As a proud Kindle owner, you're probably thinking that your device is the final evolution of reading. Thousands of books in a slim E Ink tablet that goes wherever you do? Unbeatable. Not having to choose between three hardcover beach-reads to put in your carry-on luggage? The relief is palpable. But if you're just buying e-book after e-book from the Amazon Store, are you really using your device to its maximum potential?
Prime Reading
If you already have an Amazon Prime account, don't say no to free reads
Prime Reading is a feature built into your Prime account that gives you access to a selection of over a thousand titles to read at no extra cost to your subscription. It includes regular e-books, magazines, comics, Kindle Singles, and more across a variety of genres and maturity levels. There are even titles you can snag that come with Audible Narration, so you get the best of both worlds and are never stuck on a cliffhanger if it's time to drive to work after an all-nighter sponsored by your current read.
One more thing -- you don't even need to own a Kindle device to take advantage of Prime Reading. As long as you have the Kindle app on iOS or Android alongside to your Prime account, you can check out a book from this free library anywhere you want. It does wonders for me when I'm in a reading slump and looking for something new.
Amazon First Reads
Another free Prime perk, but an insane discount for all other readers
Amazon is basically throwing free e-books at you hoping you'll read the words as they hit you in the face. Amazon First Reads gives you early access to new books each month, allowing Prime Members to choose one for free and non-Prime members to purchase it for only $2. It's a steal considering the available titles are handpicked by Amazon editors and often are available before they're even released to the public.
Once you choose and download a title as a part of First Reads, it becomes a part of your permanent library, unlike programs like Kindle Unlimited (which I'll talk more about later). There are also special deals that may arise each month; for example, in November, the program includes a bonus short read in addition to the free e-book you chose. Note that non-Prime members must pay an extra $2 to access the short read.
Send to Kindle
Sneaky side-loading
Okay, this one isn't actually sneaky -- Send to Kindle is an official Amazon feature that lets you upload various kinds of files to an online portal that immediately transfers them to your Kindle device. I typically use this when I want to catch up on Pocket-lint articles, Substacks, or even get my academic fix with old PDFs from my history classes in college (you take "Fall of the Roman Empire 305" and let me know when you'll ever lose interest in those old documents).
People love to use this for fanfiction, too. Websites like AO3 let you download entire works to your laptop or phone, and if you've ever read fan fiction, you know how much damage a 500K Dramione fic can do to your eyes (and your heart) if you read it on your phone. Not to mention, it feels much more like a real book when you read it on your Kindle.
'Stuff Your E-Reader' days
Third-party sites do it right
Let's step outside the (strictly) Amazon box for a moment. A great way to support small or indie authors is to participate in Stuff Your E-Reader Days, or certain virtual events that happen throughout the year when authors give away their e-books for free, or at least at a staggering discount. The purpose of these particular events, such as the ones hosted by Indie Author Collective, is to help readers and authors discover each other and get the e-books on as many devices as possible.
Readers can download as many books as they want during these events, and anything they do is theirs to keep -- permanently.
Kindle Unlimited
Definitely worth the extra $12 / month
I saved the best for last, and because this one isn't free -- even for Prime members. However, I'll stand by the fact that I think it's one of the best programs Amazon offers to readers. Kindle Unlimited is a $12-per-month subscription (on top of a Prime membership) that gives you unlimited access to over four million rotating titles, from regular e-books to magazine subscriptions and audiobooks.
It's very much like a traditional library, where you can only check out so many books at a time. Subscribers can have up to 20 books in their libraries, but the moment they want to check out the 21st, Amazon requires returning one already in your library. The books are not yours to keep, but instead borrow. However, unlike the true library program Libby, there is no waitlist when it comes to e-book titles.
I'll always be a Kindle Unlimited subscriber -- when I go through major reading rushes (typically during the holidays), Kindle Unlimited's $12 lets me read an obscene number of e-books that would actually end up costing me hundreds of dollars if I purchased them each individually. Plus, I can't begin to tell you how many times I've searched for a specific title and realized it was going to be free through the service.
If you're as voracious of a reader as I am, Kindle Unlimited is worth far more than its digital weight in gold.