Oyster (company)

The company was founded in 2012 by Eric Stromberg, Andrew Brown, and Willem Van Lancker, and was headquartered in New York City.

In October 2012, Oyster received $3 million in seed funding led by Founders Fund.{{cite web |url=http://pandodaily.com/2012/10/10/oyster-raises-3-million-from-founders-fund-for-spotify-for-books/|title=Oyster raises $3 million from Founders Fund for "Spotify for books" |author=|date=October 12, 2012|website=PandoDaily|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012222439/http://pandodaily.com/2012/10/10/oyster-raises-3-million-from-founders-fund-for-spotify-for-books/|archive-date=October 12, 2012|access-date=February 19, 2013}} On January 14, 2014, Oyster announced a $14 million funding round, led by Highland Capital Partners.{{cite web |url=http://blog.oysterbooks.com/post/73305191257/new-partners-for-our-next-chapter |title=New Partners for Our Next Chapter |author= |date=14 January 2014 |website=Oyster |publisher=Oyster |access-date=14 January 2014 }}

Oyster launched on September 5, 2013, opening paid access, at $9.95 a month, via invitations available on a first-come, first-served basis. The service was the first subscription service to bring on a "Big Five" publisher in HarperCollins, with Mashable calling the service the "first true Netflix-for-E-books."{{Cite web|title = Oyster Releases the First True Netflix-for-E-books App|url = http://mashable.com/2013/09/05/oyster-launch/|website = Mashable|access-date = 2015-09-24|first = Seth Fiegerman2013-09-05 15:27:57|last = UTC}} Common early criticisms included limited content and lack of multi-platform support, but its reading experience and design were widely praised. Within ten days, users had read over a million pages.{{cite web |url=http://gigaom.com/2013/10/16/ebook-subscriptions-oyster-expands-to-ipad-and-opens-to-all-some-stats-from-scribd/ |title=Ebook subscription startup Oyster expands to iPad and opens to all; some stats from Scribd |author= |date=16 October 2013 |website=GigaOM |publisher=GigaOM |access-date=22 October 2013 }}

On October 16, 2013, Oyster launched support for the iPad.{{cite web |url=http://blog.oysterbooks.com/post/64202933245/oyster-now-on-your-ipad |title=Oyster, now on your iPad |author= |date=16 October 2013 |website=Oyster |publisher=Oyster |access-date=22 October 2013 }} The company also removed invitations as a requirement to join, and offered a 30-day free trial to all new users. Along with an iOS app redesign, the website additionally allowed for browsing of curated book lists.{{cite web|url=http://www.bustle.com/articles/47316-oyster-launches-book-lists-feature-making-your-digital-bookshelf-that-much-cooler|title=Bustle|work=bustle.com}}

In June 2014, the company expanded its services to Android and Kindle Fire devices, and in July 2014, the company launched a web reader application.{{cite web|url=https://thenextweb.com/media/2014/07/24/oyster-now-lets-read-books-browser-ebook-subscription-space-heats/|title=Read Oyster's Ebooks in Your Browser|author=Paul Sawers|date=24 July 2014|work=The Next Web}}

In November 2014, Oyster launched its online editorial magazine, The Oyster Review, and its Author Advisory Board. Oyster's Author Advisory Board was composed of authors Roxane Gay, Megan Abbott, and Lauren Oliver.{{Cite web|title = Oyster Debuts Online Literary Journal|url = http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/64809-oyster-debuts-online-literary-journal.html|access-date = 2015-08-05}}

In April 2015, Oyster launched an ebook store, offering complete catalogues from all of the Big Five publishers for individual purchase, as a complement to its existing subscription service, Oyster Unlimited.{{Cite web|title=The ‘Netflix for Books’ Just Invaded Amazon’s Turf|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/04/netflix-books-just-invaded-amazons-turf/|last=Alba|first=Davey|website=Wired|date=April 8, 2015|access-date=February 19, 2023}}

