With the rise of e-reading, how has the nature of authorship changed? Andrea Buchanan, the author of the new multimedia young adult novel, "Gift"—and the co-author of the bestselling "The Daring Book For Girls"—joins Ben and Joel to talk about the challenges of writing for a digital format.

Questions considered in this podcast:

• Why would a traditional author move into creating "multimedia" books?

• Are elements like music, games, and videos an integral part of today's reading experience? Or are they just bells and whistles?

• How is writing a book different in a digital format? Is it more like a movie project, with a series of specialists helping create a single work? Or is the author still the author?

• Will writers continue to eke out a living this way?

• Is there a stigma against digital publication among authors and publishers?

• What happens when the post-apocalyptic America with no electricity arrives? Are e-books too ephemeral? Is Jonathan Franzen right that they endanger democracy?

• What's the best way to bring kids along as readers? Print or digital devices?

• Is the death of print greatly exaggerated?

Music heard in this podcast: Selections from the multimedia novel "Gift."

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