Have you heard of Amazon First Reads? This is one of many reading services offered by Amazon, so if you are an Amazon user then you will definitely want to check this cool offer out. It’s a great way to get ebooks for less or even for free!
So what is Amazon First Reads? This article will explain everything you need to know to get your hands on some fun books through this exciting program!
What is Amazon First Reads?
Amazon First Reads (previously known as Amazon Kindle First Reads) is an amazing reading program offered by Amazon, where you can get early access to upcoming books from Amazon Publishing for super low prices or even for free!
Each month, the editors select six pre-publication ebooks to offer as the Amazon books of the month, and then they allow you to choose one of the six to receive for an exclusive price. This is a fun way to receive an Amazon “book of the month” each month without spending much money at all!
Who is Amazon First Reads For?
Amazon First Reads is for Amazon customers residing in the US, UK, or Australia, and it is open to both Prime members and non-Prime customers. If you love ebooks and getting early access to books before they are published, then this is the program for you!
What Does Amazon First Reads Cost?
So you may be wondering: does Amazon First Reads cost, or is Amazon First Reads free? Well, it’s a bit of both…
For Prime members, First Reads is FREE! It’s essentially like getting a Prime free book a month, since you can choose one Kindle ebook out of the six and get it at no cost. So using Amazon First Reads for Prime Members is a no-brainer!
For non-Prime members, you can still choose one Kindle ebook from the First Reads each month…but you will pay $1.99 for it. That is still a pretty incredible price if you see a book you want on the list, so keeping an eye on this program is a great idea!
Now, for both Prime members and non-Prime members, Amazon has recently introduced the ability to buy hardcover print copies of the titles for $9.99 or less. So if you love hardcover books and see a book offered that you want on your shelf, then you can snag this amazing deal and get a print First Reads copy for less!
So does Amazon First reads cost money? Yes it does, if you are not a Prime member. And is Amazon First Reads free for Prime members? Yes, First Reads is free for Prime members if you just want an ebook copy, and no it is not free if you would like a hardcover copy.
How Does Amazon First Reads Work?
If you’re wondering how to get Amazon First Reads or how to use Amazon First Reads, you’ll find it’s not at all difficult.
To see the new books each month, you can either subscribe to receive updates when the new books are offered or you can check the First Reads page at the beginning of each month.
After you choose your ebook (at the Amazon Prime First Reads price of free, or the non-Prime price of $1.99), you can read it on any Kindle device, smartphone, computer, etc. that has the free Kindle reading app installed.
And guess what—the book you choose is yours to keep forever!
But there is one other thing to know about using this program. If you are a Kindle Unlimited subscriber, you can read all of the Amazon First Reads books for free after they are officially published later on. So for Kindle Unlimited users, First Reads just gives you an early look at one of the books plus you get to keep this one book forever, while with Kindle Unlimited you can read all the editors’ picks but you are only borrowing the copies not adding them to your permanent library.
Is Amazon First Reads Worth It?
So is Amazon First Reads worth it? If you are already a Prime member, then 100% yes! After all, why would you pass up a perk that allows you to get a free ebook?
But if you are not yet a Prime member, then it is definitely not worth joining Prime just to get this perk. Prime membership costs $12.99 per month…so if your only reason for joining is to get a free ebook, then you would be paying $12.99 for an ebook that you could purchase for $1.99. And that would be crazy!
However, if you are not yet a Prime member, you may wish to check out all the benefits that come with Amazon Prime. With benefits including free two-day shipping, Prime Video, Prime Music, exclusive savings, Amazon Fresh for groceries, and plenty of other reading benefits including Prime Reading, you may find that as a whole all the benefits of Prime are worth it. And if you do decide to join, then definitely get your free ebook each month through First Reads!
But if you aren’t a Prime member and don’t want to join, you can still get a free 30-day trial of Prime to get access to all the perks including First Reads. So that’s a deal that is definitely worth it!
Amazon First Reads FAQ
1. Where is Amazon First Reads available?
First Reads is only currently available in the US, UK, and Australia. You can find the First Reads for this month here.
2. When do Amazon First Reads come out?
Amazon First Reads come out at the beginning of the month, and you have the entire month to decide which one you want.
3. How do I get Amazon First Reads?
If you’re wondering how to get Amazon First Reads, all you need to do is go to the First Reads page, take a look at all the available books, and choose the one you want. If you’re a Prime member, you won’t pay anything…and if you are not a Prime member, you can sign up for a free trial of Prime or pay $1.99 for your ebook.
4. Do Amazon First Reads expire?
Your First Read picks are yours to keep forever, so the actual ebook you choose does not expire. However, each month the selection of titles offered does change…so the offer itself does expire at the end of the month. Be sure to choose your ebook each month before the offer is gone!
5. What other book-related services does Amazon offer?
If you’re excited about First Reads and the Amazon Prime Reading benefits, you may also enjoy some of Amazon’s other incredible book services. Kindle Unlimited is a fan favorite for reading an unlimited number of ebooks each month, and Audible is another amazing service for getting audiobooks for less (I talk about all the pros and cons of Audible here). There are also some fun ways Amazon offers to help you save on getting Kindle ebook and audiobook versions too!
Have questions about Amazon First Reads and want to talk with a live Amazon representative? This step-by-step guide will show you how to get in touch with Amazon customer service!
