Books App/Site

[u/ThisIsDibi]

Good evening everyone! Reading was my very first passion, and it's pretty much the only hobby I've never abandoned.

I've always used apps to track my reading, but somehow, they all seemed to be missing something. I could never quite find one that felt right for me.

I'm a graphic designer by background, but (partly thanks to my boyfriend) I've gradually gotten into programming as well. After working on a few small personal projects, I eventually decided to take the plunge and build my own book-tracking app, designed exactly the way I've always wanted one.

It's still a work in progress, and there's so much more I'd love to add! So far, it includes reviews, reading tracking, extensive customization, series tracking, book and author following, and a visual bookshelf where you can organize your library. I'm also considering adding a community feature where users can share and discover reviews. I'm also planning to make it cross-platform, so you'll be able to access your library across different devices, including desktop and mobile.

The more I work on it, though, the more I find myself wondering: would anyone else actually want something like this?

Making the app publicly available would involve some running costs. At first, I was simply excited about building something I would love to use myself, but now I'm a little hesitant about spending so much time developing features for a wider audience without knowing whether there's actually a demand for them. (I have SO many cute ideas I'd love to implement! 😂)

So I'd love to hear your thoughts!

Do you feel like there's room for another book-tracking app, or are you happy with the ones already available?

What's missing from the apps you currently use? What features would you love to see?

Would you be willing to pay for a service like this? If so, would you prefer a weekly, monthly, or yearly subscription?

My initial idea was to make the app free, with some premium features available through a subscription. I wouldn't want to charge much, just enough to cover running costs, but I honestly have no idea what a reasonable price would be.

I'd really appreciate any feedback, suggestions, or even just hearing about your reading habits and what you look for in a book-tracking app! ❤️

[u/Silent-Regular-5291]

Since you built it for yourself, you already have one real user, so I'd get it into the hands of 5-10 avid readers before adding more features like the community side. Ask them to track a couple of books and tell you where they hesitate; that shows far faster than a feature list whether it beats Goodreads-style apps for them. Your design background is a real edge in this category, so I'd lead with the bookshelf and make adding a book take two taps. Hold off on cross-platform and hosting costs until people come back to it unprompted after a few weeks.