Watch out, Amazon: the Kobo eReader now has a Goodreads rival - BERITAJA

Another situation to the Amazon Kindle-Goodreads book search empire has emerged.

On Monday, the reference locator StoryGraph teamed up pinch Rakuten’s Kobo, the shaper of a much unfastened eReader (and Kindle alternative), allowing book lovers to automatically way their reference habits.

The integration was first announced successful May, and is now unrecorded for each Kobo account-based content.

This makes the Kobo the first eReader to merge pinch StoryGraph’s book organization platform, and serves arsenic different measurement to spot distant astatine Amazon’s power successful the integer books market. Traditionally, Amazon has managed to clasp its readers by offering debased prices connected books and ebooks and combining that pinch a robust online reference organization and societal network, Goodreads.

While galore Goodreads competitors emerged complete the years, fewer person been capable to found a coagulated footprint because they lacked the expertise to merge pinch customers’ e-reading devices, arsenic Goodreads does pinch Kindle devices.

The StoryGraph-Kobo integration changes that, arsenic it will now automatically sync a user’s reference advancement pinch their StoryGraph account. That intends erstwhile you decorativeness a book connected your Kobo eReader, it will automatically beryllium marked arsenic “Read” connected StoryGraph, keeping your reference stats up-to-date. The characteristic will activity pinch some ebooks and audiobooks, the companies said, and it useful pinch immoderate Kobo instrumentality and Kobo’s apps.

Book trackers for illustration StoryGraph are celebrated because they connection an easy measurement for group to support a grounds of their reference history, favourite books, and connection ways to observe recommendations based connected what others are reading. As StoryGraph’s sanction implies, its analytics thin to spell deeper, offering readers elaborate charts about their reference moods, pace, and more, to amended reference habits.

It besides offers an online organization wherever you could participate successful reference challenges and subordinate book clubs, while staying motivated to publication by earning “streaks.” (Typically, we don’t for illustration addictive gamification measures successful societal apps, but for encouraging reading, we’ll make an exception.)

Nadia Odunayo, Founder & CEO, The StoryGraphImage Credits:StoryGraph

Founded by Black British technologist Nadia Odunayo and CTO Rob Frelow successful 2019, StoryGraph began arsenic a broadside task and didn’t return successful extracurricular funding. It has since evolved into a organization of complete 5 cardinal readers. The Kobo integration will now put the app successful beforehand of the eReader maker’s 12 cardinal users successful 190 countries.

Kobo and StoryGraph aren’t unsocial successful capitalizing connected the taste revival of reading, driven by online communities for illustration #booktok and reference apps. According to Pew Research, about three-in-ten U.S. adults (31%) reported reference an ebook successful the past year, up from 17% successful 2011.

The startup Everand, which offers a marketplace for ebooks and audiobooks, besides precocious bought the integer book organization app shaper Fable to connection a akin integration — without the hardware. (Perhaps Kobo could beryllium eyeing StoryGraph for its ain M&A successful the future, we person to wonder?)

The caller Kobo-StoryGraph integration doesn’t require a subscription, though the StoryGraph app does connection a $5 per period Plus subscription that adds deeper stats, filters, civilization charts, and comparison tools.