Digital Zone: The London Book Fair's glimpse of the future

During my short time at the London Book Fair, despite the phenomenal variety of exhibitions, stalls and discussions available - particularly from the increasing international markets - I spent much of my time in the Digital Zone, where the exhibitions focused not just on the ebook, but also on how to market, sell and create this new wave of digital literature.

Multiple topics were covered, such as the importance of classification and metadata within the ebook world, and the development of the app as an important feature in marketing oneself. A report displayed there stated that, in the US, tablet PCs had overtaken ereaders as the platform of choice for ebook downloads - emphasising the shift towards multi-functional items over dedicated ones. As a result, with tablets being able to browse the internet for ebooks (compared to e-readers being linked to certain stores), independent and niche authors and booksellers are finding that selling through their own sites is becoming easier - essentially allowing the long tail model to triumph over the conventional model and become the norm.

However, the spectre of Amazon did loom over the proceedings somewhat - nearly every talk in the Digital Zone did touch upon the complications Amazon was inflicting upon the digital industry. From the 99p book skewing statistics to the refusal to release sales figures, there was a vague sense that Amazon was an elephant in the room. Given the growing rate of the ebook industry, it will be interesting to see next year how things will have changed.