Amazon offers free eBook previews with 'Kindle for the Web'

by Steven Mostyn - Sep 29 2010, 11:20

Expanding the reach of its Kindle book-reading platform, online retailer Amazon has launched its new 'Kindle for the Web' service, which enables prospective customers to preview electronic books within their computer's browser.

Currently offered in beta form, product pages containing the 'Read First Chapter Free ' link button instantly allow curious e-bookworms to read through the opening chapter of any given book, thereby sampling the content without having to make a full purchase.

"With Kindle for the Web, it's easier than ever for customers to sample Kindle books - there's no downloading or installation required," commented Amazon Kindle director Dorothy Nicholls in a statement.

Adopting a smidgen of the functionality already established through Amazon's Kindle electronic reader, Kindle for the Web users can change the preview chapter's font size, alter line space settings, decide how many words per line are displayed, and even select from three colour modes - white, black, or sepia.

While previewing books directly through the browser may go some way to enhancing the exposure of Amazon's Kindle brand, the social networking features integrated into Kindle for the Web will likely provide the most immediate impact where word-of-mouth is concerned.

"Kindle for the Web is also a great way for bloggers and authors to promote books on their websites by letting visitors read a chapter without leaving their site," added Nicholls.

Specifically users can share previews with their friends via e-mail or through the likes of Facebook and Twitter. They can even embed Kindle for the Web content directly into their blog pages or code-compatible websites - earning referral fees for any purchases made through their link(s).

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