What Exactly Is Amazon First Reads And How Much Does It Cost?
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There are many perks that come with an Amazon Prime membership, with some being more well-known than others. If you're a Prime member, you know that you get fast and free delivery of everything from your favorite books to items you use around the house. In fact, that may have been one of the main reasons you signed up for the service. On the other hand, you may have signed up for a Prime membership to get access to Prime Video and its lineup of exclusive shows.
While Amazon started off as a bookseller, it's now the largest online retailer in the world, making it easy to forget its roots. There's no denying Amazon sells just about everything; still, for bibliophiles, it remains one of the best places to find books online. Even so, many book lovers aren't familiar with a Prime perk designed just for them: Amazon First Reads — a program that gives readers early access to a variety of new titles, often before their official release date. Whether you own a Kindle Colorsoft or the Kindle Paperwhite Signature edition, you can download these books monthly — and often for free.
What exactly is Amazon First Reads?
As the name suggests, Amazon First Reads is all about getting a first look at new and soon-to-be-released books. Each month, Amazon editors select books for the First Reads program from a variety of genres, including suspense, historical fiction, horror, women's fiction, psychological thriller, speculative fiction, and romance. If you're a Prime member, you can read these books for free. If not, you can still access them for $1.99. Some months, Amazon First Reads makes a bonus short read available for customers participating in the program. If you join the program, you'll receive a monthly email about the new picks. You can unsubscribe from the email any time you want.
You can read these books on any compatible Kindle device or the free Kindle app for iOS, Android, Mac, or PC. Once you've downloaded an Amazon First Reads book, it becomes a permanent part of your library. You can join Amazon First Reads for free. As a member, you're not required to buy anything, and there is no monthly commitment. All you have to do is enjoy the free and discounted books. You'll only be able to access the Amazon First Reads program if you're based in the U.S. If you're a member of Kindle Unlimited, you'll be able to borrow Amazon First Reads books for free when they're released as part of your subscription at no additional cost. Kindle Unlimited members can also access most past First Reads editors' picks for free.
How do I sign up for Amazon First Reads?
While there are quite a few websites where you can find and download ebooks for free, if you're a Prime member and do a lot of reading on a Kindle device or the Kindle app, you might want to take advantage of Amazon First Reads. Signing up for First Reads is easy. Just sign into your Amazon account and go to the Amazon First Reads home page to see all of the books available for the current month. If one interests you, click the 'Shop Now' button, and you'll be redirected to the book's product page. Click on the 'Subscribe' button at the top of the page to sign up for the Amazon First Reads newsletter to get notified when new titles are available each month.
If you're a Prime member, click the 'Read for Free' button under the First Reads banner to send the book directly to your Kindle that's associated with your account. If you're not a Prime member, click the 'Buy Now with 1-Click button' to buy the book for $1.99. Be sure you don't click the pre-order button because if you do, you'll end up paying full price for the book. When you've completed the transaction, you'll receive a notice letting you know that everything was processed correctly and that the title is being delivered to your device.