The much anticipated advert-supported Readfy ebook service opened to the public this week. The service has a catalog of 25,000 titles read on Android, iPad, and iPhone, at no cost to the user.
Unlike Scribd and Kindle Unlimited which charge the reader directly, Readfy subsidises free reading by selling adverts, and inserting the ads into ebooks. Banner ads occupy the upper edge of the screen while an ebook is open, and Readfy also inserts ads at chapter breaks.
In exchange for watching adverts, readers can immerse themselves in ebooks published by a number of German publishers, including around 6,000 self-published titles.
Readfy’s not the first to try to fund an ebook service through adverts; But Readfy is perhaps the most uniquely financed ebook service. The Düsseldorf-based startup raised 500,000 euros this spring in a crowd funding campaign which drew the support of 1,363 investors.
But Readfy may soon be in direct competition with Amazon, sources say that they may be launching an Unlimited service in Germany in the near future.
If you are a writer looking to get published, our specialist team at Words Worth Reading Ltd can help with our publisher packs tailored to your needs.
Source: The Digital Reader
Image: Catorze14, Flickr
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