Amazon customers just got a whole new incentive to read, and Prime members just got an additional perk for joining. Today, Amazon’s traditional publishing arm Amazon Publishing announced a new program called Kindle First, a read-it-before-it’s-released opportunity for customers to purchase unreleased titles at a steep discount a full month before they are launched.
Open to all consumers, Kindle First will make select Amazon Publishing titles available early for as little as $1.99. Customers can pick one of the editor-selected titles each month at that price point, which then becomes part of the users’ permanent libraries; Prime members can have one Kindle First title each month for free.
“Prime just keeps getting better for our members, and any customer will find something interesting in our Kindle First picks,” said Russ Grandinetti, Vice President of Kindle Content, in a press release. “We also love that these amazing books by Amazon Publishing authors will get a chance to reach a much wider audience.”
The Kindle First program will kick off with 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 are due out in December but are available to Kindle First members starting today. Membership is free and open to all consumers, and the titles are compatible with Amazon’s line of Kindles or via the Kindle reading app.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.