Linsey Lanier
Sally Kilpatrick
Sia Huff
Romily Bernard
Darcy Crowder
Marilyn Baron
Tami Brothers
Sandra Elzie
Carol Burnside
Debbie Kaufman
Maxine Davis
Tammy Schubert
Susan Carlisle
Pam Asberry
Lindy Chaffin StartE-Book Freebies and Bargains From Amazon.com
Once you get your lovely Kindle or iPad (use the Kindle app for iPad), you want immediate access to all sorts of books. The problem is you can’t always afford to buy everything. To maximize your investment, take advantage of the free e-books Amazon.com offers. The list is not limited to the classics.
Freebies
Every week or two, Amazon offers promotional books for $0. There are some good ones out there, too. There are promotional releases of current authors, but they do not remain available for long. Make it a habit to look for updates each week. The best place to find them is on their Kindle Bestseller list. Go to the Kindle Books page:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Books/b/ref=sv_kinc_1?ie=UTF8&node=1286228011
The Kindle bestseller lists appear on the right side of the screen as you scroll down the page. There is a tab for the Top 100 Free books. Check them out. The promotional releases are mixed in with the classics. I usually make it a point to check the top twenty-five.
Bargain Books
Sometimes popular books are priced ridiculously low to promote the author. The sale does not last long, so be sure to take advantage of the opportunity when you can. The best ones can be found on the bestseller list when you click on the Top 100 Paid tab.
On June 12, 2010, Lisa Gardner’s book HIDE is offered for the whopping price of $.79. You heard me, just pennies for a book that usually runs $7.99.
The same day, Tess Gerritsen’s book THE SURGEON is available for $1.99. It usually costs $7.99. http://www.amazon.com/Surgeon-Bonus-Content-ebook/dp/B000FBFM3E/ref=pd_sim_kinc_5?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
While you are on the pages with these magnificent bargains, scroll down a bit to look through the Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought section. You will find other deals, usually for lesser known authors.
Bulk Purchases
One big thing you will love is the One-Click buys. Harlequin Blaze, Presents and Silhouette Desire sell their monthly releases in bundles at reasonable prices. I’m a bit worried right now because I don’t see any bundles scheduled for after June 2010. I hope they aren’t discontinuing them. Here is a link for the search results “one-click”:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=one-click
There is also a way to access bundles for romance. They are series or books of the same type bundled together to be sold as a packet. The one-click buys don’t typically show up here for some reason. I don’t know why they aren’t classified as bundles. To find them search the Kindle store using “bundles” OR “romance bundles”. Here are the results for bundles:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=node%3D154606011&field-keywords=bundles
Prevent Duplicate Purchases
Amazon keeps track of your Kindle e-book purchases. This means when you try to buy two of the same thing, a yellow bar appears at the top of the book stating when you purchased it. HOWEVER, when you purchase by the bundle, the system only knows you bought the bundle and does not track the individual book titles. So when you are looking at Harlequin Blazes, just remember which bundles (by publication date) you have on hand.
CAUTION: Although Amazon has a list of all the regular books you bought, they are not tracked like the e-books. So if you select an e-book and you have already purchased a paperback in the same title, the system will not remind you about it. I have bought several duplicates by accident. Good thing I love them; otherwise, this could be a big problem.
Easy Purchasing Using Your E-Reader
Make a Kindle wish list and make it your primary list. When you click add to wish list, the books will automatically go to the Kindle wish list. When you access this list with your e-reader, make your purchases directly from the list.
That’s all I can think of to share right now. If you know of other freebies for the Kindle and it’s e-reader apps, share them with us today.
Happy reading!
About the author
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Tammy Schubert | http://www.tammyschubert.com |
June 15th, 2010 at 6:32 am
Hi Tammy,
I don’t have an e-reader of any sort…yet. Haven’t decided if I want one. Maybe I’m old fashioned…but I love to have a book in my hands…and I don’t have to be concerned about someone stealing it if I’m at the pool and I want to leave it in my beach bag and go into the water. (or some kids splashing water on it.)
It’s not on my Christmas list since the jury is still out.
Maybe some folks can give me enough reasons to get one to override my couple negative concerns.
Sandy
June 15th, 2010 at 6:56 am
Tammy -
You are always full of great tips on anything electronic. I’ve had a Kindle for several years but had no idea about the free reads.
Sandy – I still love holding a book too, but an e-reader is very handy when traveling so much. I am looking at the Ipad but haven’t pulled the trigger on that one yet. If I were to buy one today, the Ipad would be the one. It just comes down to a matter of convenience. I do like the feature of downloading a good size excerpt to read when I hear about a new book/author I’m curious about.
Dianna
June 15th, 2010 at 7:44 am
Well I’ve been enjoying my birthday Nook big time! There are quite a few free ebooks on Barnes and Noble and they also have the bundles. My only issue is how you get an author to sign their new book on your Nook,LOL! Although, I’ve heard of people using those back covers, getting them signed, and then replacing them when they are full.
Bottom line: ereaders are addictive!
June 15th, 2010 at 7:44 am
This is some great information, Tammy. You are a Kindle guru. Ebooks are getting hotter and hotter. A Lisa Gardner book for 79 cents? That’s real steal.
If anyone’s interested in getting a Kindle, I added some Amazon links to my blog, http://www.linseysdiary.com. The Kindle’s the first one.
