Amazon.com Launches New Program That Provides Readers With Early Access to Some Books
Yet another smart idea from Amazon. Say hello to Kindle First.
It will be interesting to see the titles that become available and if customers use it. As you’ll read the cost for early access is low ($1.99) and it’s free if you’re an Amazon Prime subscriber.
From Amazon.com:
Amazon.com today announced the launch of Kindle First, a new program that offers customers access to Kindle books a month in advance of their official release date.
Here’s how Kindle First works:
- Each month, Amazon Publishing editors select several titles from Kindle’s most popular categories a month ahead of their official publication date, adding a note of recommendation and a behind-the-scenes look at the stories and the authors.
- Customers can choose one of the featured books each month for $1.99. Prime members can make their selection for free – adding yet another benefit of Prime membership.
- Customers can receive a monthly email alerting them of new Kindle First selections. Signup is free and there is no purchase obligation.
- Customers can visit the Kindle store on amazon.com or their Kindle device to select their book. All Kindle First books become part of your permanent Kindle library and can be read on any Kindle device and Kindle free reading apps.
The debut Kindle First picks are Things We Set on Fire, by best-selling author Deborah Reed; No Place for a Dame, by best-selling romance author Connie Brockway; Silent Echo, by best-selling mystery author J.R. Rain; and We Will Survive: True Stories of Encouragement, Inspiration, and the Power of Song, by Grammy-award winning recording artist Gloria Gaynor. All books will be published in December but are available to Kindle First members starting today.
Right now Kindle First provides early access to new books published by Amazon Publishing. Will other publishers want to join the program?
Direct to Amazon First Webpage
Filed under: Awards, Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Libraries, News, Publishing

About Gary Price
Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com.