You can bring your account data from many other book services into BookWyrm. Here’s how:

1. Log into the service you want to move from, and export your book data as a CSV file (here’s how to do this on GoodReads ⧉, other services may have their own methods)
2. Log into BookWyrm, click on your account icon to bring up the main menu, then select Settings
3. Select Data > Import
4. From Data source, choose the service you’re importing data from (GoodReads, LibraryThing etc.)
5. Click Browse and select the CSV file you exported in step 1
6. Choose your preferred option from Privacy setting for imported reviews
7. Click Import

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BookWyrm is the Fediverse’s alternative to Amazon’s GoodReads. BookWyrm servers let users keep track of which titles they’ve read, discover new books to read based on human recommendations (instead of algorithms), and publish their own reviews.

Can I follow BookWyrm accounts from Mastodon?

Yes! Because it’s part of the Fediverse, people on Mastodon etc can also follow BookWyrm users’ accounts, and followers will see BookWyrm reviews appear in their timeline.

How do I sign up for BookWyrm?

BookWyrm is federated like Mastodon, so you choose a server and then sign up on its website. Once you’ve got an account, you can sign in on the website or web app. You can follow and interact with people from other servers, so it doesn’t matter if you sign up on different servers.

You can see a list of recommended BookWyrm servers (also known as “instances”) to sign up on at joinbookwyrm.com/instances ⧉.

Is there a BookWyrm app?

There’s a BookWyrm web app which you can install on Android or iPhone/iPad. Please see the guide to web apps for how to install it.

I’ve already got an account on a different book site. Can I import my data to BookWyrm?

Yes! BookWyrm users can import their data from GoodReads, LibraryThing, StoryGraph, OpenLibrary and Calibre. Please see the guide to importing your data into BookWyrm.

Where does BookWyrm get its book data from? Can I add missing books?

BookWyrm’s book catalogue is based on information from Wikidata ⧉ and another Fediverse service Inventaire ⧉. If a book is missing, you can add information manually and there’s also support for barcode scanning.

Can I use my Mastodon account to log in on BookWyrm?

No, because every account on the Fediverse is tied to one specific server. But you can include a link to your BookWyrm account on your Mastodon profile.

Who can set up a BookWyrm server?

Under the terms of the BookWyrm project software, anyone (except corporations) is allowed to start their own BookWyrm server. The software is totally free of charge, but servers need to cover their own hosting costs. Setting up a BookWyrm server does require some tech skills.

Alternatively, if you are a top tier patron, you can also use a special managed BookWyrm hosting service ⧉ where BookWyrm’s lead developer personally maintains your BookWyrm server so that you don’t have to do any technical stuff.

Where can I find out more and follow BookWyrm news?

You can find out more about it on the official website at JoinBookWyrm.com ⧉ and there’s a Mastodon account you can follow at @bookwyrm@tech.lgbt ⧉ (the account’s posts are also on RSS here ⧉).

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