E-book – Page 5 – Linda Nelson

Amazon Buys the Goodreads Experience

March 29, 2013March 29, 2013 by Linda Nelson, posted in writing

Today an announcement flew about the internet. I first saw it on my Facebook Timeline since I follow Publishers Weekly. Then it was confirmed by the headline across my homepage on Goodreads.

Amazon.com just bought Goodreads.com. Huh?

How is this going to affect the reader/author experience?

A lot of questions will surface over the coming months.

Will the reviews suddenly automatically appear on the Amazon site?
Will our Amazon book purchases be added automatically to our to read/reading lists?
Will the book giveaways keep going for the author/reader experience?
How are the big six publishing house going to feel about the stronger control Amazon is going to have over their reader experience?

Many, many more questions are going to be asked over the coming months.

I see some people who are anti-Amazon are running over to The Library Thing as their way to get away from Amazon. Is that really the answer? Is Amazon really an enemy just because they have learned how to play the game of monopoly? I can see it now, owning all the review sites would be like owning all the railroads and charging a fee for landing on it.

Naw, they wouldn’t do that now, would they?

Only time will tell.

Me: I’m on both Goodreads and The Library Thing.

At least The Library Thing allows eBook giveaway make great use of those Smashwords coupon codes for free books.

Oh, and just so you know, there is another book giveaway site out there. It is called fReado.com – You should take a look at it sometime if you are looking to escape the Amazon/Goodreads Experience.

Amazon/Goodreads: Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? (amarketingexpert.com)
Amazon Buys Goodreads, Expands Their eBook Empire (the-digital-reader.com)

Great Grandma got a Kindle

January 10, 2013January 10, 2013 by Linda Nelson, posted in books, shopping tips

This year I found the perfect Christmas gift for my mom.

You see, she had been having trouble reading for the past few years. She has tried using reading glasses. In fact she even has bifocals, but they really don’t help her when it comes to reading. She is in her mid-70s.

So I got her a Kindle.

No, not a Fire, not a Touch, and not a Keyboard. It is just the simple plain Jane version.

At first I was not sure she was going to like it. She has never really been much into electronics. But the more I heard her fuss over the fact that she couldn’t see the words on the pages of the books she was trying to read the more I got thinking. Why not get her an eReader? Then she will be able to make the font larger and make it easier on her eyes.

I was a little leery at first. There was the possibility that she wouldn’t even give the device a chance.

What could I do to entice her to give it a try?

Well, first off, I put some books on it. Since I didn’t know if she was going to use it or not I put some free Kindle Thrillers and Suspense books I found in the top 100 free list.

Then I added for a bit of measure Steven King’s, 11-22-63.

Boy was I surprised when she turned on the device and began to read.

Now that it is over 2 weeks after Christmas she is 74% done reading that Steven King book.

She loves her Kindle.

So if you are having a hard time figuring out what to get Grandma or Grandpa for their birthday, why not get them an eReader?

Just make sure it is the simplest to use device you can find and they will be in their glory with the door reopened to the world of books.