How To Gift a Kindle Ebook – A Christmas Guide

Do you give books for Christmas? If you’re giving them to someone who has an e-reader, consider giving ebooks instead!

Many e-reader owners no longer want paperbacks, or only want select titles in paperback, due to:

• Storage – paperbacks take up room, and avid readers will already have stacks of books (possibly literally);
• Convenience – paperbacks are heavy to carry around, and inconvenient when about to finish a book, as you must carry two;
• Ease of reading – E-readers are generally easier to hold and manoeuvre, particularly for readers of large books or readers with problems like arthritis or carpal tunnel.

Don’t like giving gift cards? No fear! You can gift a personalised selection of Kindle books on Amazon and here’s how.

• Account – If you don’t have an Amazon account, set one up. Follow the link to Amazon - note that you can't give Kindle books as gifts from some Amazon Kindle Stores;
• Choose your books – In the search bar, use the drop down menu to select ‘Kindle Store’ and search for books you know the recipient will like;
• Gift details – On the right of the book page, click ‘Give as a gift’, and select ‘Email the gift to me’.  Complete the recipient’s details, and your gift message. Change ‘Your Name’ to the names you want the gift to be from e.g. Mary, Bob, Matt and Lucy;
• Place order – Select place order to have the gift voucher emailed to you;
• Print voucher – Once you receive the emailed voucher, print it and cut it to size;
• Gift Wrapping – Amazon gift vouchers (when cut to size) fit nicely in pre-made DVD gift boxes, so you even still have a gift to put under the tree! If you can’t find any of these boxes, put the vouchers in a beautiful Christmas card.

DVD gift boxes - perfect for Amazon gift vouchers

Got it wrong? If the recipient already owns the book, or doesn’t want it, they can easily exchange it on Amazon. 

So next time you’re considering buying a paperback for someone with an e-reader, think twice – I know people who no longer want paperbacks, and even have paperbacks that have been loaned to them lying around unread.

Christmas doesn’t mean you can’t give digital books!

In the New Year, I’ll be posting about what e-book preferences means for brick-and-mortar stores, and how bookshops need to adapt and evolve to survive.