The Future of Books: From Paperbacks to Podcasts

What is a book today — a paperback, an audiobook, a TikTok trend? Jill Marshall explores the future of reading, children’s literacy, fandom, adaptations - and the timeless archetypes that keep stories alive.

What counts as a ‘book’ today? Is it a paperback on your shelf, a story whispered through headphones, even a Bluey episode on a screen?

In this episode of The Download, Jill Marshall takes you on a lively journey through the ever-changing world of books and storytelling. From her early leap into ebooks and audiobooks to today’s BookTok, Substack, and streaming adaptations, Jill reflects on how books keep reshaping themselves - and why that matters.

Along the way, she explores:

• Why reading for pleasure may be the true key to children’s literacy
• How fandoms respond when adaptations alter the stories they love
• The quirky, prescient behind-the-scenes casting choices for her Jane Blonde series book-to-screen adaptations
• And how archetypes make books timeless, no matter the format

Whether you’re a die-hard print lover, an audiobook binger or someone curious about where storytelling goes next, this episode invites you to wonder: what is a book, really?

Timestamps:
00:00 Welcome to The Download
00:36 What makes a book a book?
02:54 Children and the joy of reading
04:25 From ebooks to audiobooks and beyond
09:17 Adaptations, fandom, and story fidelity, with The Thursday Murder Club
12:40 Behind the scenes with Jane Blonde, Harry Potter and Bluey
15:20 Archetypes: the timeless magic of books
19:55 What’s next for stories?

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Enrolments open for Jill's unique six-month group mentorships: Fiction Editor and The Her-ro’s Journey.

The Fiction Editor Mentorship Programme isn’t about proofreading or copy editing — it’s a full developmental editing immersion and an entry point to a business choice, built on Jill's careers as both author and editor.
The Her-ro’s Journey Mentorship Programme is a contemporary take on the Hero’s and Heroine’s journeys, exploring many of the themes we cover here on The Download.

They kick off in just a couple of weeks. Early bird pricing runs until 11 September 2025 - with a special bundle price available if you’d like to join both!

Find out more about Jill’s best-selling fiction and storyworlds on girlpowerpublishing.com.

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