Should I Build It Should I Build It
20 Mar 2025
Books

A platform for hosting virtual book clubs with discussion forums, ...

...author interviews, and curated reading lists, connecting readers with each other and the books they love.

Confidence
Engagement
Net use signal
Net buy signal

Idea type: Run Away

Multiple attempts have failed with clear negative feedback. Continuing down this path would likely waste your time and resources when better opportunities exist elsewhere.

Should You Build It?

Don't build it.

Your are here

The idea of a platform for virtual book clubs has been attempted multiple times, indicating an interest in connecting readers. With 10 similar products already identified, the market is competitive. While some platforms received positive feedback regarding the core concept of connecting book lovers, many faced criticism related to monetization strategies, lack of differentiation from existing platforms like Goodreads or IMDB, and the need for enhanced features such as multi-language support and refined filtering options. Given the previous attempts and feedback, it's crucial to carefully consider the challenges and potential pitfalls before proceeding.

Recommendations

  1. Thoroughly analyze the negative comments and criticisms from existing virtual book club platforms to understand the pain points and reasons for rejection. Focus especially on the 'Engineering Book Club' criticisms regarding high costs and impacts on community. Understanding these failures is the first step in figuring out how to do better.
  2. Identify a clear differentiator that sets your platform apart from existing solutions like Goodreads or IMDB. Don't just build a 'better Goodreads'; find a unique angle. Perhaps focus on a specific niche of books, or offer a truly unique discussion format.
  3. Consider alternative monetization strategies beyond charging for basic chat access or fixed pricing. Explore options like premium features, partnerships with authors or publishers, or community-supported funding. Be very careful with monetization as it was a major point of criticism across multiple, similar products.
  4. Talk to at least three people who have used virtual book clubs or similar platforms to understand their needs, frustrations, and desires. User research is crucial to validating your assumptions and identifying unmet needs. Focus on users who abandoned other similar products.
  5. If you've already built a prototype, assess whether the technology can be repurposed for a different application or target audience. Don't be afraid to pivot if the initial concept is not viable.
  6. If you still want to build a book club, start with a very small, niche and free community of avid readers that you can manage directly. That way you can collect feedback and create a tight feedback loop, to address their issues quickly.

Questions

  1. What specific problem are you solving for book lovers that isn't already being addressed by existing platforms or communities?
  2. How will you ensure that your monetization strategy doesn't negatively impact the user experience or create barriers to participation?
  3. What unique features or experiences will your platform offer to differentiate it from the numerous other virtual book club platforms already available?

Your are here

The idea of a platform for virtual book clubs has been attempted multiple times, indicating an interest in connecting readers. With 10 similar products already identified, the market is competitive. While some platforms received positive feedback regarding the core concept of connecting book lovers, many faced criticism related to monetization strategies, lack of differentiation from existing platforms like Goodreads or IMDB, and the need for enhanced features such as multi-language support and refined filtering options. Given the previous attempts and feedback, it's crucial to carefully consider the challenges and potential pitfalls before proceeding.

Recommendations

  1. Thoroughly analyze the negative comments and criticisms from existing virtual book club platforms to understand the pain points and reasons for rejection. Focus especially on the 'Engineering Book Club' criticisms regarding high costs and impacts on community. Understanding these failures is the first step in figuring out how to do better.
  2. Identify a clear differentiator that sets your platform apart from existing solutions like Goodreads or IMDB. Don't just build a 'better Goodreads'; find a unique angle. Perhaps focus on a specific niche of books, or offer a truly unique discussion format.
  3. Consider alternative monetization strategies beyond charging for basic chat access or fixed pricing. Explore options like premium features, partnerships with authors or publishers, or community-supported funding. Be very careful with monetization as it was a major point of criticism across multiple, similar products.
  4. Talk to at least three people who have used virtual book clubs or similar platforms to understand their needs, frustrations, and desires. User research is crucial to validating your assumptions and identifying unmet needs. Focus on users who abandoned other similar products.
  5. If you've already built a prototype, assess whether the technology can be repurposed for a different application or target audience. Don't be afraid to pivot if the initial concept is not viable.
  6. If you still want to build a book club, start with a very small, niche and free community of avid readers that you can manage directly. That way you can collect feedback and create a tight feedback loop, to address their issues quickly.

