As a consequence of the Internet revolution, traditional media faces the challenge of finding a place in a world gone digital. NEXT Berlin 2012 speaker Lee Cowles has devoted his life to books and their role in the future.

In his keynote he discusses not only the problems that confront the industry, but also current trends. Social elements, for instance, are starting to be part of e-books. Stories are not static anymore, but are dynamically evolving through the direct communication between author and audience. The content could even be produced collaboratively.

So, obviously, e-books are one pillar for the future of the book industry. That said, the traditional medium is not dead, since technological devices cannot replace the feeling of holding a book in your hands – at least not yet. That’s why Blurb deals with both analog and digital versions.

The evolution of the e-book is still at the beginning and “the addition of colour and the prevalence of new devices makes it a very attractive market”, Cowles concludes.