Three signal keynote addresses open The FutureBook Conference in two weeks, from :
- George Berkowski, author of How to Build a Billion Dollar App: Discover the Secrets of the Most Successful Entrepreneurs of Our Time
- Carla Buzasi, Global Chief Content Officer with WGSN
- Tom Weldon, CEO, Penguin Random House UK in conversation with Bookseller Editor Philip Jones
#FutureBook14, Europe’s largest publishing conference, convenes at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, Westminster, on 14th November. Please join us for a full day’s programme of stimulating, thought-leading commentary. Hurry to book seats while they last.
Shouldn’t we see some light at the end of it by now?
Only one in seven people think the industry is ready for the next stage in the digital revolution, The Bookseller’s 2014 Digital Census has found.
That opening line from our staff write-up on our census has been getting some double-takes from our readers. Maybe it snagged your attention, too?
The survey, from over 1,100 respondents and taken between September and October 2014, found that just 14.7 percent believed the sector is prepared for the next stage in digital, while nearly half (47 percent) think it is not. The rest (38.3 percent) didn’t know.
You can see the Digital Census report in full online here.
Not too get too scriptural about it, the survey’s responses have revealed that we’re deep into “How long, O Lord, how long?” territory here.
After all, we — the industry! the industry! — have talked about pretty much nothing but digital for…how many years? How can we be unprepared to move forward?
And, if anything, those of us on the coverage end of things keep pointing out this step forward and that move in the right direction. From Philip Jones’ 10 things publishers have been doing (that we should celebrate) to the most recent developments in forward-looking efforts.
Not for nothing will our FutureBook day on 14th November at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Center, close with the announcements of our 2014 FutureBook Innovation Awards (#FBIA2014) including one for Most Inspirational Digital Publshing Person — for whom you can vote right now.
And, not to be crass about it, if you’re among the 47 percent of our Digital Census respondents telling us that the industry isn’t ready to move forward in digital, what’s it going to take?
By Porter Anderson | @Porter_Anderson
The FutureBook: #FutureChat today: Are we still not ‘prepared’ for digital progress?
Read the full post at: TheBookseller.com/futurebook