Questions

  1. What specific problem are you solving for book lovers that isn't already being addressed by existing platforms or communities?
  2. How will you ensure that your monetization strategy doesn't negatively impact the user experience or create barriers to participation?
  3. What unique features or experiences will your platform offer to differentiate it from the numerous other virtual book club platforms already available?

  • Confidence: High
    • Number of similar products: 10
  • Engagement: Medium
    • Average number of comments: 9
  • Net use signal: -14.3%
    • Positive use signal: 6.5%
    • Negative use signal: 20.7%
  • Net buy signal: -17.6%
    • Positive buy signal: 3.3%
    • Negative buy signal: 20.9%

This chart summarizes all the similar products we found for your idea in a single plot.

The x-axis represents the overall feedback each product received. This is calculated from the net use and buy signals that were expressed in the comments. The maximum is +1, which means all comments (across all similar products) were positive, expressed a willingness to use & buy said product. The minimum is -1 and it means the exact opposite.

The y-axis captures the strength of the signal, i.e. how many people commented and how does this rank against other products in this category. The maximum is +1, which means these products were the most liked, upvoted and talked about launches recently. The minimum is 0, meaning zero engagement or feedback was received.

The sizes of the product dots are determined by the relevance to your idea, where 10 is the maximum.

Your idea is the big blueish dot, which should lie somewhere in the polygon defined by these products. It can be off-center because we use custom weighting to summarize these metrics.
Lila
March 28, 2025, 1:04 p.m.

Virtual book clubs? Feels like a solution looking for a problem. Unless you've got some serious secret sauce, this sounds like shouting into the Goodreads void. But hey, good luck getting users to pay for yet another walled garden.

Similar products

Relevance

A community for every digital book

29 Apr 2024 Community

Hey everyone!I'm super happy to announce that every digital book written on Facet.ink now seamlessly evolves into a community hub where authors and readers can engage, discuss content, ask questions, and provide feedback. This new feature (we call it "Community") marks our next big stride toward cultivating a community that thrives on collaboration, inspiration, and ongoing improvement.As an author you ...* can receive feedback on the books you've written on Facet * can connect with your readers * can find inspiration for you next book * can learn from your readers * can support your readers if not everything is clear * ...As a reader you ...* can give feedback to the author of the book you're currently reading on Facet * can ask questions if things are unclear * can connect with other readers * can follow on updates of the book * ...What do you think of it? I'm super excited to receive your feedback. You can test the community feature by adding the example book from our homepage (facet.ink) to your own personal library.Thanks! Matthias

Avatar
2
2
Relevance

I Built Bibliou – A Social Platform for Book Lovers

01 Dec 2024 Books

Hey Hacker News!I’m excited to introduce Bibliou – a new social platform for book lovers! Whether you're an avid reader, aspiring author, or just enjoy exploring ideas through literature, Bibliou has something for you.With Bibliou, you can:Upload your own stories, novels, or poems and share them with the community. Discover books and writings from other users – uncover hidden literary gems! Follow authors, readers, and creators you enjoy – build your own literary network. Create reading lists, leave reviews, and participate in discussions within vibrant forums. Get personalized book recommendations to help you find your next favorite read. Why Bibliou? Unlike traditional book apps, Bibliou is a multifunctional platform – your personal bookshelf, a space to publish your work, a social hub to connect with other readers and authors, and more. No need to juggle multiple platforms. Bibliou brings everything together in one place!Whether you’re an indie author looking to grow a fanbase or a casual reader searching for something new, Bibliou simplifies connecting and sharing stories.We’re just getting started and would love to hear your feedback! Check it out, explore, and help us shape the future of reading and writing online.Join the conversation – the literary world is waiting!

