Discussion I will be creating webnovel app

As title said I am new android developer that certainly will make new app for reading novels online and offline too like wuxiaworld but I would like to know what features you as a reader want exactly to take as reference

 

Switching books easily

 

Excluding lists. I want to make a list and put all the novels I don't read inside, pick an option Don't show in feed, so I don't see them appear in the feed. Kinda like what I do here. I find it extremely helpful.

 

Auto bookmarks, I'm a forgetful person, sometimes when i read a novel and then forget that said novel later on, and i came across that novel again, sure enough there's countless of new chapters now, naturally, I've lost tracked of the chapters I've read, if i read a chapter of it and thought 'this was the last chapter I've read' and turns out it's not, my frustration level just 100+ i just lost motivation to read it XD

 

1-switching easily
2-excluding lists
3- bookmark advanced feature
Anyone can add to that list and I will check it after a week

 

Chapter update notifications - Need to be able to turn on/off for each individual book in your library.

 

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.readibu.mobile

You might want to check this app out for reference.

 

Personally, I’d K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple St@pid). Some app’s have so much going on it’s irritating. Especially for such a small screen. I also don’t like how some apps sort of force you to see genre you have no interest in. I mean romance is ok and all, but it’s not my preference. I don’t like some apps that are heavy handed with sorting by boys and girls. That’s dumb. You should be free to decide on your own. I don’t mind the app having recommendations, but leave it as an option. Plus make it easy to sort. So don’t get bombarded with things you don’t want. If your going to have payment side on receiving chapters. Make the bulk payment for multiple chapters reasonable. People can pay for chapter after chapter, but for bulk purchases. Please have a reasonable discount. I’m sure I miss a few things…
Well, I wish you luck in this endeavor

 

Tbh the app will be completely free
I am making this app as I saw that there isn't a truly functional and free reading app and I don't want obligation by getting paid . I am making this for my reading hobby and sharing it here in the community

There won't be ads so dw

 

Automatic bookmarking progress (saving current state somehow)

Depending on implantation I'd suggest a way to find the same content outside the app.

Dark mode, font size

Scroll types- left to right, right to left, up and down page by page or continuous scrolling options.

Recommended similar series at end of books, vols or arcs.

 

I like the last idea

 

Hmm my suggestions might be much honestly and i don’t use wuxiaworld app so just basing off what I look for in novel apps.


Text to speech reader?
(I use reedy app which can read epubs and websites and read from your google drive...also you can copy paste text in it and have itread to you like othertext readers....downside specifically reading from google drive doesn’t work when offline or randomly fails with bookmarking any google drive novels...
It also is limited by file format, as I mainly only use ePub with it.)


Maybe an auto- translator would be nice? Since I noticed some readers mtl novels into their language from English novel..

 

1-switching easily
2-excluding lists
3- bookmark advanced feature
4-Dark mode, font size
5-Scroll types
6-Recommended similar series at end of books, vols or arcs.( That's just abuse of algorithm that will give me nightmares )
7-individual new chapter notification
8- text-to-speech reader in short audiobook(will be added and everyone will be free to insert his version of audio on drive and link it to the chapter )
Anyone can add to that list and I will check it after a week

 

Make a page like myanimelist where the profiles can show people and their books they are currently reading

 

Is the app for reading in phone/mobile? or pc/laptop?
If pc/laptop, a function to enlarge the font so I can lay down while keeping distance from monitor and read using wireless mouse to control. And yes to dark mode.
Gotta look after the eyes.

6 is unnecessary if it can be changed with tags. Searching/filtering tags would be useful.

 

A lot of tags...like in nu..

And capable of excluding releases based on tags....like release filtering. (It should be throughout the app...like if i cross out yaoi tag, i shouldn't see any in any page or recs later on. )


Also reading controls like font style, size, background colour, text colour.
(Please don't make the reading controls pop-up whenever we click on the screen, it should be either on top or bottom of the page, otherwise everytime I remove my hand and come back to scroll the control setting pop up disrupting the reading. )


Dark/light theme for the whole app.


Review system, where we can see reviews...some just have stars with no reviews to back up or the review section is fully banters with nothing about the book or manga.

So a strong review system (maybe with min word limit?, Maybe some mod volunteers? Count me in!)

That's all I have on mind.... will keep adding whenever I think of something.

 

i. Multiple scrolling, filtering option.
ii. Making custom lists, mini reviews/ stars.
iii. Bookmark advanced feature (not necessarily bookmark, maybe reading history).
iv. Dark mode, font style or size, eye comfort mode.
v. New update notifications!

I recommended the features for mobile version. We can just suggest the developer obviously knows better .

 

Using flutter as front end and firebase as backend or Django will be the tools I use for app so say anything and I might add it as an update for app later tbh the features are overwhelming as of now so it will be spilt as updates or new patches later on

 

Daebak! That's really cool!!~~

*raises paw eagerly*

yep yep *nods head repeatedly*

like it stops exactly where you last read or want to,

yeah, but I also wish that it would have the un-auto-update part

I hope that it could have a group chat, forum like this, a library, a public library, bookmarks probably?

exactly wuwu my mom would kill me if she sees me reading like that *shivers*

Tho it would be really nice if there are selective ones only, sometimes there are just too many tags that doesn't really makes sense ah

A clean home page (with no recommendations just like profile and the app)
The story page (like searches, with recommendations like similar one, etc)
Library (one for public and one for private)
List (for recommendations)
Posting in the profile section (reviews etc)
Forum (for questions spoilers, etc)



Eh-ehem I'll add more tho...Once you're done please tell me the name of the app, I would gladly download it. Thank uu this is a dream come true ah, due to my fondness of reading I also dreamed of making an app like this, simply haven, but due to my cough, cough lacking knowledge I have only scratched the surface.

All the best!!!!


edit:

oh it would also be nice to have some kind of like dictionary in it so that when we tap or like highlight the words we'll know the meanings and we can also add notes for it

could u also pls put a separate note just for self notes and stuff