People easily share the content they consume online everyday whether it's an interesting article or a funny video, but with Amazon Kindle books it has been a little trickier, until now.
Amazon Instant Previews now lets you share quotes and recommendations with specific friends, who can then read a free preview of that book directly on their smartphone, tablet or PC without needing to login or install an Amazon app.
The feature is initially only available on Kindle for Android, but Amazon promises to bring it to Kindle readers and other devices later this year. Kindle readers could previously share quotes with followers on Twitter or Facebook but the new feature allows users to target particular friends and let them have a look at what you're reading. Android users can now also share their favourite book tidbits using messaging apps like Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp or simply through SMS or email. The shared text shows up in the friend's browser, they then click on a 'Start Reading for Free' button, and they can then read a free sample of the book from their browser.
"Kindle makes it easy to chat about the books you're reading, whether it's making a recommendation or sparking a conversation about a quote you loved. And friends who receive the share can instantly start reading a free sample of the book - no sign-up, no sign-in, and no app to install," said Russ Grandinetti, senior vice president at Kindle.
Amazon is pushing it as a way to start conversations with friends, and it will certainly make it easier for users to do that but it is of course also a smart way to attract new Kindle users. Friends who are not on Kindle can now read a snippet of what you're reading but if they want to read the whole book they'll have to download the app and they can now do that in one simple click. There are two large buttons above the preview text directing your friend to buy the book on Amazon or download the Kindle app.
It looks like another smart move from Amazon this week following the earlier unveiling of its Treasure Truck.
Photo: Ivy Dawned | Flickr