Users appreciate the domain name and are open to providing feedback.

Avatar
2
2
2
2
Relevance

Engineering Book Club

09 May 2023 Books

An online community that enjoys reading and discussing engineering books together.

Users criticized the high cost for basic chat access, fixed pricing excluding participants, and privacy concerns due to charging. The business model was seen as harming spontaneity and diversity, with concerns over content curation and management. There were also mentions of limited hosting options, illegal price discrepancies, and outdated information. Some users found the price too low, while others too high, and there were doubts about the value provided. The necessity of costs in free services and the impact on community leadership were questioned. Operational and logistical issues were raised, along with skepticism about the need for monetization.

Avatar
120
66
-21.2%
-24.2%
66
120
6.1%
4.5%
Relevance

I built Bibliou – a platform for book lovers to read, share and connect

13 Oct 2024 Books

After 5 months of coding and tweaking, I’m excited to introduce Bibliou, a social media platform dedicated to book enthusiasts. With Bibliou, you can:-Read and upload books-Share what you've read and discover new reads from others-Connect with fellow book lovers, make friends, and see what they’re reading-Download books from the communityIt's a place where bookworms can geek out about their favorite reads, follow others’ reading journeys, and build meaningful connections over shared literary interests.I’d love to get feedback on the platform, and if you’re into books, feel free to check it out!

Created Bibliou for book lovers to share experiences.

Avatar
2
1
1
2
Relevance

Resonate - Find someone to talk to about the books you love

26 Aug 2024 Books Chat rooms Messaging

Resonate is an anonymous chatting app that allows readers to chat about books. There are 3 simple steps to using Resonate: 1) Input the book you want to discuss 2) Wait for a match (someone else inputs the same book) 3) Start chatting

The launch received positive feedback, particularly for its concept of connecting book lovers. Users appreciate the anonymous book discussions. Suggestions included adding support for multiple languages and implementing genre/author filters to improve user matching and overall experience. The core idea of connecting people through shared book interests was well-received.

The app is criticized for lacking multi-language support. Users also request more refined filtering options, specifically by genre and author, to improve the relevance of book discussion matches. These features would enhance user experience by catering to a wider audience and providing more tailored recommendations.

Avatar
10
3
33.3%
3
10
33.3%
Relevance

I'm Building a Better Goodreads

04 Jul 2024 GitHub

I'm Shreya and I just started building greatreads, a better goodreads. Looking for people to test as the app iteratively improves!interested in testing? -> https://greatreads-waitlist.vercel.app/

Users expressed dissatisfaction with posting waitlists as Show HN and compared the product/service to Goodreads.

The main criticisms are that posting waitlists as Show HN is not appreciated, and there is a lack of clarity on how the product is better than Goodreads.

Avatar
3
2
-50.0%
2
3
Relevance

A social media site for reviewing albums, movies, books, and podcasts

08 Aug 2023 Social Media

I’ve been working on a social media web app for reviewing works of entertainment with the hopes to compete against Goodreads and Letterboxd.I started working on this two and a half years ago and it has taught me a lot about full stack development, from Vue, and REST APIs, to hosting with AWS. It’s still very much so a work in progress, but it’s functional and I’d love any feedback I can get.I know other options exist, but I couldn’t find one that I like that had all of the different mediums, and I’d rather have them all in one place. Likewise didn’t give me enough freedom with rating, and seemed more focused on algorithm generated suggestions.Usage:A lot of functionality requires a login, so I created this guest account for you guys to use:username: showhnguestpassword: hackernews23If you wind up liking it enough to create an account, feel free to invite your friends.

Users appreciate the idea but suggest improving the design for a better user experience. There are also questions about how the product or service compares to IMDB in terms of superiority.

The main criticisms are that the design needs improvement for better browsing and reviews, and there is an unclear advantage over IMDB.

Avatar
12
2
2
12
Top