In September 2015, Oyster announced that it would sunset the existing Oyster service "over the next several months" and the company was to be acquired by Google.{{Cite web|title = Oyster shuts down, founders to lead Google Books New York|url=http://fortune.com/2015/09/22/oyster-shuts-down-founders-to-lead-google-books-new-york|last1=Primack|first1=Bydan|last2=Griffith|first2=Erin|website=Fortune|date=September 22, 2015|access-date=February 19, 2023}} Google and Oyster did not comment but there was speculation that Google planned to enter the subscription market for ebooks.{{Cite web|title=Google eats Oyster as online book startups succumb to giants|url=http://mashable.com/2015/09/22/ebook-subscription-market/#6izzkMWNh8qD|last=Fiegerman|first=Seth|date=September 22, 2015|website=Mashable|access-date=February 19, 2023}} The company co-founders joined Google to work on the company’s Google Play Books.{{cite web|url=https://www.wired.com/2015/09/netflix-books-startup-oyster-shutting/|title='Netflix for Books' Startup Oyster Is Shutting Down|last=Alba|first=Davey|website=Wired|date=September 22, 2015|access-date=February 19, 2023}}

Oyster offers several different reading modes, access to over 1 million titles, and book recommendations from its editorial staff. Users could also take advantage of highlighting and notes features and share their activities with friends using the platform.{{cite web|url=http://appadvice.com/appnn/2014/01/netflix-for-books-service-oyster-adds-support-for-highlights-and-notes-on-ios|title='Netflix For Books' Service Oyster Adds Support For Highlights And Notes On iOS|author=Aldrin Calimlim|work=AppAdvice}} In June 2015, Oyster added a new feature, called Lumin, to help readers sleep better. The feature adjusts a reader's phone or tablet's light based on location and time of day, reducing the amount of blue light at night. Studies have shown that the blue light from smartphones and tablets can interfere with sleep.{{Cite web|title = Oyster app aims to help nighttime readers sleep better - CNET|url = http://www.cnet.com/news/oyster-app-aims-to-help-nighttime-readers-sleep-better/|website = CNET|access-date = 2015-08-05}}

Oyster offers over 1,000,000 titles from over 1,600 publishers.{{cite web|url=http://www.bookbusinessmag.com/article/oysters-matthew-shatz-helping-publishers-tap-next-generation-readers/1|title=Oyster's Matthew Shatz on Helping Publishers Tap Next Generation of Readers|work=Book Business}} Of the Big Five publishers, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Macmillan Publishers had titles available through Oyster Unlimited,{{cite web|url=https://techcrunch.com/2015/01/13/macmillan-subscription-ebooks/|title=Publisher Macmillan Signs On With E-Book Subscription Services Oyster And Scribd|publisher=AOL|work=TechCrunch}} as well as a number of smaller presses including Perseus Book Group and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.{{cite web|url=http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/60446-oyster-perseus-ink-pilot-e-book-deal.html|title=Oyster, Perseus Ink Pilot E-Book Deal|work=PublishersWeekly.com}} Smashwords, a self-publishing platform, also distributes to Oyster and appears to be the primary publisher of works available on Oyster Unlimited.{{citation needed|date=November 2014}} All of the Big Five publishers offered books for purchase in Oyster's ebook store.{{Cite web|title = The ‘Netflix for Books’ Just Invaded Amazon’s Turf|url = https://www.wired.com/2015/04/netflix-books-just-invaded-amazons-turf/|access-date = 2015-08-05}}

In January 2014, Oyster brought the entire Harry Potter series to the service through a partnership with J.K. Rowling and Pottermore.{{Cite news|title = Subscription Book Service Adds 'Harry Potter' Series|url = https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2015/01/28/arts/ap-us-books-streaming-potter.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2015-01-28|access-date = 2015-09-24|issn = 0362-4331}} Oyster created a special user interface for reading the books as well as several exclusive interactive features to showcase the collection.{{Cite web|title = Now You Can Read Harry Potter in the Gryffindor Common Room|url = https://time.com/3683051/harry-potter-gryffindor-oyster/|website = Time|access-date = 2015-09-24|first = Ashley|last = Ross}}

Carolyn Reidy, CEO of Simon & Schuster, told a panel at Digital Book World in 2014 that the publisher had not signed up over "unresolved questions about how to avoid devaluing books and cannibalizing sales."{{cite web|url=http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-15/new-subscription-model-for-e-books-challenges-traditional-publishers|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115125847/http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-01-15/new-subscription-model-for-e-books-challenges-traditional-publishers|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 15, 2014|title=New Subscription Model for E-Books Challenges Traditional Publishers - Businessweek|author=Joshua Brustein|work=Businessweek.com}} However, in May 2014, the publisher added their entire backlist at that point, consisting of about 14,000 titles, to the platform.{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenbertoni/2014/05/21/oyster-books-scores-stephen-king-hemingway-and-more-in-simon-schuster-deal/|title=Oyster Books Scores Stephen King, Hemingway And More In Simon & Schuster Deal|author=Steven Bertoni|date=21 May 2014|work=Forbes}}

