Books for Your Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader - Where Can I Download Books for My Ebook Reader?

If you've already got an Ebook Reader, be it an Amazon Kindle or one of the others, or if you think you might be getting one soon, and you don't intend flipping it for a quick profit - see Make Money Online Flipping Kindles - then you will need to download books to it now and again.

So where can you download ebooks for your Ebook Reader?

Obviously you can go to Amazon but there are other places where you can download ebooks for your digital book reader, some of them for free.

Gutenberg over 27,000 free books - mainly classics and books out of copyright. Also books in foreign languages

Free Kindle Ebooks basically the same as Gutenberg but in more Kindle ebook reader friendly format

World Library say they have over 500,000 ebooks -there is an $8.95 annual fee, there may be other fees too, I had a quick look but it's not clear (make it clearer World Library !) - life's too short

Munseys - over 25,000 more in case you are a speed reader.

So around 750,000 ebooks for your Kindle Ebook Reader - lots of them free plus of course about 200,000 on Amazon. So many words so little time !

Make Money Flipping Kindles

Ebook Readers - Amazon's Ebook Reader Selling Like Hot Kindles

The Kindle Ebook Reader is the hot Christmas gift this year, largely, I suspect, due to Oprah calling it her "favorite gadget", although sales were doing well even before her celebrity endorsement.

Amazon, to its eternal shame, underestimated the Power of Oprah and so has run out of Kindle's for sale. You can get refurbished Kindles if you look hard enough (see the comments to our previous Kindle post). Or if you are lucky enough to have got a Kindle already then you can flip it and double your money.

One lucky guy got a Kindle digital book reader as a gift from his girlfriend (worth $359) and immediately put it up for sale on Craig's list for $500, with girlfriend's permission of course (don't they sound like a nice couple).

At the moment, Amazon's Kindle ebook reader can be found on eBay (spit), Craigslist, and Amazon's second-hand product site at prices up to $1,500. So well done all those folks in the US who saw this coming and stocked their garages with shiny new Kindles!

Amazon were caught with their leotards down and will only be getting more stock in February, so bad Amazon but they may benefit from higher prices in 2009.

Amazon first introduced the Kindle Ebook Reader in November 2007. The device allows users to download books, newspapers, magazines, blogs etc... and displays them on an a screen that looks like paper.

According to Forrester Research Inc., Amazon has probably sold 400,000 ebook readers although others put the figures as high as 450,000. Buy shares in Amazon?

Amazon is planning a new version of the Kindle in 2009 and is expanding the amount of stuff you can download, with over 200,000 books, plus blogs, and publications.

By 2010, the Kindle and associated digital books, at $1 billion, may represent 4% of Amazon's revenue, said analyst Mark Mahaney of Citigroup Inc., a Kindle user.

You can also contact Amazon about publishing your own blog to people on the move, via the Kindle, it wil cost you around $1 a month I believe, but you get a share of revenue, so it is probably worth the effort.

There are competitors to the Kindle, the main one being the Sony Ereader and the new kid on the Ebook Reader block - the Foxit eSlick, which is cheaper at $250 but skimpier.

Kindle Ebook Reader Beats Recession

Ebook Reader - Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader a Runaway Success

As predicted by some (including me) the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader has been a great hit with the buying public. Particularly since Oprah told everybody that it was her favorite gadget

Amazon thought it had ordered enough Kindles for the Christmas season, but it turns out since the blessing by Oprah there has been a veritable stampede of people wanting to buy a digital book reader and it is now out of stock (Amazon must be kicking themselves as people may be tempted by the Sony Ebook Reader instead). According to the Wall Street Journal new supplies won't be available until February.

Although you can get almost all new releases and bestsellers for the Kindle Ebook Reader, the vast majority of books are still available only in print. Amazon has approx. 200,000 titles to download to the Kindle, and this number is bound to grow - especially when you pay $20 for a hardcover but only $10 for the downloaded version.

With 200,000 titles Kindle is also far ahead of Sony's SNE Ebook Reader, which offers just under 60,000 titles but plans to have 100,000 available by the end of the year.

