Highlights From Digital Book World, part 1

I just attended Digital Book World and it's Monday Launch Kids conference, and it was a great experience. There was so much information, insight, and engagement with the process of how all of us in the world of Children's Literature are dealing with the digital changes afoot, that I've broken it up into two posts.

Here are ten highlights from LaunchKids to start:

Dominique Raccah (CEO and Publisher, Sourcebooks), on all the digital possibilities:

It's additive. An "and" transformation, rather than "or."

David Kleeman (Senior VP of Global Trends, Dubit):

Kids prefer print to digital. Kids love to share, which is harder to do in digital.

Kristen McLean (Director of New Business Development, Nielsen Book/Nielsen Entertainment):

Children's is going to be THE growth market... Juvenile nonfiction will be THE growth category for the next 4-5 years.

Jennifer Perry (VP of North America Media Products & Publishing, Sesame Workshop--the Sesame Street people), on apps & ebooks:

"We have not figured out the secret sauce."

Jenny Han (New York Times Bestselling Author): "

"I'm in driver's seat with social media."

Ashley Anderson Zantop (Chief Content Officer, Capstone):

"The kids in kindergarten this year have NEVER been alive without tablets" and will have "fundamentally different expectations of technology."

Agent Joanna Volpe (Agent, New Leaf Literary):

"Focus on engagement rather than # of followers."

...which was followed by Ned Rust (VP, James Patterson Brand & Marketing Director, Hachette Book Group) saying:

"If you get engagement, the #s will grow."

Preeti Chhibber (Senior Editorial Manager, Teens & Book Beat, Scholastic Reading Club, Scholastic):

"The number one thing teens want "is to know someone is listening... that they know we care what they think about books.

Mike Shatzkin (Conference Chair, Founder and CEO The Idea Logical Company):

"If discovery through search matters, giving up on author websites is a big strategic mistake."

Susan Katz (President and Publisher Emeritus, HarperCollins Children's Books):

"Nothing has gone away and everything has been added."

More great highlights of #DBW16 in tomorrow's post!

ps - sorry this Tuesday post is late... the conference was a busy time!