

Show HN: My startup for book collectors - pmtarantino
http://www.shelfproud.com

======
semanticist
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.

~~~
miahi
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.

~~~
pmtarantino
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.

~~~
semanticist
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!

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

Thank you for all your feedback! :D

------
BasDirks
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.

~~~
pmtarantino
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" :)

~~~
BasDirks
I'll keep an eye on it.

------
bndr
It looks kinda strange on my monitor:

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

1600x900 Chrome

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

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

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

------
hv23
At first glance I'm not sure what the difference is from Goodreads, which I
actively use and update?

~~~
pmtarantino
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.

------
DomreiRoam
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)?

~~~
pmtarantino
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.

~~~
DomreiRoam
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?

~~~
pmtarantino
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.

