Kindle Singles Review

February 16, 2011 By 3 Comments

The digital world is teaching us that the limitations of print are no longer applicable. Print has always been reliant on the exact word count of a piece of literature; a magazine article should be short and a novel should be longer. A void between these two literary arenas emerged that was difficult to fill, but Kindle Singles offers a viable solution.

Kindle Singles is a recently launched section on the Amazon website which now makes it possible for shorter literary pieces to be published. This addition has been particularly relevant to longer pieces of non-fiction which sometimes need further exploration than what is possible in the length of a regular magazine article.

Amazon’s new offer is, however, not only relevant to long-form journalism, but also in the novella genre. Shorter fictional pieces have always been difficult to publish, but Amazon has presented a platform which can potentially allow for this genre to flourish.

Many people enjoy their information in bite sizes, but there are also many who want to get stuck into something a little more substantial during lunch or before bed at night. Kindle Singles will provide the mid-range information junky with his or her fix for a few hours.

Singles have already become so popular that many of the copies are featured on the top lists of Kindle sales. If you are planning to buy a full length novel, then you should always ensure that you aren’t purchasing an 80 page novella because Kindle Singles might become as readily available as their longer counterparts.

Kindle Singles when combined with the Kindle Direct Publishing section means that people who don’t have the endurance to write a full novel will now be able to try their hand at these shorter versions. Amateur authors have the opportunity to publish their work and earn a royalty if any sales are made.

The influx of self-published works could result in the exposure of some fascinating works, but it could also inundate the website with some examples of derivative drivel. Even if this occurs, it will not deter people from perusing the well-organized Amazon catalogs in search of a shorter piece that could provide some interesting leisurely reading.

Amazon has managed to resurrect an area of writing that the internet had almost done away with. Literary segments on the internet have been shortened to meet the demand of efficiency, but Amazon realized that some people still enjoy reading and exploring a topic further than through the limited scope of a top ten list. Long-form journalism has benefited from a second chance and the production of enough quality work will ensure the continued prevalence of the mid-range literary genre for years to come.

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Filed Under: Kindle Books Tagged With: ,

Kindle Lending is Here!

January 5, 2011 By 4 Comments

Finally! The new Kindle Lending program allows for those of us who have books that someone wants to borrow to share them with others. In other words, now we can share books on the Kindle!

Not all books are eligible. In fact, many users are not happy with the few titles that are available, but I expect that will change as the program grows. I would assume that Amazon is just taking some time to try out the ebook lending service before they expand it significantly.

The program is even available to people who do not have a Kindle or who do not even have a Kindle account of any type. When they receive a notification of a book loan (explained in more detail below), they will be invited to download one of the many free Kindle apps for whatever device or computer they are using.

Here is how Kindle lending works -

  1. The owner of a Kindle book can let someone borrow a book (if it is eligible for lending) by going to the “Manage Your Kindle” menu.
  2. If the book is eligible, there will be a box that says “Loan This Book” next to the title.
  3. The owner simply clicks this button and puts in the e-mail address of the loan recipient.
  4. The recipient receives and e-mail with an invitation to borrow the book.
  5. The recipient simply click the “Get your loaned book now” button, and clicks accept when going to the Amazon page.
  6. If the borrower does not have a Kindle account, they will ned to create one. If they do, they need to choose what device to send the loaned book to.

A few notes on this service -

  • The loaned book will only be available for 14 days.
  • The original owner of the book will not be able to read the loaned book during that 14 day period.
  • This program is currently only available to United States Kindle users.

So, that’s it! As I mentioned above, some have complained about the lack of titles available, but I do expect the number of lending enabled books to grow once the program really takes off. It will be up to the publisher of the book to allow a book to be borrowable, so it seems that many are waiting to see if the program spurs more book purchases, as the last thing the publishers want to do is opt into a program that makes them less sales.

In addition, some have expressed concern about the fact that the owner cannot read the book while it is being borrowed. However, to me this is no different than a physical book. If I let someone borrow a paperback, I can’t read it at the same time (I mean, I guess I could look over their shoulder, but that might be a bit awkward!). It just makes sense that they would not allow such sharing, as they have to make profit from book sales, and allowing sharing by multiple users would probably lead to abuse of the system.

The idea is growing fast. There is already a community dedicated to Kindle book sharing. You can check them out on twitter at @KindleLending.

I do hope that the program is extended beyond the US to all of our Kindle friends around the world!

Want to know more? Click here to get the full lowdown from Amazon!

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Filed Under: Kindle Books Tagged With: , ,

Wowio Books – Free eBooks?

October 26, 2010 By 2 Comments

Source: Wowio.com

It looks like one new company – Wowio – might be into something. Wowio, is offering free eBooks to users, with one catch – ads. That’s right, you don;t pay for the books, but they do include advertisements.

Personally, I think this is a very interesting idea. It already works for other mediums – we do not pay to pay per show while watching television, as the sponsors cover that for us. But will it work with books?

Right now, Wowio only offers these deals in PDF format, but they will be adding ePub formats soon, meaning you could feasibly be reading Wowio books on your Kindle now in PDF, and later on have even more selection in ePub format.

