It’s that time again – time to clear out some of the email questions I have received where many of you have asked the same question, or I’m posting it because I think more of you may have the same question. If you would like to write to me, you can do so on each of the blog’s individual posts or send me an email to Michael at fkbooksandtips dot com (I write it that way in a small effort to thwart the spammers).
Giveaways and the Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less) Blog
Many of you have asked when I will be having another giveaway. The short answer is “I don’t know.” I would expect something before too much longer (hint, hint), so please make sure you stay tuned!
The last giveaway I had was in an effort to promote my Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less) blog – you can check out that blog by clicking here or typing in http://ebooksforabuck.wordpress.com into a web browser. I thought it was a nice little campaign, and a lot of you signed up for the email delivery option to be notified of the offers. If you would like to sign up for the once a weekday email for that blog, just click on the link above and enter your email address in the right-hand corner of the web page, followed by clicking the “Sign Me Up!” icon right below. You will receive an email confirmation you must reply back to in order to make sure I’m not spamming anyone before you will receive the daily email.
Speaking of the Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less) blog, today’s post is a spotlight of several authors who have banded together to offer 11 of their books to members of the blog for 99 cents for the next two days: these books are normally priced around $4.99 each and are from notable authors in a variety of genres. Take a look before tomorrow is over and see if there is something you would enjoy.
In addition to the email subscription, many of you have signed up for the Kindle-delivery option for this blog’s post and more of you have asked me how you can get it on your Kindle Fire.
First, the easy answer: for you e-Ink Kindle owners, you can sign up for the blog to be delivered to your Kindle for 99 cents per month – you get a free two-week trial to see if you like it first – and, of that 99 cents per month, I’m getting rich by receiving 30 cents per month or a penny per day per subscriber (I’m obviously joking about the getting rich part). To sign up for the free two-week trial, just click here or point your web browser to http://amzn.to/kb4abuck and, once you get to the Amazon page click on the “Subscribe now with 1-Click” button on the right-hand corner to start the trial.
For you Fire owners, Amazon won’t deliver the blog’s posting to your Fire in the same manner as an e-Ink Kindle. Why? I don’t know, and have had a few conversations with the fine folks at Amazon about that very point. Rather than a free app specifically for that blog like there is for this blog, here is how you can read it on your Fire using the free Pulse app that came pre-installed on your Kindle Fire:
The Pulse app is pre-installed on your Kindle Fire and is basically a collection of various blog posts and news feeds: as long as your Kindle Fire is connected to an active Wi-Fi connection, the blog posts and news feeds will be updated throughout the day. While you need an active Wi-Fi connection to update the news feeds, the blog posts and news articles are actually stored on your Kindle Fire and you can read them while you are offline or not connected to the Internet.
To add the Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less) blog to the Pulse app, just follow these steps in order:
- From the Kindle Fire home page, tap the Apps tab.
- Locate the Pulse app icon (it is black and has a light blue font) and tap it one time.
- A list of existing feeds will now appear. To add a blog or newsfeed, scroll down to the bottom of the page and tap the “plus” icon – it is a light blue rectangle with a white plus symbol in the middle.
- Tap the Search icon located at the top of your touch screen (it looks like a miniature magnifying glass).
- You will see an input line titled “Source name / keyword / url” at the top of your touch screen. Tap that line one time to display the virtual keyboard at the bottom of your touch screen.
- To add the Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less) blog, just type in “ebooksforabuck.wordpress.com” (without the quotations), then tap the “Search” icon located at the bottom right-hand side of your touch screen.
- After you tapped the “Search” icon for either of the options above, the name of the blog should now be displayed on your touch screen. Tap the “plus” icon again located to the right of the blog’s name to add it to your Pulse feed.
Hope that helps!
Kindle Touch Subscribers
I am continuing to receive notes from subscribers (a little over 100 in the last two days alone) who are reading the blog on their Kindle Touch, specifically related to issues of clicking the blog’s links and problems with the experimental browser in ordering the free book offerings. I’ve posted about that twice in the past week – to read those posts again please click here or type in http://bit.ly/MFnm4u into a web browser.
