Kindle Free For All: How to Get Millions of Free Kindle Books and Other Free Content With or Without an Amazon Kindle

by Stephen Windwalker

  Would you like an example? Well, here's a pretty good one, as of early December 2010. Just the other day, over 10 million Americans watched Oprah Winfrey hold up a copy of her latest Oprah's Book Club pick, a two-novel volume containing Charles Dickens' classics Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities. It was a bit of an interesting pick, since Oprah admitted on the air that she had never read anything by Dickens. But she held up a nice thick paperback that she said Penguin had published for her in just a week, with a suggested retail price of $20, discounted to $11 by Amazon. And she also held up a Kindle, in recognition of the fact that Amazon had provided her with a free Kindle for every member of her studio audience.

  And yes, it is true that Penguin has also provided a Kindle edition of the two-novel Oprah's Book Club pick selection for the fairly reasonable price of $7.99.

  But the really good news for you and me and all of the hundreds of new Kindle owners in Oprah's audience is that -- with our Kindles -- those Dickens novels are absolutely free! We can click here for Great Expectations and click here for A Tale of Two Cities, and without spending a ha'penny we can start reading either or both books within seconds on any Kindle or Kindle app!

  Now ain't that just the dickens? And maybe that's why the studio audience, after applauding politely for the Michael Jackson segment, the Jonathan Franzen rapprochement, and the Dickens picks, saved its most intense applause of Oprah's hour for the announcement that they had all received brand new, free Kindles!

  Do you need a passcode or a secret handshake to access those free books? No, it couldn't be easier to find and download them wirelessly to your Kindle within seconds at no charge.

  While it is generally true that you will be able to search the Kindle Store more effectively -- and more price-consciously -- from a computer or even a tablet than from your Kindle, it is certainly possible to get a listing of public domain titles in the Kindle Store while searching with your Kindle. Here are the basic steps:

  • From your Kindle, just go to the Kindle Store and type "Public Domain Books" (without the quotation marks) into the search field.

  • Your Kindle will soon display search results of over 16,500 titles.

  • If you want to narrow these results by category, just use your Kindle's 5-way controller or scroll-wheel to select "Narrow Results by Category" in the upper-right corner of the display screen.

  • Click on any title to check the price before buying, and select the "Buy" or "Try a Sample" button to download all or part of the book to your Kindle.

  As is often the case with Kindle Store searches, you can see a lot more information and make a more informed choice about which books -- and which editions -- you want to buy or sample if, whenever possible, you do your searching from a computer or tablet. Here are a couple of helpful links that will help you find just the kind of free books that you are looking for in the Kindle Store:

  • Go to http://bit.ly/FreeKindleStoreBooks for a listing of "over 16,700" free Kindle books of all kinds. Why did I put "over 16,700" in quotation marks? Well, it's because -- although there are 16,700 there -- Amazon limits your search to 120 pages, so you may think you have to surrender after viewing the first 4,800 free Kindle titles. Do you have to surrender? No, just click on one of the category links in the left sidebar to narrow your search within specific categories of free Kindle books.

  • Still recovering from high school English, or just want to give the classics a rest for some other reason? Go to http://bit.ly/KindleFreebies for a listing that excludes all the public domain titles, so you'll only see those contemporary Kindle books whose authors or publishers have set the price at zero, generally as a promotion to stir up interest in a new title or the same author's more recent book.

  • While we are at it, you can also get a heads up on Kindle titles -- of all prices -- that are so new that they have yet to be released just by going to http://bit.ly/ForthcomingKindleTitlesNow, just for fun.

  Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Using Wi-Fi, 3G, or a USB Cable to Connect Your Kindle

  Knowing the kind of connection that your Kindle (or Kindle app) uses to connect with Amazon, its proprietary "Whispernet," and the internet can save you money and time.

  If you purchased a 6" Kindle anytime since July 2010, it is equipped with "wi-fi" connectivity that allows you to connect, free, using a local wi-fi network found in many homes, offices, coffee shops and other locations. Depending on the model, your Kindle may also have wireless 3G connectivity, similar to a cellular phone connection. 3G is great for downloading Kindle ebooks and even to access the web from just about anywhere, but if you have wi-fi connectivity and a wi-fi network, you'll want to use wi-fi because it's faster and cheaper for all concerned.

