Oyster is Changing the Way We Read

Hailed as the "Netflix of books", freshly launched Oyster is pioneering a better way to read. Oyster features an ever-growing literary paradise accessible via an invite-only subscription model. Invitations are currently rolling out for the iPhone and iPod touch and bibliophiles are lining up to be among the first to get the app. For under $10 a month, readers can enjoy over 100,000 popular titles right at their fingertips. Raine recently took a behind-the-scenes look at this revolutionary start-up with Oyster co-founder Eric Stromberg.RAINE: What inspired you to start Oyster?STROMBERG: We started Oyster because of how the problem combines our passions and experience. We all love books and grew up as avid readers, have worked in technology our entire careers, and were dissatisfied with the products that existed in the market. With Oyster, we want to create a unique all-in-one experience that gets more people reading.RAINE: How is technology changing the way people consume media and, in particular, books?STROMBERG: I think at the most basic level technology has made information and media much more accessible. We think Oyster continues this trend through our emphasis on one-tap reading, lowering the barrier to starting a new book. We hope this will enable and inspire people to read more.RAINE: What do you think makes the subscription-based model so popular?STROMBERG: When you pay once and have unlimited access, you spend less time deciding what to read, and more time reading because the barrier to starting a new book is so low. You no longer have to make a purchase decision each time you want to read. Also, when everyone shares access to a common library, it enables a number of unique social features around discovery that we are just scratching the surface on. We look forward to continually developing the social side of Oyster as a core part of the product.RAINE: What advantages does Oyster have for budding and independent authors?STROMBERG: We've seen how access models fundamentally change consumption patterns in other media. With Oyster, we are bringing that to books. Part of the appeal of Oyster to publishers is that an unlimited access model can bring in a new audience for their books. Even in our first week, we've heard readers tell us that Oyster has made them fall back in love with reading - bringing them back into books. This is exciting for both Oyster and publishers. The access model encourages reading across a broader range of titles - not just the top new releases, where much of today's book sales activity is concentrated. Because the Oyster experience is not pushing readers toward individual transactions, we feature and recommend more than just the most recent bestsellers.RAINE: What has the reception been like since Oyster launched?STROMBERG: We're a couple weeks past our launch and we've seen a tremendous amount of enthusiasm for Oyster from readers, publishers, and authors alike. As we've been rolling out invites and getting Oyster in the hands of new subscribers we've seen them really take to the one-tap model for reading. This past weekend we eclipsed one million pages read since our launch. It's just the start, but we're excited to continue delivering on the premise that a well-read life is a richer one.  Request an invite at OysterBooks.com. Images courtesy of Oyster.