Amazon is determined to make the Kindle the default e-reader and e-book marketplace around the globe, and to that end it’s launched an intriguing new service that will give readers access to new titles before their official release date.
Editors at Amazon Publishing will choose four upcoming titles and highlight them for the Kindle First scheme. Readers can then pick one of these e-books to read each month on their Kindle or Kindle reading app for $1.99.
As an added incentive for its premium Amazon Prime membership, it’s also offering the scheme as a free bonus for new and existing subscribers.
Amazon’s first picks for Kindle First are:
- Things We Set on Fire, by Deborah Reed
- No Place for a Dame, by Connie Brockway
- Silent Echo, by J.R. Rain
- We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration and The Power of Song, by Gloria Gaynor
All of these books are due to be released in December, but are available to Kindle users today. It’s fair to say that the Kindle brand is already synonymous with e-books and e-readers, but a move like this will only increase the incredible pressure that it’s putting on rival e-book store providers.
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