Traditional publishers are taking unusual steps as they seek to make the move into the digital age where the printed page is no longer all the rage, as Zhang Yuchen reports.

As China's digital publishing industry continues to grow, publishers are looking for new ways of obtaining and telling stories. Gone are the days when authors simply penned their tales, presented them to the publisher houses and hoped for the best.

Now, the book companies are taking an active role in gathering story ideas, often by diverse means such as adapting game apps for iPhones into children's books or turning popular TV dramas into novels.