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Getting Started for Readers

Welcome to BookWish! This guide will help you set up your account and start building your reading wishlist.

Download BookWish​

BookWish is available on both iOS and Android:

  • iOS: Download from the App Store
  • Android: Download from Google Play Store
  • Web: Access at bookwish.app (mobile apps recommended for full experience)

Create Your Account​

First Launch​

When you first open BookWish, you'll go through a quick onboarding process:

  1. Welcome Screen: Learn what BookWish offers
  2. What Brings You Here?: Select your interests (optional)
    • Wish for books
    • See what others read
    • Join reading clubs
    • Support indie bookstores
  3. Create Account or Browse: Choose to sign up or browse as a guest

Sign Up​

You can create an account or browse as a guest first:

  1. Tap Sign Up from the onboarding screen
  2. Enter your display name
  3. Enter your email address
  4. Create a password (minimum 8 characters)
  5. Tap Sign Up to create your account

Guest Accounts: If you choose to browse first, you can convert your guest account to a full account later by going to Settings and tapping the upgrade prompt.

Set Your Home Store​

Your home store is the independent bookstore you want to support. Setting a home store helps you:

  • See books available at your local store
  • Get stock alerts when wishlisted books arrive
  • Support your community bookstore

To Set Your Home Store:​

  1. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner
  2. Tap Settings
  3. Scroll to the Home Store section
  4. Tap Choose Home Store
  5. Search for your local bookstore by name or location
  6. Tap on the store to select it

You can change your home store anytime from Settings.

Add Your First Book​

  1. Tap the Search button (magnifying glass) in the bottom navigation or from the Wish tab
  2. Type the book title, author, or ISBN
  3. Tap on the book from search results
  4. On the book details page, tap Add to Wishlist
  5. Select which wishlist to add it to (or create a new one)

From the Share Feed​

  1. Go to the Share tab
  2. Browse posts from other readers
  3. Tap on a book cover in any post
  4. Tap Add to Wishlist

Understanding the Main Tabs​

BookWish has four main tabs at the bottom of the screen:

Share Tab (Home)​

The Share tab is your main feed where you'll see:

  • Lines: Quick thoughts and quotes from other readers about books
  • Reviews: Full book reviews with ratings
  • Feed Filters: Toggle between All, Following, Local, Reviews, or Challenges

What are Lines? Lines are short posts about books - think of them as book-focused tweets. Share a favorite quote, a quick reaction, or a reading update.

Post Your Own:

  • Tap the pencil button in the bottom-right
  • Search for and select a book
  • Write your Line (you can also switch to write a Review or keep it as a private Note)

Wish Tab​

Your personal wishlist hub:

  • View all your wishlists
  • Create new wishlists (tap the + button)
  • Edit or delete wishlists (swipe left or tap the pencil icon)
  • Tap any wishlist to see books inside

Free Account Limit: Free accounts can have up to 3 wishlists. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited wishlists.

Read Tab​

Discover and join reading communities:

  • Clubs: Join book clubs to read and discuss books together
  • Challenges: Take on reading challenges to stay motivated

Create a Club or Challenge: Tap the + button to start your own.

Shop Tab​

For bookstore owners only. If you're a reader, this tab won't appear unless you upgrade to a Bookstore account tier.

Top App Bar​

  • Profile Avatar (top-right): Tap to access Settings and Profile
  • Notifications Bell (top-right): View activity and stock alerts
  • Search Icon (top-right on some tabs): Quick access to book search

Settings​

Access Settings from your profile avatar:

  • Account Tab: Update profile, avatar, home store, shipping addresses, change password
  • Preferences Tab: Manage notifications, privacy settings, stock alerts, blocked users, and Browser the helper cat

Profile​

Tap your avatar and select View Profile to see:

  • Your public profile (as others see it)
  • Your Lines and Reviews
  • Your reading activity
  • Follow/follower counts

Key Features to Try​

Create Multiple Wishlists​

Organize your books by category:

  1. Go to the Wish tab
  2. Tap the + button
  3. Name your wishlist (e.g., "Summer Reading", "Want to Buy", "Book Club Picks")
  4. Choose whether to make it private (only you can see it)
  5. Tap Create

Join a Book Club​

  1. Go to the Read tab
  2. Tap Clubs
  3. Browse available clubs
  4. Tap on a club that interests you
  5. Tap Join Club
  6. Participate in discussions by posting Lines within the club

Take a Reading Challenge​

  1. Go to the Read tab
  2. Tap Challenges
  3. Browse available challenges
  4. Tap on a challenge (e.g., "Read 12 Books This Year")
  5. Tap Join Challenge
  6. Track your progress by adding books to the challenge

Write Your First Line​

  1. Tap the pencil button (floating button on Share tab)
  2. Search for and select a book
  3. Write your thought about the book
  4. Tap Post (or use the Share As menu to post as a Review instead)

Your Line will appear in the Share feed for others to see, like, and reply to.

Keep Private Notes​

BookWish lets you keep private notes about books:

  1. Tap the pencil button and select a book
  2. Write your thoughts
  3. Tap Share As and select Keep as Private Note
  4. Tap Save

Notes are only visible to you and won't appear in the public feed.

Follow Other Readers​

  1. Search for users or find them in your feed
  2. Tap on their profile
  3. Tap Follow
  4. See their posts in your "Following" feed filter

Tips for New Users​

  • Browser the Cat: Look for Browser's helpful hints throughout the app. You can disable these in Settings if you prefer.
  • Local Feed: Use the "Local" filter on the Share tab to see what readers at your home store are reading
  • Stock Alerts: When viewing a book, tap the bell icon to get notified when your home store has it in stock
  • Guest to Full Account: If you started as a guest, convert to a full account in Settings to save your data permanently

Account Tiers​

Free Account​

  • Up to 3 wishlists
  • Unlimited book adds per wishlist
  • Post up to 30 Lines/Reviews per month
  • Join unlimited clubs and challenges
  • Set one home store

Premium Account​

  • Unlimited wishlists
  • Unlimited posting
  • Priority support
  • Special badge on profile
  • Early access to new features

Upgrade in Settings by tapping on your account tier card.

Next Steps​

Now that you're set up:

  1. Build Your Wishlist: Add books you've been wanting to read
  2. Set Your Home Store: Connect with your local indie bookstore
  3. Join a Community: Find a book club or challenge that interests you
  4. Share Your Thoughts: Post your first Line or Review
  5. Follow Readers: Discover new books through your community

Happy reading!

Need Help?​