Video of why the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader is outselling the Sony Ebook Reader and should do wonders for the Amazon share price

Self-Publish on Kindle Ebook Reader

Self-Publishing using the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader

If you have tried self-publishing already you have probably discovered it's not as easy as it looks. But if you have a US social security number then Amazon has just very kindly created a new outlet for your works - the Kindle Ebook Reader. You can now self-publish your books for the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader (Oprah's favorite gadget in case you hadn't heard and selling like hot cakes !).

It's free to publish via the Amazon Kindle and your title will be right up there with all the big names on Amazon. You share the proceeds of any sales with Amazon. Bear in mind that certain things are prohibited - these are the usual suspects such as pornography, offensive material, illegal material etc...

Compared to trying to find a traditional publisher the process is a piece of cake. It's all explained at dtp.amazon.com, where the have an example with explanations. Basically you enter the title, your name, you describe the book, including multiple keywords, upload the text, preferably in HTML, make any changes needed, enter a price between 99 cents and $200. Amazon can change the price if they feel it is unrealistic. You receive 35% of the list price. Click 'Publish' and around 12 hours later your work of art will appear on Amazon.

Electronic Ebook Readers are still in their infancy and are already revealing interesting opportunities for writers and publishers, so if you have a book you feel the world should read check out Amazon dtp.amazon.com.

Ebook Readers Big in Utah

Utah School Board Buys Kindles in Bulk

Two significant advantages of the Kindle Ebook Reader over books is that a) the Kindle can store many dozens of books but weighs the same as one book and b) the books downloaded onto an Ebook Reader work out cheaper - $10 instead of the typical $25 for a school book.

This was the logic that persuaded the Granite School District to buy 147 Kindle Ebook Readers for a total of $52,773.

Jim Henderson, Director of Instructional Technology for Granite, one of the largest districts in Utah, says he was skeptical at first too, until he bought 10 Kindles for employees .

"I put it in the hands of my oldest librarians, and they coveted it almost immediately. I'd compare it to the first iPods. I think this is just the beginning of a trend."

Granite would appear to be the only Utah school district so far to buy Ebook Readers in bulk.

While it may seem pricey, Kindle's biggest selling point for a school district is cost.

The Kindle's wireless capability means users can download books as long as they can make a phone call and the "electronic-paper" of the Kindle elminates the glare normally associated with back-lit computer screens.

If you are thinking of getting an Ebook Reader for Christmas see also Oprah Loves the Kindle Ebook Reader

Oprah Loves Kindle Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader - Oprah Winfrey Says Kindle Ebook Reader is her Favorite Gadget

Oprah Winfrey and the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader

This summer Oprah Winfrey was given a Kindle Ebook Reader as a present and she says "it's absolutely my new favorite thing in the world". That's quite a statement from Oprah given the amount of new things she must be presented with almost daily.

Oprah loves just about everything about her Ebook Reader , even though she's tried other ebook readers before and not been particularly impressed. She loves the Kindle and also appreciates the ecological aspect of not having to cut down trees to read a book or magazine.

Oprah said "It was so easy, and the fact that it's wireless and you don't have to download them from your computer."

You also have the added benefit of not having to carry around a ton of books, particularly useful if you're a student. I suspect we will see a lot of the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader being bought as Christmas presents this year.

Ebook Readers Have Bright Future

Ebook Readers Set for a Bright Future

J. Gerry Purdy has just written an excellent article on Ebook Readers entitled Why eBooks and Ebook Readers Will Eventually Succeed click the link to read the full article.

He lists 15 features Ebook Readers must have to succeed, which are, in no particular order :-
Instant on/off - Correct size - High-contrast, high-resolution, bright color display - Great (natural) user interface - Random access - Storage - Durability - Easy annotation - Acceptable cost - Easy access to dictionary and synonyms/antonyms - Acceptable business models - Built-in wireless communications - Broader distribution - Acceptable digital rights management (DRM) and intellectual property protection - Integrated animation and video

Accord to Gerry Purdy there is still some way to go before Ebook Readers have all these features, but, he says, once these criteria are met the market will explode and there will be 75% adoption worldwide in less than 10 years from when the Ebook Reader has the right set of technologies.

