While many consumers may be content with black-and-white e-readers like the Kindle for reading novels or nonfiction, the future may look more interesting. Publishers of books with colored illustrations are reportedly making headway in converting their enormous libraries of illustrated titles to e-books, hoping to capitalize on the growing popularity of the Apple iPad and the Nook Color. Unlike the Kindle, these devices have the ability to showcase books with color photographs and illustrations.
Apple announced last week that it is going to make a major push into illustrated books, adding more than 100 titles to its iBookstore: children’s books, photography books and cookbooks last week alone.
Publishers, desperate for additional revenue streams, have been eager to sell illustrated books in digital form, particularly picture books for children.
Jon Anderson, the publisher of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, said the publishing house had been “itching to do it since e-books became possible,” but there were always limitations because their books were in color.
By early 2011, Anderson said, the company hoped to release picture e-books at the same time as the print versions, which is standard practice now for trade books and their digital counterparts.
