A relatively new program called Authorly aims to help authors turn their books into multimedia apps available for purchase to anyone with an Apple or Android device. Used mainly but not exclusively by authors of illustrated children's books, Authorly lets authors add sound, video, narration, and interactive activities like quizzes and choose-your-own ending features to books. The digital books can read themselves, highlight text, and include advanced visual effects that not only can help young children learn to read but also make it more fun. In a world where time-wasting games and TV network apps are a click away for bored children, Authorly is designed to help authors quickly and cheaply distribute fun, educational apps for almost any device.
Instead of paying an app developer fees that would be cost-prohibitive for most children's book authors, Authorly lets even technophobe users create their own apps for free with a drag-and-drop system. However, only 25 percent of all users choose the free DIY method, reports Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer. The majority of authors sign up for a paid service that enlists professionals to design book pages at a per-page rate. According to Friedlander, the long waiting list for professional help may be in part to the difficulty of using Authorly; because the program itself is so new, few if any tutorials exist for navigating the free DIY program. Friedlander, who outlines his personal experience with Authorly in his article on The Book Designer, is optimistic that the user-friendliness of the program will improve quickly.
The user-friendliness factor may play a huge role in determining how well Authorly stands up to large competitors like iBooks Author from Apple and KDP Kids from Amazon. Each app lets users dive into digital publishing for free, with authors earning an average 50 percent in royalties for each app purchased.
Instead of paying an app developer fees that would be cost-prohibitive for most children's book authors, Authorly lets even technophobe users create their own apps for free with a drag-and-drop system. However, only 25 percent of all users choose the free DIY method, reports Joel Friedlander of The Book Designer. The majority of authors sign up for a paid service that enlists professionals to design book pages at a per-page rate. According to Friedlander, the long waiting list for professional help may be in part to the difficulty of using Authorly; because the program itself is so new, few if any tutorials exist for navigating the free DIY program. Friedlander, who outlines his personal experience with Authorly in his article on The Book Designer, is optimistic that the user-friendliness of the program will improve quickly.
The user-friendliness factor may play a huge role in determining how well Authorly stands up to large competitors like iBooks Author from Apple and KDP Kids from Amazon. Each app lets users dive into digital publishing for free, with authors earning an average 50 percent in royalties for each app purchased.