  So let's keep it simple: if you have wi-fi, use the wi-fi whenever you can. Press the Menu button from the Home screen, select "Settings," and use the 5-way to select "view" next to Wi-Fi settings. Your Kindle will scan and display available Wi-Fi networks within its range. Choose yours, select "connect," and type in your Wi-Fi password if prompted to do so. You should only need to do this once in any location. (Click here for more information on setting up your Kindle wi-fi).

  If you got your 6-inch Kindle anytime before July 28, 2010, or if you own a Kindle DX, your Kindle probably depends solely on Amazon's 3G wireless "Whispernet" connection to connect with Amazon, the Kindle Store, or the internet. Although the connection itself is provided free of charge with no monthly fees, Amazon will apply some small charges for transfer of personal documents, including some (otherwise) free content from sources described in this book. (Click here for more information on Amazon's document transfer charges).

  However, it is easy to avoid such charges in these ways:

  • Use wi-fi if you have it.

  • If you don't have wi-fi, use your USB cable to transfer content from your computer to your Kindle. (Click here for more information of transferring content with the USB cable).

  Use your you@free.kindle.com rather than your you@kindle.com email address to convert and send documents to your computer for transfer to your Kindle.

  Ch 4: Find and Download Free Books From Kindle-Compatible Free Book Collections

  It used to be complicated, but now it's a snap.

  When the Kindle first appeared on the scene late in 2007, many of us moved quickly to find ways to transfer free books from various digital content websites onto our Kindles for reading. Unfortunately, such transfer processes could get a little complicated at times, and invariably involved using one's computer and a USB cable as the "middle man" in the process.

  Now, in a clear sign that the Kindle platform has arrived and is well on its way to maturity as an ebook reader, there are several very fine web-based Kindle-compatible services that streamline the process of finding and downloading free books so you can do this wirelessly, or via USB connection, or even directly from your Kindle, just about anywhere and anytime.

  While some ebook retailers (such as the Barnes & Noble NookStore, Apple's iBookstore, and Google's eBookstore) have used titles from these non-profit services to inflate their catalog listing counts in an attempt to appear competitive with the Kindle store, Amazon keeps the vast majority of these titles separate and instead refers to them as Kindle-compatible "Free Book Collections." These web-based collections are composed primarily of about 2 million older, out-of-copyright, pre-1923 books and Amazon has worked with the services to enhance compatibility so that the books and other documents can be read directly with any Kindle or, also, with the Kindle apps for the PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch, BlackBerry, or Android device. One reason for counting these titles "outside" the Kindle Store, of course, is that the majority of books included are created by scanning library or other copies of physical books, and their quality can vary widely.

  For each of the services and procedures described below, it is your choice whether to download first to a computer using your Kindle for Mac or PC app, or -- where possible -- directly to your Kindl
e. Unless I know exactly what I am getting, my own preference is often to download a digital book to my computer using the Kindle for Mac app, because it is very fast and allows me to check a book for quality before placing it on my Kindle. Then, if I want to send it to my Kindle, I simply make sure that my Kindle 3's wi-fi connectivity is turned on, and email the file as an attachment to my [Kindle username]@free.kindle.com email address. The ebook then appears on my Home screen within seconds, without any charge.

  This [Kindle username]@free.kindle.com email address feature only works for Kindles with wi-fi. If your Kindle is not equipped with wi-fi, you have a choice of transferring the file via your USB cable or paying a small fee (15 cents for the first megabyte and an additional 15 cents for each additional MB) to email it to the you@kindle.com email address that's available for all Kindle owners.

  On the other hand, downloading directly to your Kindle can be so fast and convenient that I might be moved to call the process magical and revolutionary if Steve Jobs had not already trademarked those words. If you are taking this direct route, I recommend that you start with your Kindle's wireless switched "on" and that, once you go to the web, you use the Kindle Menu and Settings features to select "Enable Javascript" and "Article mode" or "Advanced mode" (or "Desktop Mode" if you are using the Kindle DX).

  To reach the "Basic Web Settings" display screen, press the "Menu" button while you are in the Kindle web browser mode, and select "Settings" with the 5-way or scroll wheel. When you arrive at the Settings page, make sure that your Kindle is set to "Advanced Mode" on the top line of this screen -- or "Desktop Mode" if you are using the Kindle DX -- and to "Enable Javascript." If you do not anticipate using images as you make use of the Kindle 2 web browser, you can speed up its capacity to process content by selecting "Disable Images" on the bottom line of this display screen.

