see reviews in newspapers - so if my experience is anything to go by, there's a problem getting the apps to the audience. Your recommendations are highly useful. Moira Butterfieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17355420549929911500noreply@blogger.com