From using social media to publishing e-book versions of all its titles, Atria is making the most of new technology. An unusual example of this is the Atria Smart Books series, titles that use QR (quick response) codes to allow readers with smartphones to scan the code and directly jump to video that expands on the material in the printed books--a kind of enhanced p-book.
Curr said she believes "in the future of the smartphone for books, especially for instructional tomes. Readers don't want to go back and forth from book to computer and hunt on the Internet for videos."
Atria first used QR codes in 2010 in True Spirit by Jessica Watson, the Australian who at age 16 became the youngest person to sail solo, unassisted and nonstop around the world. In her memoir of the seven-month trip, QR codes link to YouTube videos that Watson took of herself on the day that she discusses in the book.
The next title to use QR codes was The Timeless Swing, an instructional book by Tom Watson that appeared a year ago. In the book, QR codes link to samples of the golfer doing what he describes in prose in the book. Curr noted that with their smartphones, "readers can take the video part of the book to the range."
In The Now Effect: How a Mindful Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life by Elisha Goldstein, published in February, QR codes link to videos of "real meditation in real time," Curr said.
Atria is refining the approach with a new title by Rachael Ray, The Book of Burger, to be published June 5. The QR codes in the book lead to seven videos that the chef made exclusively for the book. "It's the first time we'd done purpose-built video," Curr said.
QR codes and e-books generally are having a major effect on the company, Curr said. "They're training us to think about books and what we're doing in a different way as we go through the publishing process on a print and e-book version at the same time." The modern publishing company, she observed, "has to work with two opposing philosophies. 'Perfect and publish' is traditional publishing. 'Publish and perfect' is the Internet--put it out and we'll fix it later."
Atria, Curr emphasized, is not using new technology for its own sake. "We're enhancing excellent content," she said. "We guarantee a book will be as good as it says it will be."