Many of you have written that each time you call Amazon’s customer service department, the friendly representative expresses this is the first time they have heard of the issue and it must be a problem with the blog’s links and to contact me on what I am doing new.
Here’s what I am doing new with the links: nothing. This is yet another of the continuing problems with the Kindle Touch and reinforces why I would never recommend the current version of the Kindle Touch to anyone looking to purchase an eBook reader. I realize that’s a pretty strong statement but, in addition to my own problems experienced with the Kindle Touch, I have never received so many email comments and questions related to any version of the Kindle – even the first generation – as I have with the Touch.
Amazon’s Kindle customer service department is usually very responsive and knowledgeable, but in this case they have fallen down: the message boards have generally been very supportive of last week’s Touch software update (especially the parental controls), but they have lit up with complaints about not being able to make store purchases.
So, until Amazon fixes this problem (if they fix it), here’s a couple of options for a workaround – I will admit they are a pain in the neck – but they are options vs. saying “tough titty said the kitty” to each of you like you’ve heard from the customer service department (I would have said something else but this is, after all, a family-read publication)
Option A
- When one of the free Kindle book posts comes out and you have read the post on your Kindle Touch, write down the name of the Kindle book you want to investigate further or get for free.
- Click on the “Shop in Kindle Store” option on your Kindle Touch and, when the store opens up on your screen type in the name of the book.
- Once the book’s page opens up on your screen, click the “buy” button after you have verified the book is still free.
Option B
- When one of the free Kindle book posts comes out and you have read the post on your Kindle Touch, write down the shortened URL I put in each post for each free book offering you want to investigate further or get for free.
- Go to your computer and type in that shortened URL into your computer’s web browser.
- Once the book’s page opens up on your screen, click the “buy” button after you have verified the book is still free.
Option C
- Signup for the email delivery option and, as each post hits the wire you will receive an email with links that actually work.
- To signup for the email delivery option, click here or type in http://www.fkbooksandtips.com/subscribe into a web browser.
- In the middle of the screen, there is a spot for you to input your email address. After you have typed in your email address, click the “Subscribe” button with your mouse.
- Go to your email program, as you will shortly receive an email confirmation from the server you must reply to in order to make sure I am not spamming anyone before you will start receiving the blog’s posts via email.
Option D
- Get rid of your Touch and purchase a Kindle Keyboard.
Option E
- Read the blog on Facebook (make sure you give the page a “Like” and bookmark the URL as sometimes the posts don’t show up on everyone’s wall): http://www.facebook.com/fkbooksandtips
- Keep track of the blog on Twitter: http://twitter.com/FKBT
Which option would I recommend? While I do have a preference if the shoe were on the other foot, Option D is a personal (and monetary) decision, and everyone has a different opinion of how they like to receive information with the other options. I just want to make sure each of you who wants to read the blog can read it the easiest way possible.
Anyway, that’s enough rambling (ranting on the Touch) for now. I hope each of you have a great rest of the week!
Michael
Posted in: Kindle Tips, Misc. and Random Stuff
June 13th, 2012 at 3:15 pm
I get your recommendations on my PC. I have had no problems with my touch because I just read and get books on it. I love my Kindle Touch so far (new user here).
June 13th, 2012 at 11:26 pm
Re:directions for adding ebooks for a buck blog to the Fire’s pulse app…
The directions worked perfectly. Thank you’
June 14th, 2012 at 9:06 am
Hi Michael,
Does the Kindle Books for a Buck (or Less) blog have an RSS feed? I couldn’t find one. Thanks!
June 14th, 2012 at 9:58 am
Rachael-
I am glad you were able to add the Kindle Books for a Buck or Less blog to your Pulse feed – and I hope you enjoy that blog, also!
Regards,
Michael
June 14th, 2012 at 10:02 am
Kristine-
The Kindle Books for a Buck or Less does have an RSS feed – here is the link: http://ebooksforabuck.wordpress.com/feed/
June 15th, 2012 at 3:36 pm
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