  Project Gutenberg

  The venerable, volunteer-operated, and donation-funded Project Gutenberg is the sine qua non of the public domain digital content movement with a vast and growing library of about 30,000 classics and more recently published books, and much of the content on the other services came originally from Project Gutenberg, so it will be my first focus here. Once you get the hang of downloading free classics from Project Gutenberg, the other services should come naturally.

  In an earlier edition of this material we provided links to more than twice as many web-based free book websites, but we decided it does readers no favors to clutter the book with listings of websites in competition with the sites that we do list here, particularly since many of the competing sites do so by ripping off the original work of pre-existing sites. And frankly, if you can't find a public domain title on Project Gutenberg, the Internet Archive, or Open Library, it is highly unlikely you'll find it somewhere else.

  Project Gutenberg was founded nearly 40 years ago by Michael Hart, and although we will be focusing on the PG Mobile site here, I encourage you to check out its main website and its Wikipedia entry to get an appreciation for an inspiring story of a real movement of people committed to a communitarian ideal that has gathered around the work and steadfast commitment of the founding individual. You will also find a PayPal "donate" button on the Project Gutenberg main page, and I hope you will do as I try to do and send them a buck now and then, even if it means separating the quarters from the lint in your change pocket.

  The volunteers at Project Gutenberg have worked very hard to make the site better and better for Kindle users and everyone else who is interested in digital reading. With the new PG Mobile web presence, it is a snap to find a classic like Charles Dickens' A Tale of Two Cities or any of about 30,000 other titles and download them wirelessly to your Kindle.

  For instance, to begin downloading A Tale of Two Cities wirelessly to your Kindle:

  • Make sure your wireless is turned on and open your Kindle web browser.

  • Next, visit the Project Gutenberg mobile site, called PG Mobile, at http://m.gutenberg.org/ , which is shown below.

  Once you've typed this URL into your Kindle's browser, you will probably want to add a bookmark for this main page for the PG Mobile site to your Kindle browser's bookmarks by pressing "Menu" and selecting "Bookmark This Page" once you are on the page.

  • Select Authors, which among the available choices is often the easiest way to begin a search if I know pretty much what I am looking for.

  • Select Charles Dickens from the Authors list.

  • Select A Tale of Two Cities from Dickens' titles.

  • When metadata for A Tale of Two Cities appears on your Kindle display, you will probably need to press your Kindle's "next page" button to see the download formats available.

  • Select the Kindle download format from among several formats offered (as shown below).

  • Select "Yes" when prompted to download the file (shown below).

  • When your Kindle display shows you that its web browser has successfully downloaded the file, press the Home button.

  • Make sure that your Home screen is sorted "By Most Recent First" and, within a few seconds, you will find A Tale of Two Cities at the top of the screen.

  • Open the ebook from your Kindle's home screen and enjoy.

  Naturally, as you've walked through this particular quest with me, you've noticed that there are plenty of other ways to search and browse for free Kindle-formatted books on the PG Mobile site, and thousands of good reasons for searching!

  Internet Archive - Over 2.5 Million Free Titles

  The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization dedicated to offering permanent access to historical collections that exist in digital format. In addition to various other forms of content, the Archive provides over 2.5 million free ebooks to read, download, and enjoy.

  Although the Internet Archive does not presently have a site that is formatted for mobile access, it is possible to find books and download them wirelessly and directly to your Kindle by entering the URL http://archive.org/texts in your Kindle web browser. Search and browse the site with the browser, use the 5-way to select a title, and select the Kindle format. The download will begin immediately.

  Unless your eyesight is very good and your fingers are very nimble, you are likely to find it more convenient to access the Internet Archive with your computer. Just go to the same Internet Archive texts page mentioned above and search for a title, or browse one of the sub-collections, like American Libraries.

  When viewing a title, click the link on the left labeled "Kindle" to select the right format and download the file to your computer. Once you've downloaded an Internet Archive ebook or document to your computer, if you own a Kindle with wi-fi connectivity, just email the file as an attachment to your [Kindle username]@free.Kindle.com email address and Amazon will send it directly to your Kindle so that it appears on your Kindle Home screen in seconds.

