Tome, Book Tracking App and Community, Closes Its Doors
Tome, an app for book lovers that thrived in the growing Gen Z community, is shutting down. Learn why this unique platform couldn't compete with its rivals.
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In a surprising turn of events, Tome, the book-tracking app and community hub beloved by many, has announced it will be closing its doors on May 29th. Built around the influential BookTok community, which thrives on TikTok discussions about books, Tome offered users a platform to document their reading experiences, share recommendations, and even upload photos of favorite quotes or memes.
Tome was part of an expanding landscape catering to Gen Z readers who create book-related content online. Initially popular among women promoting 'romantasy' titles, the community now spans diverse interests. However, with numerous competitors like Fable, Margins, Bookly, StoryGraph, Bookmory, Pagebound, and TBR (not to be confused with the book recommendations site TBR, which is also shutting down in June), it became increasingly challenging for Tome to stand out.
In a blog post, Tome hinted at the competitive landscape, explaining that while its community of 100,000 readers was substantial, it wasn't enough to sustain the costs associated with running a social app that supported memes, GIFs, and video. The company stated that in the end, the service 'wasn’t financially viable to keep running.'
On May 29th, Tome's servers will be shut down, ending both the mobile app and its website. However, Tome advises users on how to download their data, including posts, images, and a spreadsheet of their reading updates. This move marks the end of an era for book enthusiasts who relied on Tome as a community and a tool to track their literary adventures.
