Amazon launches Kindle First book service

Amazon has launched Kindle First, a new reading service that offers customers early access to selected new Kindle books a month before they’re available to the public. Each month, Amazon Publishing editors will select four books from a variety of genres and will make them available for customers before their official release. 

You’ll only be able to choose one book out of the four, but non-Prime members will be able to get them for just 99p rather than the full pre-order price. Prime members, on the other hand, can get one for free. Once you’ve made your choice, they’ll become part of your permanent Kindle library and you’ll be able to read it on any Kindle device or through the Kindle reading app on Android and iOS. If you want to read one of the other selected titles, you’ll either have to wait until they’re officially released before you can get your hands on it, or pre-order it at full price.  

The first selection of books on offer include Louise Voss and Mark Edwards’ “From the Cradle” thriller, Robert Dugoni’s mystery novel “My Sister’s Grave”, historical fiction author Petra Dunst-Benning’s “The Glassblower” and Craig Lancaster’s “The Fallow Season of Hugo Hunter”. While many of these strike us as a rather populist selection, there’s every hope that the titles on offer will improve in future months. 

It’s also worth noting that while Prime members are automatically eligible for Kindle First, Prime invitees and Prime Instant Video customers will not be eligible for free downloads. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can also borrow Kindle First books for free when they’re released.