  If you have an earlier-generation Kindle without wi-fi, you can attach your Kindle to your computer using your USB cable and drag the file to the "Documents" folder on your Kindle. You can also e-mail the file wirelessly to your Kindle over a 3G connection, but be aware that Amazon will charge your account 15 cents for the first megabyte and an additional 15 cents for each additional megabyte.

  Open Library - Over 1 Million Free Titles

  Open Library's goal is to provide a page on the web for every book ever published. They've made a good start with over a million titles, and they have made downloading these titles to your Kindle easy as 1-2-3-4-5.

  To get started, just visit the Open Library website in your computer's browser and make sure to check the 'Only show eBooks' checkbox near the top right-hand corner of the page.

  You can use keywords to search for a title or browse by author, subject, list, or recent addition. Once you find a title to read on your Kindle, just click the 'Send to Kindle' link next to the edition in which you're interested. Open Library will then take you seamlessly to Amazon.com to enter your account information and select the Kindle to which you want to
send the book. Delivery will be free to any Kindle with an active wi-fi connection; transfer charges will apply if a 3G connection is used.

  Once you make a selection, you will be able to open the ebook from your Kindle's home screen and begin reading within a few seconds.

  Other Free Book Websites

  Compared with the fare and the easy processes described above, it may seem a bit labor-intensive to just troll the web looking for free books you can read on your Kindle. But it can also be rewarding.

  While some of the websites we recommend below will require you to do some reformatting, saving, and transferring to your Kindle via a USB connection with your computer, others are more user-friendly. Two that are well worth checking out are the ManyBooks website, where you can explore a remarkable selection of free content that you can download to your Kindle, and the science fiction publisher Baen Books' Baen Free Library.

  These sites are wonderfully user-friendly -- just find a title by author, title, or the search field, select "Kindle" from the pull-down list of available formats, click on download, and the title will be on your computer drive within seconds. You can shoot it on to your Kindle email address (or transfer it via USB) in another 15 seconds or so.

  Between the Chapters, and Just Between Us: Easily Find Free Kindle Store Classics Arranged by Author and Title

  Before you go searching other websites for novels and stories by classic authors from Jane Austen to Jack London, you'll want to check the Kindle Store, and colleague Morris Rosenthal has made it delightfully easy to do this with a new web page that he has created here. Here's a list of the authors featured as of December 2010:

  Louisa May Alcott | Hans Christian Andersen | Elizabeth von Arnim | Jane Austen | Honoré de Balzac | L. Frank Baum | E. F. Benson | Marie Le Prince de Beaumont | M. E. Braddon | Charlotte Bronte | Frances Hodgson Burnett | Edgar Rice Burroughs | Lewis Carroll | Willa Cather | G. K. Chesterton | Agatha Christie | Wilkie Collins | Joesph Conrad | James Fenimore Cooper | Daniel Defoe | Charles Dickens | Fyodor Dostoyevsky | Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | Theodore Dreiser | Alexandre Dumas | George Eliot | Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing | Edna Ferber | Henry Fielding | Dorothy Canfield Fisher | F. Scott Fitzgerald | Gustave Flaubert | E. M. Forster | Mary Wilkins Freeman | R. Austin Freeman | Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell | Johann Wolfgang von Goethe | Zane Grey | Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm | H. Rider Haggard | Thomas Hardy | Nathaniel Hawthorne | O. Henry | Hermann Hesse | Mary Jane Holmes | Washington Irving | Henry James | James Joyce | Rudyard Kipling | Andrew Lang | D. H. Lawrence | Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu | Jack London | Hugh Lofting | W. Somerset Maugham | Herman Melville | George Meredith | A. A. Milne | John Milton | L.M. (Lucy Maud) Montgomery | Karen Niemann | Kathleen Thompson Norris | Marie Conway Oemler | Baroness Emmuska Orczy | Edgar Allan Poe | Beatrix Potter | Howard Pyle | Ayn Rand | Mary Roberts Rinehart | Marshall Saunders | Sir Walter Scott | George Bernard Shaw | Mary Shelley | Upton Sinclair | Robert Lewis Stevenson | Bram Stoker | Harriet Beecher Stowe | Gene Stratton-Porter | Jonathan Swift | William Makepeace Thackeray | Leo Tolstoy | Anthony Trollope | Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev | Mark Twain | Jules Verne | H.G. Wells | Elizabeth Wharton | Oscar Wilde | P. G. Wodehouse | Virginia Woolf | Johann David Wyss