In addition to the company's subscription service, Oyster also produces and edits a "literary magazine for the life well-read" called [http://www.review.oysterbooks.com the Oyster Review]. The magazine operates as a discovery vehicle for the subscription service's content and brings in author's for interviews and guest essays. Contributors include: Choire Sicha, Lauren Oliver, Megan Abbott, [http://www.longform.org Longform], [http://www.ofakind.com Of a Kind], San Fermin, Rainbow Rowell, Jeff Vandermeer, Teju Cole, and Judy Blume.{{Cite web|title = The Oyster Review Archives|url = https://review.oysterbooks.com/archives|access-date = 2015-09-24}}

The launch of the Oyster Review led to some speculation that Oyster would be going the route of other subscription services like Netflix who create their own content. Oyster's Kevin Nguyen however was resistant to the notion: "We’ve seen other people try to do it themselves and underestimate how good publishers are at their job,” Mr. Nguyen said. “We’re interested in joining the literary conversation, not do what publishers do.”{{Cite web|title = Oyster Launches a Lit Mag For Their Erudite E-Readers|url = http://observer.com/2014/11/oyster-launches-a-lit-mag-for-their-erudite-e-readers/|access-date = 2015-09-24}}

On Christmas Day 2013, The New York Times reported that Oyster and Scribd were among new ebook platforms which collected data on users' reading habits.{{cite news| title=Technology: As New Services Track Habits the eBooks are Reading You| url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/25/technology/as-new-services-track-habits-the-e-books-are-reading-you.html?pagewanted=all&action=click&module=Search®ion=searchResults%230&version=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fquery.nytimes.com%2Fsearch%2Fsitesearch%2F%3Faction%3Dclick%26region%3DMasthead%26pgtype%3DHomepage%26module%3DSearchSubmit%26contentCollection%3DHomepage%26t%3Dqry826%23%2Foyster%2520books| date=December 25, 2013| work=The New York Times}}

Reviews of Oyster from tech outlets had been largely positive with the service garnering several awards and "best of" recognitions. Reports and reviews largely focus on the service's excellent user experience, design, and focus on mobile reading.

In 2013, Oyster was named TechCrunch's "Best iOS Apps of the Year." Wired had described the app's design as "gorgeous",{{cite news| work=Wired| url= https://www.wired.com/design/2013/09/is-this-netflix-of-books-the-next-big-thing-in-publishing/|date=September 2013| title=Is This Netflix of Books the Next Big Thing In Publishing?}} and PandoDaily said the app "makes Amazon look old,"{{cite news|work=Pando|date=September 5, 2013| title=The Netflix for Books Is Here And It Makes Amazon Look Old| url=http://pando.com/2013/09/05/the-netflix-for-books-is-here-its-mobile-and-it-makes-amazon-look-old/}}. The New York Times called it the "prettiest of the ebook subscription services."{{Cite news|title = Aiming to Be the Netflix of Books|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/07/technology/personaltech/aiming-to-be-the-netflix-of-books.html|newspaper = The New York Times|date = 2014-08-06|access-date = 2015-09-24|issn = 0362-4331|first = Molly|last = Wood}} Shortly after the launch of company's Android app, the service was awarded Google's "Beautiful Design Award."

In a review of the service, The New Yorker's Ian Crouch wrote that the app "takes its name from a line in 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' ('the world’s mine oyster,' spoken, incidentally, by a thief)." He also noted the app as being "handsomely designed."{{cite news|work=The New Yorker|date=September 2013| title=Oyster iPhone App eReader: What Doe It Mean to Own A book?|url=http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/books/2013/09/oyster-iphone-app-ereader-what-does-it-mean-to-own-a-book.html}}

• Kindle Unlimited
• Scribd

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{{E-book digital distribution platforms}}

Category:Ebook suppliers

Category:Internet properties established in 2013

Category:Companies based in New York City

Category:2015 mergers and acquisitions

Category:Google acquisitions