Personally I think they will take off sooner, particularly with college students as they appreciate the ability to replace a dozen or so heavy books with one Ebook Reader which does a lot more in addition.

I suspect in fact that Santa will be delivering a lot of Ebook Readers this year !

New Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader -Amazon to Launch a New Kindle Ebook Reader

According to analysts 380,000 Amazon Kindle ebook readers have been sold and it is fast becoming the Apple "iPod of the book world" being particularly popular with students as it means they don’t have to lug around exensive, and heavy, books.

More pictures of the new Kindle Ebook Reader available over at Boy Genius

Two new versions of the ebook reader will ship before the end of 2008, one which will be the same size but with an improved user interface, and one which will the same size as a sheet of paper 8x11inches.

One criticism of the Kindle digital book reader is that it is a bit bland, so there are rumours that Amazonwill be offering different colours.

Sales have geneerally been better than expected, with financial analyst at Citigroup stating, "Although (Amazon) has not disclosed Kindle sales, our collection of data points leads us to double our '08 unit assumption from 190,000 to 380,000. In its first year, that's exactly how many iPods were sold. Turns out the Kindle is becoming the iPod of the book world."

One market where the Kinlde has not yet made any headway is the $5.5 bn textbook market. This may be set to change, as the two main complaints from students are textbook prices and the weight of the books. The Kindle ebook reader offers clear advantages in both areas, as electronic versions of books are generally cheaper than the actual books and they obviously weigh a lot less.

In addition to these factors, books suffer from the fact that they do not have a built-in MP3 player and wireless 3G connectivity.

The screens of the latest Kindle’s are not backlit, and are therefore easy to read, including in sunlight.

There are now estimated to be 140,000 titles available for the Kindle ebook reader, a number which is set to grow over time.

According to Citigroup the Kindle could generate between $400 million and $750 million for Amazon by 2010, which would represent between 1% and 3% of Amazon’s total revenue.

Newsweek Signs Ebook Reader Deal

Ebook Reader - Newsweek Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader Deal

Amazon signs Deal with Newsweek for Book Anthologies on its Kindle Ebook Reader

In a move which will undoubtebdly give a boost to the sales of the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader Newsweek has decided to publish digital anthologies of its election coverage as ebooks on the Kindle digital book reader. These books will not appear in print, they will only be available as Ebooks which will be wirelessly downloaded to be read on your Kindle Ebook Reader. This means of course that you need a Kindle to read them, so a good move by Amazon.

The collections will be published by Newsweek as four different books, one for each candidate in the Presidential race – Joe Biden, John MCCain, Barack Obama and Sarah Palin.

The Ebooks are already available for advance order, they will be available on Wednesday at a price of $9.99.

Newsweek Editor John Meacham said : "We have reported deeply and written searchingly about these candidates, and the Kindle platform has created the opportunity to give readers something with the breadth of a political biography, but with digital immediacy. This is a vote for the kind of content we produce well, and which means so much to readers."

Ian Freed of Amazon said : “We think it’s a very interesting model that could broaden. This could start to change the way at least some books are published.”

The Kindle digital book reader was introduced in November and currently costs $359. There are 180,000 books available for wireless download, plus more than 40 magazines and newspapers.

New Sony Reader PRS-700

New Sony Ebook Reader PRS-700 with Touch Screen

The Amazon Kindle is not the only ebook reader on the market. Sony’s Reader Third Generation Digital Ebook has just been launched, with the model number PRS-700, as an addition to the previous model the Sony Reader PRS-505.

New features include an interactive touch screen display to create a highly intuitive digital reading experience.

This new Sony Reader has the same size as slim paperback book and weeighs only 10 ounces.

The sizeable 6 inch display with touch screen lets you flip pages with your finger. You can also search terms inside a document or book, make notes via the virtual keyboard and highlight text using the stylus pen.

There are 5 pre-set text sizes and you can zoom in even further just by tapping the screen.

The new Sony Reader has the same high-resolution and high contrast electronic paper which means that reading the screen is practically the same as looking at ink-on-paper. Sony’s new Reader is the first to feature a built-in LED reading light for cases when there is no ambient light.

The expanded memory has capacity for 350 average digital books and with the optional removable Memory Stick Duo media or SD memory cards, the new Reader can store thousands of books and documents.

