GEOPOETIKA - webshop and e-book reader
Books from Murakami, Auster, and Barnes in an Appworks app? We could not pass this one.
Appworks' focus is on media and sports organizations. We want to develop a platform that will help them reach their goals on a mobile and then keep on developing it to fulfill their business goals.
But, because we see e-books as part of the "media" we wanted to develop products in that direction. Geopoetika is a small, but extremely respected Serbian book publisher. Focusing on foreign literature, authors such as Murakami, Auster, Pamuk, Rooney, and Barnes, it has a loyal following. Appworks' co-founder is among their fans, so if we could choose, Geopoetika would probably be our ideal partner for us.
Their focus was in two directions. Our first version launched in 2017 but had a full overhaul in 2022.
Geopoetika's webshop is something you would have expected from a webshop - simple to use for the end customers, but with a number of options for the administrator. Automatic invoicing and tax fiscalization, connected to the Banca Intesa system for processing payments, with an additional option for cash-on-delivery sales.
Their admins can set discounts on a per-product basis or a general discount for a whole store. Additional discount coupons can be used for promotional campaigns.
E-books worked in two phases. Honestly, the first version we launched in 2017 was not on the level which Kindle set. The new e-book reader version, part of Geopoetika's Android and iOS apps, is what e-book readers would expect.
Using standard epub format gives readers options for font customization (type and style), background change, and search. Also, text can be selected and highlighted. This saves the part as a link in a separate menu or offers the option to "define it" which launches a dictionary, Wikipedia, or a Google search for that phrase.
E-books are fully integrated with the webshop, giving users immediate access to purchased content. E-books are also available via a web-based e-book reader. Do you know someone who reads e-books on a computer? No, neither do we, but they are out there, trust us.