The iPad App That Sold 4 Billion Pages of Comics in 2013

[ctg]

For the third year running, digital comics platform ComiXology closed out 2013 as the most profitable non-game App on iPad. It’s testament to ComiXology’s digital dominance; in the last seven years, they’ve grown from a comics discussion and cataloging site to the face of digital comics publishing, with over 45,000 comics available from more than 75 publishers. Since the 2009 launch of their digital comics reader and store on desktop and iOS, they’ve sold over 6 billion pages of comics, 4 billion of those in the last year. ComiXology CEO David Steinberger attributes that growth not just to the migration of existing comics fans from print, but entirely new fans discovering the medium online.


“We’re finding that a larger and larger percentage of our user base — our new user base — is people who are buying comics for the very first time with us,” Steinberger told WIRED. Those customers are then finding their way into comics shops: Of the 20 percent of ComiXology customers who bought their first comics online in the last quarter 2013, 64 percent have begun buying print comics as well.

Read More: The iPad App That Sold 4 Billion Pages of Comics in 2013 | Underwire | Wired.com


I've seen some of you are fiercely defending the old establishment and simply refuse to embrace the new way, but to me, this one article is a proof that things has changed radically. What were considering to be the rule just couple of years ago, isn't working any longer. People are switching in masses to tablets, and they're getting their books from online. And while that is happening, masses have headed back into the brick and mortar stores to get their print copies, while back in 07 - 08 it looked as if print was really dying. Hopefully this means we get back what have in the past.

PS. Note, this is not all about comics, but a proof that the art of printing hasn't died.

 

[Brian G Turner]

One of the great things about ComiXology is that there's a huge back catalogue available for issues decades out of print.

 

[Glisterspeck]

I do wish publishers would sell something like a trade instead of making me buy all the issues of a limited series. Ugh.

 

[Aleph]

I do wish publishers would sell something like a trade instead of making me buy all the issues of a limited series. Ugh.

Thats the chance NEW series must take, unfortunately. If the individual copies don't sell well there is no trade, but coming out with a trade alone is risky. Too much money and too much time in between!

On Comixology individual issues go for about 2.99 after the first week and sometimes lower, which makes them pretty comparitively priced for a 4-5 issue trade I guess.