It’s also great for short e-reads, like Harlequin’s Nocturne Bites, and books from our friends on TWRP.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:14 am
Tammy,
You really are the electronic guru. You were kind enough to help me decide which Kindle to get for my birthday. I ended up with the Kindle 2. There are pros and cons but in the end, I knew I wasn’t going to give up hard back books completely (I agree with Sandy), so I wanted a smaller size for traveling instead of the larger Ipad. I have already downloaded two free books (both classics) and didn’t really know that there were bestsellers on the free reads list. I love the Kindle, it’s a very manageable and comfortable size and it has a lot of neat features (which I probably won’t ever figure out how to use), but I haven’t actually read a book on it. I have book three of the “Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” series ready to go when I finish the first two books.
I’m thinking of downloading the new Janet Evanovich when it comes out June 22 instead of buying the book. But I don’t know yet. I think I will get used to this new technology slowly but I’m glad I have dipped my toes in the water.
Marilyn
June 15th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Thanks for the hints! My Kindle is only a week old, so I have lots to learn!
June 15th, 2010 at 8:36 am
Sandy, you would love the Kindle. I had the same trouble moving away from the hard copy that felt so good in my hand. After using it for a week, I was sold. The Kindle and the iPad are the best devices out there right now.
Although you can go to the beach with the Kindle, the theft issue is something I haven’t figured out how to avoid. I guess for this purpose, it is best to use old fashioned books.
Also remember that with the Kindle, the font size can be adjusted to make reading easier on the eyes, too. Regular books don’t let you do that. You are stuck with the publisher’s format.
If you need help making a decision, let me know. You can look at mine and see how you like it.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:38 am
Dianna, the iPad is the best! With your travel schedule, this is the device for you. I recommend purchasing the wireless keyboard so you can type out longer emails if necessary. If you get one of the productivity packs so you can work on the books, the keyboard will definitely be a must have.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:39 am
Debbie,
Addictive is right. Once I got started with an e-reader, there was no turning back. Now I don’t want a regular book. If it isn’t out in electronic form for the Kindle (Kindle apps), I’ll put it on a wish list and wait until the publisher releases it this way.
I’m so glad you are enjoying the e-reading experience.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:41 am
Linsey, so does this mean you have joined the ranks of Kindle owners?
June 15th, 2010 at 8:43 am
Marilyn, the more you use it, the more you’ll love it.
Another thing to watch for is the pricing on e-books. I’m sure you are all aware of the pricing war between Amazon and the publishing houses. Do not pay the same amount of money that you would pay for an actual copy of the book. Wait until the price comes down. There is no reason for the e-book to cost the same as a printed book.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:44 am
Blythe, welcome to the wonderful world of e-reading. You are going to be very happy with your investment.
June 15th, 2010 at 8:51 am
Tammy,
This is great info. I’m starting to look for an ereader. I had it on my Christmas list last year but no body asked what I wanted. Maybe this year…
June 15th, 2010 at 9:23 am
Tammy,
As usual, great information. Thanks!
Don’t have an e-reader YET. We’ll see. I think it would help give me some room amid my stacks of books now.
June 15th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
Oh, wow. Great info here, Tammy. I haven’t got an e-reader yet, though I keep throwing out hints for Mother’s Day, my birthday, and other holidays. Now several people have said I should just spend a little extra and get the iPad, but I’m liking the sound of the smaller Kindle to put in my purse or carry on.
Maybe I’ll ask for the Kindle now, then the iPad later on when the price comes down a bit, now that I know it has a Kindle app that will allow me to see any books I buy in that format.
Thanks for all the info!
June 15th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
Love it!!!!!
I am sooo wanting one. I’ve just got to decide which one. I like the idea of the Kindle, but I’m LOVING the idea of the Ipad. Just not wanting to pay that much yet.
I also started reading some stories on my Droid. That is still very small, but oh so handy while waiting at the doctor’s office (something I did on Monday). I had not brought a book and there was no magazines to read. Having this access on my phone was awesome!
Thanks for all the great tips. I’ve already started my wish list!
Tami
June 15th, 2010 at 1:33 pm
Debbie -
Funny you should mention getting a book signed on the Nook. Sherri and I have signed the backs of every e-reader out there, but at our last tour someone had a Nook and clicked something on it then we used a “stylus” type pen to actually sign on the cover page of the book. I haven’t had time to look into that to see what she did, but that was very clever on Nook’s part. I don’t know if Ipad has it, but I bet they’ll have an app at some point for it.
June 15th, 2010 at 1:37 pm
Tammy – Thanks for the suggestion on the Ipad with a wireless keyboard. I’m definitely getting a new e-reader some time this year as I have one of the original Kindles and am thinking Ipad will fulfill more needs than the others.
Everyone is right – you’re the guru.
June 15th, 2010 at 2:10 pm
Wow! I have a lot more to learn. I got a free copy of Mansfield Park for my iphone (it has the Kindle app just like the ipad), but I haven’t gone any farther than that just yet. Like Tammy mentioned about the Droid, it’s a little weird because the screen is so small, but it’s awfully handy during waits without reading material.
My nanny was telling me something about how Kindle will take back books sometimes, though? Do you know anything about that?
June 15th, 2010 at 3:56 pm
Tammy, I now have a Kindle so I can read authors who only e-publish, but I also plan to add some regular books too. Once a month Samhain sends me a list of their free reads for the month which I post to my Monday blog. It’s a great way to discover new authors.