If we’ve ever been bold enough to try some car maintenance we’ve probably has an oil-covered Haynes manual precariously balanced on the engine block.
At least, back in the days when car engines and computers were different planets.
Nowadays of course, cars can seem more microchip than are mechanical, so perhaps it’s not so surprising that Haynes the publisher embraced digital for its manuals at the first opportunity.

This past week Haynes announced its third successive year of growth, with turnover up 7%, profits up 24%, and 56% of total revenue deriving from its digital engagement.
The UK trade journal The Bookseller has more details.
For those publishers still on the fence about digital or, as some are, still treating digital as a fad format that has no place in “proper” publishing, the Haynes story is just one more example of the advantage digital brings.
It’s not an either/or debate. Savvy publishers are getting the best of both worlds with a hybrid print & digital model.