Keeping up with the Apps

Recently I was asked to work on a phrasebook series. This is what I did in my former corporate life but it is just a shade over 4 years since I left there. And boy, oh boy, have things moved apace. I had to stop and really think how a book could compete with what is out there now - particularly web apps which I suspect are the future. How do you convince the public that it's a book rather than a gadget (or a blend of both) that they want?

Probably the first thing to bear in mind is the increasing 50+s. Whilst they may be embracing technology with the rest of them, I suspect they still appreciate the value of a book for its sheer ease of use. They are the growing generation and one (for a while at least) with the most disposable income.

Probably now more than ever, publishers need to look long and hard at what they are going to publish. What is it that the public actually need or want? And why would they choose a paper format over a digital one? The shape and size of the book needs be a much more important factor than previously. Publishers' costs shouldn't be the deciding factor which tended to be the case in my time. It has to be the use to which the book is put. This is much more important for reference titles (by referenc titles I mean phrase books, travel guides, cookery books, health books, etc).

There is so much competition on the internet, but you can't beat a good book if you get all the elements right.