I remember when Wowio first opened its doors, it was available for U.S. members only. Since you could read pretty much their entire catalog of books for free online, I was chomping at the bit waiting for them to open up to Canadian subscribers, and when they did, I was hot out of the gate to sign up.
Since then, I've read quite a few books via their service, and even though most of their books are now limited to previews instead of full online readability, I still find them one of the best distribution services for digital comics.
Not that they're limited to comics, mind you; they have quite a selection of ebooks as well. However, I think that because they use the pdf format, which I find awkward for prose reading, I have never taken as strong a liking to their ebook offerings. As I understand it, they are soon to be offering books in epub format, making them readable on iOS devices, so my opinion on that may change.
But to get back to style...Go take a look at the AIM Comics page on Wowio. Even if you're not planning on buying anything, go take a look at it. Not only do we have our own publisher page there in a visual style that's compatible with the main AIM Comics page, a one stop shop for what will be a growing catalog of books, with slots for Featured books and New Releases, but they've also got a very snazzy animated image of the cover of our current book. This really has the kind of professional look I'm aiming for with AIM Comics.
Like any good digital distributor, your purchases with Wowio are also stored online for you to download at any time, on any device. You also have the option to read online in a very user-friendly reader that is also compatible with iOS devices. The reader is great at bookmarking the last page you've read and can display in multiple sizes, giving you the option of a full-page display or a zoomed page. With built in keyboard navigation, it's one of the best online readers I've tried.
Another interesting feature of Wowio is the ability to gift ebooks. As a publisher, you can allow your book to be gifted at a discounted rate. This is often used by businesses and charities as promotion, and the site will notify you on your library page when you have a new gift waiting. This is a great way to add some of the more expensive books to your library at no cost, and also a great way to get your book promoted.
And believe me, there's plenty of books you'll want to add to your library. While Wowio does not have books from the "big boys" of comics, there's plenty of offerings from independent publishers, and some very tempting books from name publishers like AAM Markosia, Bluewater and Moonstone (and leave us not forget AIM Comics!). I was especially pleased to find that they have Richard Moore's "Boneyard" series, which has been a guilty pleasure of mine for some time.
So once again, let me urge you to go on over to Wowio and take a look. There's plenty of free books for your to try out, and it's worth doing so to sample their online reader. Watch for free gifts in your library, and check out the previews of their impressive lineup of publishers. Oh, and while you're there, how about snagging a copy of "Brutal Blade of Bruno the Bandit"?
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