StoryGraph: Reading Tracker 12+

Hi, I hope the developers see this!

I love the functionality of this app for myself, however I think it could use improvements in the social area and the aesthetic areas. It’s very clean and easy to read which is great, but the app could benefit from more “photogenic” layouts like letterboxd. People love sharing screenshots of their top movies or their recently watched movies paired with the movie posters, and it gets people to download the app. I would like to be able to share what I’m doing on StoryGraph in an aesthetically appealing way so that more of my friends want to get the app and join in on the fun 😃 updates to profiles so that they display more reading stats, favorites, to read piles etc. for other people would be excellent!

Additionally, on the social side, it would be nice if the timeline to see what my friends are reading/adding to their to read pile/ratings/etc. was more easy to see. The updates are rather large. It can also be hard to find people, and I’m confused about the difference between following people and being friends with them? What are the differences between the two statuses? Anyways!! Love the app, great alternative for goodreads. All my critiques come from a place of love, I really hope the app continues to grow and improve and eventually becomes a more social platform for sharing and discussion because more people need to read!! And reading is fun when you get to share it 🫶🏼

Developer Response ,

Hello! There's only one developer and I've now seen your review (as I see all of them). :-D

We're aware of all of the things you mention and are actively working on our user interface, usability, easier ways to share parts of the app, etc.

You can keep track on our various social media platforms (right now Instagram and Twitter, and I have a biweekly founder newsletter where I talk about what's going on behind-the-scenes with the product — https://us20.campaign-archive.com/home/?u=f2926632bb76f32d457fc3bad&id=ac215706b6) and our roadmap: roadmap.thestorygraph.com.

Third year using, still my favorite app of all time

Storygraph is hands down the best book nerd app. Of course the features are A+, like data tracking, challenge integration, and book scanning now too! I am so excited to keep watching this app grow. I really do recommend it to any bibliophile I find in the wild. I switched over from a big name book tracking site and have never looked back (my previous logs transferred perfectly too). I read over 200 books a year, so it gets heavy use from me and completely stands up to it.

What really blows me away, though, is the thoughtfulness and dedication of the development team. Every feature decision is explained and clearly done in the most ethical way they can. Ratings are decentralized which de-incentivizes review bombing. The amount and type of social media type aspects are chosen with care, which makes Storygraph a breath of fresh air. There is a communal roadmap to communicate with users about development timelines and choices. I have emailed support even as a free user and received a thoughtful response from real person. The internet is a tough place and I am constantly buoyed by seeing how much grace the people at Storygraph handle it with. If you see this, thank you so much.

Note: the app being down is not a typical experience. I have been using the app every single day for years and almost never see it down. Please don’t let those reviews dissuade you from using Storygraph!

Hope you read this! 🫣

Great app. I’m still using Goodreads, but I had an idea that, first, I don’t know if it’s possible, and second, I don’t know if anyone has mentioned it to you before. As I read in one of the reviews, the company (which is excellent) is a “one-man show.” I think this could greatly improve the experience for us readers. One of the pros of Kindle is that, as you read, the progress is automatically updated in Goodreads. Additionally, you can rate with stars and leave your review directly from the Kindle without needing to use another device. I ultimately decided to leave the Kindle ecosystem because they try to keep you tied to them as much as possible, making the experience very limiting. So I recently switched to Kobo. It would be great if StoryGraph partnered with Kobo to allow their devices to connect directly with our StoryGraph account. This way, we could do the same from our eReader. I think it would be a win-win for both companies, as I like the Kobo ecosystem and its principles, and I also like StoryGraph. For now, both work separately, which is annoying. After reading for a while, having to look for my phone, which I sometimes don’t have on hand, to upload any updates or leave a review is inconvenient. I don’t know, just something that came to mind. Cheers.

Developer Response ,

Hello! We've definitely thought of that before — my co-founder and I use Kobos after all — and it may happen in the future. For now, know that you can contact us on a variety of platforms and we'll always reply: support@thestorygraph.com, Instagram, Twitter, Threads, etc.! Thank you for your review. :-D