By Edward Nawotka

Today’s lead story looks at Wattpad’s global growth, particularly in Southeast Asia, where the majority of users continue to rely on feature phones running Java-based e-readers. This market has been largely abandoned in the North America and Europe in favor of catering to smartphone users demanding advanced features.

Wattpad offers free ebooks, which is part of the appeal to readers in Southeast Asia who have fewer resources to purchase books; smartphone ebooks, whether read through a platform or an app, by-and-large come with a price attached, and are less appealing. But does Java-based e-reading still have potential in North America and Europe, particularly among those who opt not to carry a smartphone (out of cost considerations). Or is it simply not worth it to publishers to pursue this audience?

Let us know what you think in the comments.