You probably have seen what are known as QR codes in advertisements, on bags, and packaging. Products are promoted by having potential consumers scan these bar code-like, puzzle-looking squares. If you have a smart phone you can access the code, which usually provides you with a coupon, or a Web site, or a promotional bit of data.
They are all over the place and a number of authors and publishers are beginning to include them inside their books. They provide readers with supplemental materials - -photos, text, videos - -that make the reading experience interactive and enhanced. Or so some say.
I have never used a QR code. Ever. I am not alone. I asked many colleagues if they use them, either professionally or personally. Most said they had not.
I am not against them, and perhaps they can be used in a cool way, but I am just too lazy to use them. I also don’t want to create ADD for myself. When I read a book I want to zero in on the materials and not be distracted by going to my phone, where I will then get lost in strings of links, texts, or email. QR codes are a way to take us out of our physical touch and print world and into the vast digital sphere. For now, I choose to keep my adventure on the printed page.
Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer, the nation’s largest book promoter. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This blog is copyrighted material by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2013 ©
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