However, I do have a concern. Do you think it this takes away from reading? I like quiet and the lack of distraction I have when reading on my Kindle. Will I get the same thing if the pages are riddled with ads? UPDATE: Read the comment from Wowio below to clarify on this point. There are no ads in the books, just the covers.

Tell us what you think! Let us know in the comments!

Need a waterproof Kindle cover? Click to check out our reviews!

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Filed Under: Kindle Books, Kindle Reader

Leatherbound Bookstore Comparator

October 18, 2010 By Leave a Comment

There is a new way to make sure that the title you want is available on the Kindle. Leatherbound.me will now show you if a book title is available on he Kindle, Nook, iPad, etc.

In reality, this is not a big deal for Kindle users. Since Kindle has an overwhelming majority of book titles available, if you are looking for a book, it will be there. However, it might spur moer Kindle sales when people search for titles and see how many are available from Amazon that are not available elsewhere.


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Filed Under: Kindle Books

Adobe Makes Kindle Publishing Easier

October 6, 2010 By Leave a Comment

books

Looks like Kindle author will have an even easier way to get their books in Kindle format. This is great news, because it means that us Kindle users will probably see even more Kindle books being published soon.

In the past, while many authors would succumb to the difficulty (and it was difficult) of converting their books to the Kindle format, this will no longer be necessary.

Essentially, Adobe has built  simple plugin to its InDesign program, which many author sue to create their books, that allows everything to easily be built in Kindle format. It can even be previewed as if it were on the Kindle.

Even if you have no plans to write a book soon or don’t have InDesign, this is still good news. It means Kindle is just another step up when it comes to ebook readers and book selection! As we mentioned in our last post, competition is stiff out there, so it is comforting to know that Kindle is still king!

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Kindle Deals and Bargains Online

July 31, 2010 By Leave a Comment

With the economy the way it was this past year, many people are wanting to stretch every dollar. If you’re looking for Kindle deals and bargains, below we highlight five ways to score an Amazon Kindle and books for cheap!

1.  Amazon – Want free books? Start at the source – Amazon.com! Check out this Free Kindle Book List. Seriously, they are free!

2. Craigslist – This is how I got my first Kindle. Someone was looking for some extra cash and was happy to sell it to me for a great price!

3. DealNews – I just got turned on to Dealnews recently. It has so many great deals on consumer electronics, including quite a few for the Kindle, Kindle books, and Kindle accessories!

4. Local Classifieds and Newspapers – You never know when someone down the street might have upgraded to a Kindle DX and wants to sell their old one! Check out your local paper (maybe you can even read it on your Kindle like I do!).

5. eBay – No doubt eBay is the powerhouse when it comes to online auctions. There are plenty of Kindle to be had on eBay, but as always, you take a risk when buying a used device.

6. Sign up for Audible.com – If you join Audible.com’s AudibleListener® Gold plan, you can get $100 off any Kindle at Amazon! The only catch is that the plan costs $14.95/month, but if you listen to books as much as I do, it might be worth it.

Any other deals out there? Let us know in the comments!

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Filed Under: Kindle Accessories, Kindle Books, Kindle Giveaways, Kindle Reader

12 Fun Things To Do At The Beach with Your Kindle

June 20, 2010 By 3 Comments

Looking for fun things to do at the beach with your Kindle? We have over 10 ideas and tips for you.

jackie collins poor little rich girl kindle book

1. Read a steamy novel from Jackie Collins (for the ladies)
2. Let your child discover the wonder of digital reading by lending him or her your Kindle device
3. Share your Kindle with a neighbor and let them gawk at it for a few minutes
4. Play a game
5. Score a free copy of an ebook at your local library
6. Protect your device with a series of Kindle waterproof covers and keep it safe
7. Tell your significant other you’re on “ME” time and take your e-reader to the beach (sans stress)
8. Get caught up on an Oprah Winfrey book-of-the-month club selection
9. If you can’t tear yourself away from business reading at the beach, then try a blog such as The New York Times or The Huffington Post
10. Business reading at the beach not your cup of tea? Boing Boing or Tech Crunch might be more your style
11. Order a subscription to the Reader’s Digest, this mag never disappoints for leisure reading
12. Upload that juicy biography you’ve been dying to take a peek at, try Bill Clinton or Barack Obama

As you can see there are loads of ways to have fun at the beach with your Kindle. Happy beach bumming!

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Filed Under: Kindle Accessories, Kindle Books, Kindle Reader Tagged With: , , , ,

7 Father’s Day Kindle Gifts For Dad

May 24, 2010 By Leave a Comment

Treat the man who has given you everything in life with a deluxe Kindle gift he will go Lady Ga Ga crazy for. Dad is the man June 20th, don’t forget to get him something truly special.

1. Luxury Patagonia Kindle Case – eco friendly Kindle case from Patagonia. This case is made from 100% recycled polyester fleece and features straps on the inside to keep your digital reader safe and protected while providing easy access. AAA++

patagonia eco friendly kindle case

2. V-MODA Kindle Headphones – superior sound quality and quality craftsmanship mark V-moda headphones. These premium set of ear buds go great with the Kindle reader, retail for less than $20 and are available in several colors.

v moda ear buds for kindle

[Read more...] 7 Father’s Day Kindle Gifts For Dad

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Filed Under: Kindle Accessories, Kindle Books, Kindle Reader Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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