Count The Sietch Reading Toward Apple Books Goals

PDFs can count toward Apple Books Reading Goals when the Include PDFs setting is enabled. Apple does not document whether EPUB files you import yourself count, so you will need to test the downloaded story on your device.

Download a story with WP Downloader

WP Downloader is a free web tool with nothing to install. For The Sietch, it gathers the threadmarked chapters from a story thread and saves them as one book.

1. Find the story thread on the-sietch.com. Its address should look like this:

https://www.the-sietch.com/index.php?threads/some-story-name.123456/

2. Open the The Sietch downloader.
3. Paste the thread link into the box.
4. Choose EPUB or PDF. EPUB is free for everyone. PDF requires a free Discord sign-in.
5. Choose whether to include the story’s images.
6. Download the finished file.

WP Downloader downloads the whole story. It cannot download a single chapter or a list from The Sietch. If the author adds chapters later, download the story again to get them. WPD cannot update an EPUB you have already downloaded.

Public stories do not require a The Sietch account. You can sign in with an account from the site to download members-only stories that account can read. WP Downloader uses your credentials only to fetch the story you request. It cannot bypass locked content, paywalls, or age restrictions.

See how to download The Sietch stories for a general walkthrough.

Add the story to Apple Books

Apple Books opens EPUB and PDF files on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Imported stories appear in your Library.

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Files app or Safari’s downloads.
2. Find the EPUB or PDF file.
3. Open the Share menu.
4. Choose Books.

Apple Books will open and add the file to your Library.

On Mac

Open the Books app and drag the EPUB into it. You can also choose File, then Add to Library, and select the downloaded file.

The story will appear in your Apple Books Library.

How Apple Books Reading Goals work

Apple Books tracks how many minutes you read each day and how many books and audiobooks you finish each year.

The default daily goal is five minutes. You can change it from the Reading Now tab on an iPhone or iPad, or from Home on a Mac.

Adding a story to your Library does not show whether Apple Books will count the time you spend reading it.

Check whether an imported EPUB counts

Apple’s documentation does not say whether EPUB files imported by the reader count toward daily reading time. You can check the behavior on your device:

1. Note today’s reading time in Apple Books.
2. Open the imported The Sietch EPUB.
3. Read for a minute or two.
4. Return to the Reading Goals area.
5. See whether today’s reading time increased.

An increase means Apple Books counted the reading time for that imported EPUB on your device. If the total stays the same, it may not be counting the file.

Make a The Sietch PDF count

PDFs count toward Reading Goals only when Include PDFs is turned on.

On current versions of iOS, open Settings, Apps, then Books and enable Include PDFs. On older versions, open Settings, then Books. After changing the setting, read the imported PDF in Apple Books for a minute or two and check the daily total again.

Include PDFs applies only to PDF reading. It does not show whether an imported EPUB counts, so test EPUB files separately.

FAQ

Does a The Sietch EPUB definitely count toward Reading Goals?

Apple’s documentation does not give a definite answer for EPUB files you import yourself. Read the imported EPUB for a minute or two, then check whether today’s reading time increased.

Why is my The Sietch PDF not affecting my goal?

Check that Include PDFs is enabled in the Books settings. PDFs only count toward the reading goal when this option is on.

Can I add the same download to Apple Books on a Mac?

Yes. Drag the EPUB into the Books app, or choose File and then Add to Library. Apple Books on Mac also opens PDF files.

Can WP Downloader download one chapter from The Sietch?

No. WP Downloader collects the threadmarked chapters and downloads the whole story as one book. It cannot download a single chapter or a list from The Sietch.