If you choose to download a ‘First Reads’ book, are you then required to review it on the Amazon site?
Hi Lynne! There is no requirement to review First Reads books after you download them. They’re just an extra perk you get completely free with Prime membership. Enjoy!
Is there a way I can see which of my Kindle ebooks were Amazon First Reads? I’ve forgotten which ones they were and the “manage devices” pages doesn’t say.
Hi Sue – that’s a great question. I am not aware of an easy method at this time to find out which books were First Reads books. One thing you could try, however, is opening Amazon and then clicking Your Account -> Orders -> Digital Orders -> View Order Details (for each book you think may be a First Reads pick). Doing this will show you at the very least whether you paid for the book or if it was free, and if it was free then that means it may have been First Reads. Of course, if you regularly download Amazon ebook free deals besides through the First Reads program, then this may not work well for you. It’s also a bit time-consuming. But it is one possibility if you need to try to determine which ones were First Reads books.
However, if you want to prevent forgetting which books are First Reads downloads in the future, I recommend that you try tracking your reading/book purchases and note which books are First Reads in your tracker. That way you can look back at your reading tracker to see this information at a glance! If you need help choosing a reading tracker, here are some of the most popular options.
Suppose you are a prime member, but want THREE of the First Reads selections one month. After getting one of the choices for free, could you then purchase the other two for $1.99 each?
Hello Chris! Unfortunately, the First Reads deal is only applicable to one title each month. If you’re a Prime member, you are eligible to get one ebook for free. If you are not a prime member, you can get one ebook for the reduced price of $1.99. Any extra selections you make will be full price. It would be amazing if there were an option to get extra titles at a reduced price, but sadly that’s not the case at the moment. I hope this answers your question!
Thank you! I’ve got this month narrowed down to “Take What You Can Carry” and “Tears of Amber”…. tough choice! (The first few pages of the “Look Inside” feature for TWYCC were not impressive, but that quickly changed and the book became very engaging once the two main characters were on the plane. The “Look Inside” pages for “TOA” are also very enticing.)
You’re welcome! Some months it definitely can be really hard to choose, but I hope you enjoy whichever one you decide to go with!
I joined first reads a couple of times, they charge me even tho I am a prime member.
How do I fix this.
Hi Betty! That’s very strange, and definitely shouldn’t be happening since you are a Prime member. I recommend you contact Amazon’s customer service and they should be able to help you straighten this out.
If I don’t find a book I want in the list each month, are other e-book options available for First Reads selection of the month?
Hi Suzette! Unfortunately, the only e-books available for the First Reads deal are the ones on the list each month. If you can’t find one you like this month, hopefully there will be one you like on the list another month!
As an author who sells books on Amazon, is there any way to submit one of my books to the First Reads editors for possible inclusion on the First Reads list?
Hi Kaye! At this time, I am not aware of any way to submit books to the editors for possible inclusion. However, you could try chatting with customer service or maybe try reaching out on one of Amazon Books’ social pages (like Amazon Books’ Facebook) to see if they have any suggestions for you.
I’m a prime member, but I’m not seeing an option to actually choose the title I want for free. On the list of First Reads I can click”shop now” on the books, but once on the page there is no way for me to select it. Any advice? Am I missing something?
Hi Kate! After clicking “shop now” you should be taken to the listing for the First Reads ebook you have chosen. On that page, you should see a buy box to the right on the screen (on a computer) or by scrolling down (on mobile). This box is grayed out and says “Amazon First Reads” and within that grayed out area should be a button that allows you to buy for free if you are a Prime member or buy for $1.99 if you are not. It should be a bright orange button and usually there’s another button below for paying full price for the book, but if for some reason you don’t see this area on your screen then reach out to Amazon’s customer service and they should be able to help you!
Hi, if my mother in law is a Prime member, but doesn’t like Ebooks, is there a way she can gift the ebook to someone else rather than just let that benefit go to waste?
Hi Alyssa – Unfortunately, there really isn’t a way to gift the First Reads ebooks to someone else. I believe if you are a member of the same Amazon Household with your mother-in-law then you should be able to access any First Reads books she chooses to download, but this is not always a practical solution since Household only allows for two adult Amazon users to link their Amazon accounts and requires sharing payment methods. Other than that, at this time First Reads is a perk that can only be accessed by the account that pays for Prime.
How do we get the book? Do we have to go through the purchase options? I tried to contact Amazon chat and they were no help at all.
Hi Karen – To get the book, you’ll first need to click on whichever First Reads book you want from the First Reads page. Then, you’ll want to go to the area where you would normally click to buy a book (on a computer, the buy buttons are on the right side of your screen). When you locate the buy section of the book listing, you’ll see a box that says “Amazon First Reads” and below that heading there’s a button you can click to get it for free if you’re a Prime member or buy it for $1.99 if you’re not.
All the selections seem to be geared to women readers. Is there a way to set preferences as to the type of selections offered?
Hi Stephen – Unfortunately, Amazon editors are the ones who select the First Reads books and the books are the same selections for everyone each month. If you aren’t seeing books you’re interested in, I suggest giving this feedback directly to Amazon so they (hopefully!) can adjust and offer a wider selection of books that would appeal to more people.