I’ve always believed that e-books were best suited for plain-text fiction.
Really visual books, like kids books, cookbooks and art books, seemed better as paper books. And I haven’t been the only one thinking that way.
The publishing industry has embraced the adult coloring book genre partly because it’s a profitable way to sell paper books. Paper’s safe in this case, right? Well, maybe not. A Los Angeles Times article profiles the rise of coloring apps such as Colorfy and Recolor.
Surprise, they have been just as meteorically popular for their industry as their paper counterparts have been for publishing. One coloring app apparently reached 2.3 million users in its first ten months alone.
A coloring app aficionado reported many of the same benefits people like me appreciate our regular e-books for: she can go out and easily carry everything with her, right on her iPad Mini. No gear, no paper, no mess.
Others appreciate the ease with which one can experiment with different colors and techniques, and the way tedious tasks such as filling in a large area can be handily automated. And there are special effects, such as animations, which can be added with the tap of a finger.
I personally don’t feel I would enjoy an app as much. I like having one hobby that isn’t screen-based, to be honest. I spend enough time on my iPad without doing this, too. But it’s clear that people like to have options, and there is choice enough for everyone. Consider this bold assertion:
“Coloring book enthusiasts insist they’d never abandon the pad and paper. But the concern is that, like Brown, people will become accustomed to the on-demand, dynamic enchantment of apps and ditch the old medium. That’s what has happened as other throwback trends enjoy revivals—for instance, how young adults subscribe to Netflix, not cable, to watch Nickelodeon shows from their past. The issue reflects a spreading realization: It’s dangerous for companies entrenched in making physical products or selling goods at bricks-and-mortar shops to not fight for online spending—and vice versa.”
Well put indeed. Nobody in this day and age can ever afford to be complacent about the status quo. The publishing industry has already learned this with other genres. Now, it’s the coloring book genre’s turn.
