How to Back Up JoyRead Stories for Personal Reading
Authors and sites can edit, unpublish, or delete stories. To keep a JoyRead story for your own reading, you can save it as an EPUB with WP Downloader. The file is a snapshot of the story at the time you downloaded it.
Download a JoyRead story with WP Downloader
WP Downloader is a free web tool, and there is nothing to install. For JoyRead, it downloads whole stories rather than individual chapters or lists.
- Open the JoyRead Downloader.
- Copy the JoyRead story’s URL from your browser.
- Paste the URL into WP Downloader.
- Choose whether to include the story’s images.
- Download the story as an EPUB.
A JoyRead story link looks like this:
https://www.joyread.com/15233-Dink-Husbands-Twin-SecretEPUB downloads are free for everyone. PDF is also available after you sign in to WP Downloader with a free Discord account. WP Downloader does not create MOBI, AZW3, or TXT files.
You can use WP Downloader without signing in to JoyRead. If you need to access a members-only story, you can sign in with your JoyRead account. Your credentials are used only to fetch the story you requested.
WP Downloader includes only the chapters your account can already read. It cannot bypass paywalls or locked chapters. For more help with the download process, see how to download JoyRead stories.
Save each EPUB as a snapshot
A downloaded EPUB does not stay connected to the story on JoyRead. Later edits will not change your saved copy, and new chapters will not appear automatically.
WP Downloader cannot update an existing EPUB. Download the whole story again whenever you want a newer copy. You can keep both versions if you want the one you originally read as well as the latest version.
Adding the download date to each filename makes different copies easier to identify. Keep the original EPUB somewhere easy to find before importing another copy into a reading app.
Keep a copy on your phone
Save the downloaded EPUB in a folder you use for books or personal backups. You can then open or import it with any app that reads EPUB files.
Some reading apps create their own library copy when you import a book. Keeping the original download separately means you still have it if you later remove the book from the app.
If you want a PDF, choose that format when downloading after signing in with Discord. You can also keep the EPUB and convert it later with calibre.
Organize your copies with calibre
calibre is a free e-book manager for Windows, macOS, and Linux. It gives you one place to keep and organize multiple story downloads.
To add a JoyRead EPUB:
- Open calibre.
- Select “Add books.”
- Choose the EPUB you downloaded from WP Downloader.
- Check the book’s title, metadata, and cover.
- Open it in calibre’s e-book viewer when you want to read it.
The viewer has a Read aloud feature. calibre can also edit metadata and covers, convert EPUB files to formats such as AZW3, MOBI, or PDF, and send books to a connected e-reader over USB.
Converting a file does not fetch edits or new chapters from JoyRead. Download the story again with WP Downloader when you want an updated copy.
Move the story to an e-reader
Add the EPUB to your device using the method it supports. You can also use calibre to send books to a connected e-reader over USB.
For instructions for a particular device, see the guides to sending JoyRead stories to Kindle and reading JoyRead stories on Kobo.
Keep downloaded stories for your own reading. Do not re-upload them or share copies with other people.
FAQ
Will my backup include future JoyRead chapters?
No. The EPUB contains the story as it was when you downloaded it. Download the whole story again to get later chapters.
Can WP Downloader recover a story after it has been deleted?
No. Save your personal copy while the story is still available to you.
Are locked or paid chapters included?
Only when your JoyRead account can already read them. WP Downloader does not bypass locked chapters or paywalls.
Can I download one JoyRead chapter by itself?
No. WP Downloader downloads whole JoyRead stories, not individual chapters or lists.
Can I save a JoyRead story as MOBI or AZW3?
WP Downloader does not output MOBI or AZW3 files. Download the EPUB, then convert it with calibre if needed.