Interviews 

Stela CEO Jason Juan Talks Launch Of New Stela Marketplace

By | August 22nd, 2016
Posted in Interviews | % Comments

When Stela Books launched it’s app for reading digital comics it did so as an monthly unlimited service. Readers could pay a monthly free and read all and any content put out by Stela and its creators.  As they continue to grow their content the company developed an additional way for readers to consume the growing catalog of series. Stela has now launched their own marketplace-style app that allows readers to purchase exactly what series they want whenever they want. It is the same content as the unlimited service but now readers can directly support series and creators they like if they want to.

To learn more about this new service from Stela we were able to speak to Stela Books CEO Jason Juan. Jason talks about the new service, digital comics,  the difference in the comics marketplace and some of his favorite series on the app. The Stela app is available for download in the App Store and be sure to check out the interview with Jason Juan below.

 

With the launch of the Stela Marketplace App, what are the biggest differences from the subscription app for users?

Jason Juan: It is really about serving the readers and providing different types of experiences. A subscription is like renting, or an all-you-can-eat experience. Stela Books provides a purchase experience like a traditional bookstore, where you can collect the content you really enjoy and can always access it.

 

With readers able to support individual series now with their purchase power, will that help inform you as a publisher what series to pursue moving forward?

JJ: Yes and no, since we’re not only interested in series that will sell. It is our responsibility to find premium content that provides entertainment value, but also makes it worth peoples’ time and effort to enjoy it throughout their entire lifetime.

 

My favorite thing about Stela so far has been the wide range of titles, styles, tones, and stories. What makes a good Stela series?

JJ: At Stela, our team looks for stories that impact human emotion and contains visually astonishing storytelling.

 

For the new app, tokens can be earned and used to purchase chapters. How does this feature work and how did this idea come about?

JJ: It’s really about serving different needs for different readers. The idea came from fulfilling a need from Stela readers who wanted to read and collect specific titles. Tokens also help us to promote specific titles, which allows us to potentially set different price for different titles/chapters. We also can provide rewards tokens for first time registration and first time purchase—a hard concept to achieve with a regular direct purchase. There are also reward tokens, which allow users to unlock chapters without spending a penny, and enjoy a few chapters before making a real purchase.

 

Two major complaints of people who reject digital comics have is often the pricing and the lack of a “physical” property. You offer a subscription service and now individual purchase power. The token system also seems to add a reward to possibly offset the lack of a physical reward. How aware are you of these concerns as a digital publisher and do you feel like you are providing reasonable alternatives to those arguments?

JJ: We are aware of those concerns, but we’re looking to go in a different direction from physical media. Modern phone screens have exceptional display quality, which Stela believes provides a better, unique, and premium experience that can only be seen in the Stela app, an experience that can’t be matched by physical print. Stela is also moving the publishing industry closer to the future. As an example, look at finance. People rarely carry cash around in modern times, opting instead for credit cards, PayPal, Apple Pay—it’s rare to see people pay with cash. People also purchase movies, music, and games from digital retailers, spending billions of dollars exclusively on digital content every year.

That said, Stela is not interested in selling physical items, as the current market already fulfills that need. The company provides astonishing storytelling with an emotional impact, and you don’t need something physical to achieve that.

 

What is your favorite Stela title so far?

Continued below

JJ: It’s so hard to pick just one favorite, as I have so many: “The Crossing”, “Inheritance”, “House Girls”,” Do Over”, “Tribes”, “Calla Cthulhu”, and “Victory Mountain” are all favorites of mine, and there are many other titles on the way.

 

The addition of the marketplace app is a big new feature for Stela. How important is having that sort of flexibility as a publisher? Do you continue to explore other ideas to grow the app/what can users expect?

JJ: In the end, we would like to serve a wider audience, bring in top creators and provide premium quality content. Stela will always explore more ideas to grow the mobile reading experience—not just for new graphic novels, comic, manga, or beautiful illustrations. Any content with astonishing visual story telling format, or even old master pieces are our target. Readers can expect more content in terms of genre and format, as well as an increase in both quality and quantity.

 

With an industry where the big two pretty much dominate the market share, how do you measure success at Stela? What do you think the biggest challenges are still for you as a new digital publisher?

JJ: First, I do not see Marvel or DC as our competitor, since both companies are still focusing on traditional print media for readers, and physical media makes up the majority of their revenue. Stela’s focus is on pure digital content only available on the mobile devices.

Second, the print comic industry in the United States is relatively small compared to other industries, whereas the market for reading on mobile phones is relatively unexplored territory—especially when it comes to visual storytelling content. The phone reading market is enormous, and still growing globally. Looking at the average person, most of them carry a smart phone. Far fewer people carry a physical comic from Marvel or DC.

My goal for Stela is for the app to reach people across the world. Our company’s challenge is to work hard in order to make that goal a reality, and increase visibility worldwide.


Kyle Welch

EMAIL | ARTICLES