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Show HN: My startup for book collectors

shelfproud.com

7 pointspmtarantino17 comments

This seems to be an online/social version of Delicious Library. We have just under a thousand books in our library - and the only reason they're in Delicious Library is the barcode scanning feature, which makes adding books easy.

Unless you have a similar feature (scan barcodes using the user's webcam to get ISBN, auto-fill details automatically from that), I can't see most people with large libraries taking the effort to enter their details. It's a huge amount of work for very little benefit.

You could also stand to have a walk-through or similar - unless I sign up for your service I can't see how it works, and I don't intend to sign up unless I already know I want to use it.

I'm not really the target audience (I own less than 30 paper books, e-books are way more portable, I gave away 90% of the books I had the last time I moved), but I wanted to try your service. I have the same advice: show how the application works before asking the users for the e-mail.

I thought "hey, what if I have 30 huge bookcases, does this application know how to manage the place of the book?" but I could not find the information before I hit the login wall.

Hey, both of you! First, thank you for your feedback.

Yes, we definitely have to make a video tour or something like that to show how the website works.

The main difference of Delicious Library is that we are online, so your info is in the cloud, and you can check it from everywhere. Also, one of the most important features (although is not a feature because it's part of the core) it is that you have a public profile, so you can show your books to everyone, only sharing your url (shelfproud.com/username).

Of course, we are working on extra features, mainly for book collectors (the target), like showing interesting eBay and AbeBooks listing, based in the books you have.

From an end-user's perspective, the main difference with Delicious Library is that it looks like you're going to make me type in my book's details.

The ease of entering data into Delicious Library is much more valuable to me (and a lot of people, I think) than the 'always available' nature of an online service (which has its drawbacks: you go bust and my data goes with you) and the 'show off' factor from your social/sharing platform.

As well as scanning ISBN barcodes, I'd also look into importing data from existing applications (like Delicious Library) or as CSV/similar files. The early adopter of your service is probably someone who already has some form of cataloguing going on already - take advantage of that and don't ask your users to do a ton of work they've already done somewhere else.

Good luck!

Yes, the feature to import from a excel file is already on the way :)

Thank you for all your feedback! :D

At 24 I have 300+ books, and the fact that I feel the need to mention it indicates that I am your target audience. The graphic designer in me cringes at your layout and typography. Letters and their arrangement are important when you want to appeal to book lovers. I am not sure if "trophies" work to enthuse the elitist book reader because after all, my leather bound Bibliothèque de la Pléiade version of "À la recherche du temps perdu" makes me superior to any Dan Brown reader. I jest, a bit.

You are definitely our target :) Thanks for your feedback.

Of course, book lovers really are into design, cover designs, illustration, etc. But there is not only a unique design which collectors appeal. For example, you have antique book collectors, but also horror book collectors, so we have to target to all of them. That's why we chose a neutral design :)

The trophies are an incentive to upload more books, and can say "I have more trophies than [X]", just like you can do the same in FourSquare. We are working in special trophies for people into special books, like you. For example, the "Antique Trophy" :)

I'll keep an eye on it.

It looks kinda strange on my monitor:

http://i.imgur.com/GKwK3.png

1600x900 Chrome

Same problem here, I was just about to post it. Chrome too.

If I remove the 'overflow: hidden' from the #wrapper, it's centered.

Thank you for your feedback. We will correct that soon :)

At first glance I'm not sure what the difference is from Goodreads, which I actively use and update?

The main difference is that ShelfProud is not for book readers, but to book owners. You upload your books, the one you own, and not the one you read. Besides, you get extra stats, you got a public profile to share.

When you collect books, the item you own is unique, although a lot of people could have the same book, the one you own is unique because has something special.

What is the the difference with http://www.librarything.com/ ? Are you targeting the same target? Why would I switch (I m a lifetime member there)?

As I said before, the main difference is that ShelfProud is not for book readers, but to book owners. You upload your books, the one you own, and not the one you read. Besides, you get extra stats, you got a public profile to share.

When you collect books, the item you own is unique, although a lot of people could have the same book, the one you own is unique because has something special.

I m using Librarything to manage my physical collection of book and to avoid buying 2 time the same book. I still need to add some of the book and I m not sure to include my ebooks.

So if I was both an avid reader and also book into book collecting: would I use both of this applications?

You could use ShelfProud, of course, but you won't be able to make comments of the plot of the book, or add your opinion, only details of the book as an object.

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