In short
Readwise, the bootstrapped company behind a popular highlights tracker and read-it-later app, has launched Readwise Books: an e-book store and reading tracker for iOS and Android that sells titles from all of the Big Five publishers. The app opened as an invite-only beta on 28 October, is free, and is US-only for now, with a public launch planned before the end of 2026.
- A store plus a Goodreads-style tracker that measures pace, depth and immersion
- DRM-free EPUB uploads, Kindle shelf sync, a public API and an MCP server for AI agents
- Self-published titles arrive through IngramSpark, so wide distribution now reaches one more shop
Amazon holds roughly 83 percent of the US e-book market, counting Kindle+, according to TechCrunch. Readwise thinks there is still room for a store that cares less about selling the next book and more about how you read the one you have. Its new app, Readwise Books, combines a bookshop with a reading tracker, and Publishers Weekly reports that it carries titles from all of the Big Five publishers.
What makes the launch interesting is the size of the team. Readwise has about 25 employees and no outside investors, yet it shipped native reading apps for two platforms, a store, sync with Kindle and Goodreads imports. A few years ago that stack belonged to retailers with hundreds of engineers. Today a small publisher or an author collective that works with a team that does native iOS app development can put a polished reading experience on the iPhone without building a whole bookstore.
For writers the question is simpler: is this another place to sell, and does it change how readers find books? Here is what we know so far.
What is Readwise Books?
TechCrunch describes the app as a cross between Kindle and Goodreads. It opened on 28 October as an invite-only beta, and existing Readwise subscribers get in straight away. The app itself is free; the company says some AI features will later sit behind a paywall. Its other apps cost $7.99 a month each or $9.99 for a bundle.
Cofounder Daniel Doyon told Publishers Weekly that the team does not want to win on resentment of Amazon: "We don't want people to use Readwise because they hate someone else." Instead the pitch is openness. You can upload your own DRM-free EPUB files, sync your Kindle shelf, import your Goodreads history and connect other tools through a public API. There is even an MCP server, so AI agents can work with your library and highlights.
What does the app track?
This is the part Readwise is proudest of. Page turns are logged as words read and time spent, and the app separates "immersed" reading, steady page-turning, from "active" reading, when you stop to highlight or take notes. TechCrunch lists pace, depth, immersion and sessions among the metrics, and even physical books can be tracked by snapping a photo of the page you reached. Doyon compares it to wearing a heart monitor while doing cardio.
AI features include session recaps, definitions, translations and questions about the passage you are reading. They are switched on only where publishers allow it, and so far only HarperCollins has opted in, according to TechCrunch.
Where do the books come from?
- Traditional publishers. All of the Big Five, plus other houses, through distributors including Ingram.
- Self-published titles. Publishers Weekly reports that indie books arrive through IngramSpark.
- Print. Physical books are fulfilled by Ingram; audiobooks exist but are still underdeveloped.
The store is US-only for now. Readwise plans to expand to Canada, the UK and Europe within about six months, and it is recruiting micro-influencers with 5,000 to 50,000 followers, offering Boox e-readers as an incentive.
What does it mean for indie authors?
If your e-books are distributed wide through IngramSpark, you may already be in this store without lifting a finger. Check your distribution settings, and keep your metadata clean: series names, numbering and descriptions travel to every retailer Ingram feeds. If you are exclusive to Kindle+, you are not. Our guide to publishing on Apple Books walks through what going wide involves, and our note on Kindle+ and AI-narrated audiobooks covers what you give up by leaving.
The bigger signal is about data. A store that measures immersion knows which chapters make readers put the phone down. Readwise has not said whether authors will ever see that data, but if it ever reaches writers it could be more useful than a star rating. In the meantime, make sure your own author website gives readers an obvious path from one book to the next, wherever they bought the first one.
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