Frequently asked questions

The short answer: we're the app that readers genuinely love to use.

We offer all the features you need for peaceful book immersion — and none of the bells, whistles, and distractions you don't.

We understand a good book is something to savor — not a race to be rushed through, a competition to be won, or a performance to be analyzed. We value quality over quantity, depth over breadth, community over crowds, and peace over pings.

And, of course, we're independent and ad-free.

But don't take our word for it! Here's what readers have to say:

"Italic Type looks like reading a book feels." — Taylor

"It's truly the digital version of a quiet, cosy book nook." — Jess

Italic type has changed my relationship with books for the better." — Bert

Yes! We recentily introduced our iOS app, and a Google Play app is coming soon.

In the meantime, it's easy to add our progressive web app to your phone's home screen — where it'll work just the same! Simply open Italic Type in Chrome, select the three dots in the top right corner, and click Add to Home Screen → Create Shortcut.

Absolutely! We'll quickly and easily import your reading history, date completed, star ratings, and to-read list from Goodreads or The Story Graph. Here's how.

Have you been tracking your reading on a different platform, or using a tool you created yourself? Drop us a line at hello@italictype.com — if you provide us with all titles, authors, and ISBNs, we'll personally work with you to import your data. Think of us as your bookish concierge. 🤓

Good question. Books can be deeply personal.

We've heard too many stories from folks whose confidential reading choices were broadcast on Goodreads without their awareness. We're committed to respecting reader privacy. The only person who can see your books is you!

If you want to engage with friends, you've got options (see below) — but we'll never share without your consent.

More broadly, we don't supply, sell, or rent your personal information to marketers or third parties. You can review our comprehensive privacy policy here.

Depends what you mean!

Currently, you can discuss books with friends and exchange personal recommendations. But right now, you can't "connect" or "follow" in the social media sense.

Behind the scenes, we're reimagining how social for readers should look and feel. We refuse to build (yet another) social media platform that adds to the incessant digital overwhelm. When we introduce social capabilities, it'll be as a cozy and intimate community hub — not as an endless conveyor belt of content.

Yes, Italic Type is free to use. But in the spirit of transparency, it's not free to make!

Our biggest operational costs are server space and book data — our library contains 70 million titles, and of course, that number is constantly increasing. Right now, no one on the founding team takes a salary — but we won't be able to keep that up indefinitely!

So as we grow, we'll be experimenting with ways to keep Italic Type sustainable — without selling your data or attention to the highest bidder. Because anything that detracts or distracts from your peaceful reading experience is a nonstarter.

If that resonates, we’d love your support as a Founding Member.

Readers are at the core of everything we do, so don't be shy. It would make our day to hear from you!

You can add and upvote suggestions to our product feedback board (and indicate here if you're interested in beta-testing new features as we develop them). You can also sign up for a virtual coffee with a cofounder, or simply drop us a line at hello@italictype.com.

Italic Type is for readers, by readers — specifically, by Emily Achler, Jason Skicewicz, and Christina Pappas.

Fed up with Goodreads and its not-quite-right alternatives, we took matters into our own hands: we founded Italic Type to help readers (including ourselves!) thrive in an age of burnout and distraction. In other words, we created Italic Type to be a reading oasis in a noisy world. Read more of our story on our About page.