The Digital Book World Conference + Expo, which took place Jan.13-15 at the New York Hilton Midtown, showcased the nuances of scalable automation technologies, the growing digital industry (ecommerce, ebook, video, online education, immersive reading and beyond), data management platforms and cross-media digital content.

The event also effectively highlighted content, technology, social education and commerce, and it cumulatively speaks on how those things will shape a more comprehensive digital future.

Everything, including iBooks, podcasts, Photoshop, Wordpress, mobile strategies, ed-tech global publishing, authorship, video marketing and much more, was discussed by industry professions and giants in the digital world, as well as presidents, CEOs and founders of innovative brands and businesses. The abundance of learning sessions and workshops can likely provoke a journalist to threaten dangerous long-windedness while reporting on it.

"Publishing Audio and Video as a Podcast," hosted by Richard Harrington, the president and founder of RHED Pixel, on Tuesday afternoon, was just one of many opportunities. At the head of a dimly lit classroom, he educated knowledge-thirsty audio and video podcasters about the wide-reaching possibilities of podcasting.

Harrington, an expert in podcast output, shared how to meet the challenges of "pre-production" (budgeting guidance, mapping productions and working with talent) and delivery. He also shared a few secrets of the trade, including the fact that videos get 8 times the views of audio; podcasts are a cheap alternative to publishing content with major TV networks; podcasts are vastly popular because they download automatically and can be used without internet access; and they tend to be important to third-world nations with very little access to the internet or broadband.

Ultimately, podcasts are like a magazine or special interest television, and it can be subscribed to. Podcast are easily accessible, and are more convenient than traditional ways of accessing media. With advances in technology, purchasing information in book form is done out of loyalty. So, for well-known voices, a podcast is simply a way to keep readings informed and excited about products.

Some other important takeaways for podcasters: listeners like consistency, and need to know when to look for content. Also, when producing, make preexisting content available to generate new interests, and focus on content that regards the creator as an expert in a specific area. Additionally, always use good artwork for thumbnails to stand out.

LaunchKid, a co-located Digital Book World event, also had its share of interesting conferences, including a session called, "The Rise of Fandom," where conversations were shared about the monetization of fiction; the non-profit nature of fan fiction; and the niche and fragmented fan fiction communities, which tend to devoutly drawn to only a particular subject.

Wednesday brought forward publishing tech training seminars, such as "Why Editing Video in Photoshop Is the New Black," a session that shared insight and master skills, such as special effects, audio, adding texts and logos. "How to Become a Book Graphic Ninja" was a course that educated the audience on how to correct and optimize Ebook graphics, as well as create actions to automate repetitive tasks.

On the final day of the conference Thursday, Jonathan Nowell, president of Nielsen Book, will lead "The Changing Mix of What Sells in Print: How Ebooks Have Changed the Print Book Marketplace." During the presentation, he'll browse a decade of data sales, sharing the proportions of print and ebook sales, and details about how Ebooks have surged ahead. Some other seminars include "Apple and the Book Business: A Conversation with Apple's Keith Moerer"; "The Author's Choice: How Authors Decide Between Traditional and Self-Publishing" and "Should Amazon Be Constrained and Can They Be?"