Kindle Fire, Ipad, Nook
Seems like more and more books are available in digital format only. And if it’s available in both digital and paper versions, many times the digital version is cheaper. But what if you don’t have an ereader? Well, I have good news for you. Awesome news, in fact! You don’t need an ereader to read an ebook. If you’re reading this blog from your computer, you have everything you need to read an ebook. If you’re reading this from your smartphone, it’s practically a no-brainer.
1. Do you buy books from Amazon? Great. Pull up an ebook from the Amazon website and look off to the right. (Go now. I’ll wait.) See the green box that looks like this?
Click on Available on your Mac. (It’ll say “Available on your PC, if you have a PC.) This will walk you through installing the Kindle reading app right onto your computer. Then when you buy the ebook, it’ll ask you if you want it delivered to your computer and voila! My mom did this on her own, and so can you. (Note to self: This means she just downloaded my latest book. Eek. It’s steamy!)
2. Do you read books from Barnes and Noble? Great. Click on this link and then, in the column where it says “Computer,” click PC or Mac. This will download the appropriate app. Once the Nook app is on your computer, don’t worry if it just looks at you, doing nothing, with no option to make it do something. I had to restart my computer to have the Nook app function properly. When you do and open the app, it’ll ask for the email address and password on your account and, boom, you’re in business.
3. Do you read books from Kobo? Great. Click here to download the desktop app that pertains to your computer. Open the app and it’ll ask you to sign in with your account or create a new one. Then buy a book or download a sample and it’ll be available to read through the Kobo app…right on your computer. Did you know that many indie bookstores are becoming Kobo affiliates? Check with your favorite indie bookstore to see if they’re participating and how you can make your purchases count for them.
4. Do you have a smartphone or tablet? Ha. It’s even easier. There are Kindle, Nook and Kobo apps for your iPhone and Android devices. Just go to the app store and download the one from your favorite online bookstore. You may think you’ll hate reading a book on your phone, but you can increase the font size very easily. Now you can read a book wherever you have your phone. Ie: everywhere!
So the next time you see a digital only book or a fantastic price on an ebook, don’t worry because you don’t have an ereader. With the above instructions, you can read an ebook right now! Then, put an ereader on your holiday wish list (I just found a Black Friday special on Kobo readers for $49).