Sony have also revamped their eBook store with improved visual appeal and a streamlined checkout process.

The new Ebook Reader will cost around $399 in the US and £199 in the UK and along with the Amazon Kindle should prove very popular as a Christmas present.

Kindle Ebook Reader for Christmas

Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader Sales

The Kindle Ebook Reader - the Must Have Christmas Present for 2008?

Amazon's Kindle E-book reader is expected to sell more than 375,000 in 2008, at least according to CitiGroup analysts. Waterstones says that e-books are the future and will be selling Sony Readers in its high street stores.

The impressive Kindle sales figures are the result of positive product reviews of the product and the fact that the Kindle Ebook Reader is still topping Amazons best-selling list. Analyst Mark Mahaney says that his sales forecasts are more or less the same as those of the iPod in its first year.

Amazon are not the only ones getting into electronic books in 2008 - Waterstones has been selling Sony's Reader since September, and is putting content for sale on its website. It's a good idea to sell the Reader in shops as you can't get an idea of the quality of the electronic-ink screens without seeing them.

The Kindle sold out quickly after it was launched on Amazon at the end of 2007. And the company recently increased supply to meet demand. They also cut the price of the Kindle from $399 to $359, which is still expensive! According to some analysts the Kindle Ebook Reader achieves sales of 55,000 a month. In addition consumers are just learning how to use it. As Kindle buyers get used to all the features of the Ebook Reader — and as the number of books and magazines and newspapers increases — they buy more.

For a review of the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader see Kindle Review

Amazon's Kindle Ebook Reader Review

Ebook Reader - Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader Review

Amazon's Ebook reader is excellent says Robert Mohns of Macintouch - his review of the ebook reader is also excellent and extremely detailed - I have put the main conclusions below.

Amazon’s Kindle Ebook reader does more than read books. Its wireless connection allows you to read books, newspapers, magazines and blogs, and the web in general, but it’s not so good with graphics so sites with lots of pictures are best viewed on your computer.

As a digital book reader the Kindle is so good you forget you are using it within a few minutes. More type and layout options for book designers would be better along with higher resolution displays. Colour would also be nice.

The Kindle Ebook Reader is superior to printed books in many ways - searchable content, including any notes you make; you can have hundreds of books with you at any time; blogs that update continuously; no configuration needed. The Kindle Ebook Reader is excellent for removing clutter, as you have all your books and magazines in the same place.
But despite being electronic you quickly come to consider it as a book.

Pros
· extensive library at afforadble prices
· instantaneous wireless delivery
· purchased books are backed up online
· Web access is wireless and free
· most non-Amazon content is supported
· long life battery

Cons
· no sidebars and infographics on magzines and newspapers
· limited web browser
· audible set-up requires Windows-only software

Video of Kindle Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader Video of Amazon's Kindle Ebook Reader

Ebook Reader Video

E-Book Readers Amazon's Kindle

Ebook Readers - Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader

What is an Ebook Reader?

This blog provides news, information and reviews about ebook readers, sometimes known as e-book readers or digital book readers or even electronic book readers. An ebook reader is a portable dogital book reader that display books on a screen using epaper displays (EPDs) to allow you to read books in a handheld electronic format on the go, e.g. when commuting to work. The new ebook reader created by Amazon, called 'Kindle', has been getting good reviews, and looks as if it might turn ebook readers into mass-market devices. Epaper displays used on ebook readers look astonishingly similar to real paper.

Amazon's Kindle Ebook Reader combines a number of useful features - inexpensive flash memory, a low-power processor, EVDO networking and an EPD that uses almost no power.

Epaper displays are being used in devices other than ebook readers, such as watches, cellphones and credit cards. EPDs are very friendly when it comes to power consumption and can run for days rather than the hours normally associated with electronic devices.

Epaper and ebook readers are currently still in their infancy. At the moment they are only available in black and white but this will change as the technology improves.

At the moment epaper represents just 0.1% of the paper publishing market but if it grows to just 3% that would represent a market of around $400 billion.

Amazon is just about to launch its Kindle Ebook Reader Version 2 wih, according to rumour an exclusive book deal signed with Stephen King.