Where should I buy ebooks for my Kindle?
June 22, 2022 10:06 AM Subscribe
I want to not buy my books from Amazon, but I would like to keep using my kindle. Where should I buy my books?
I mostly use the iPad Kindle app to read, any suggestion that is iPad compatible is acceptable. I am comfortable using conversion software (Calibre), so I don't think format should matter. I'm not really up to setting up accounts with individual publishers, I want to be able to buy lots of different stuff in one place. I just have never bought any ebooks except from Amazon and am not sure where to go. I'm not generally looking for anything especially obscure.
I mostly use the iPad Kindle app to read, any suggestion that is iPad compatible is acceptable. I am comfortable using conversion software (Calibre), so I don't think format should matter. I'm not really up to setting up accounts with individual publishers, I want to be able to buy lots of different stuff in one place. I just have never bought any ebooks except from Amazon and am not sure where to go. I'm not generally looking for anything especially obscure.
Reiterating what phunniemee said - if you are in the US, you can check them out in Kindle format, even.
posted by missrachael at 10:49 AM on June 22, 2022
posted by missrachael at 10:49 AM on June 22, 2022
Apple Books is still an option, if you’re ok with another iPad app. It sounds like you’re not actually using a standalone physical Kindle device- if you are, that changes your options.
posted by MadamM at 11:11 AM on June 22, 2022
posted by MadamM at 11:11 AM on June 22, 2022
Best answer: With the Calibre ebook management application, you should be able to convert bought books to different formats, including from epub to a .mobi format compatible with your Kindle. (I do this the other way around: occassionally, there is a book I wish to buy which is only available on Amazon, so I buy it there and use Calibre to convert it to an epub that I can read on my Kobo ereader.) You may need to strip the DRM from the book before converting it; Calibre doesn't do this automatically, but there are easily installed plugins that you can download to do that. (I de-drm all the books I buy, because I've bought them.)
In terms of where to buy books: for convenience, I tend to default to Rakuten Kobo because I know they have epubs and they carry the books I'm interested in (aside from a few). But you can also buy directly from some publishers (Baen Books, for example, sells DRM-free ebooks for most of their titles). Some authors do independent sales from their own website or via Smashwords.
posted by jb at 11:57 AM on June 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
In terms of where to buy books: for convenience, I tend to default to Rakuten Kobo because I know they have epubs and they carry the books I'm interested in (aside from a few). But you can also buy directly from some publishers (Baen Books, for example, sells DRM-free ebooks for most of their titles). Some authors do independent sales from their own website or via Smashwords.
posted by jb at 11:57 AM on June 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: More info: I’m looking for places to buy ebooks rather than borrow through a library. Mostly interested in retailers that will have a large selection and will let me download my ebooks without a hassle, so no Apple. (I’m comfortable converting them in caliber, I used to get books via torrent).
posted by skewed at 12:08 PM on June 22, 2022
posted by skewed at 12:08 PM on June 22, 2022
occassionally, there is a book I wish to buy which is only available on Amazon, so I buy it there and use Calibre to convert it to an epub that I can read on my Kobo ereader
I don't think it's possible to get books purchased on the Kobo store into a Kindle, unfortunately, unless I missed something when I tried to do it.
There is a Kobo iPad app though, which I have never used but presumably works much like the Kindle app, and they have a good selection of ebooks in my experience.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:40 PM on June 22, 2022
I don't think it's possible to get books purchased on the Kobo store into a Kindle, unfortunately, unless I missed something when I tried to do it.
There is a Kobo iPad app though, which I have never used but presumably works much like the Kindle app, and they have a good selection of ebooks in my experience.
posted by BungaDunga at 12:40 PM on June 22, 2022
I don't think it's possible to get books purchased on the Kobo store into a Kindle, unfortunately, unless I missed something when I tried to do it.
Kindles will shortly support epubs and Kobo books can be converted to work on Kindles right now as above. It’s trivial with a couple of plugins.
Also, Kobos are better devices - bigger screens, clicky buttons, Overdrive support outside the US and Pocket integration for read-it-later articles.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:13 PM on June 22, 2022
Kindles will shortly support epubs and Kobo books can be converted to work on Kindles right now as above. It’s trivial with a couple of plugins.
Also, Kobos are better devices - bigger screens, clicky buttons, Overdrive support outside the US and Pocket integration for read-it-later articles.
posted by Happy Dave at 1:13 PM on June 22, 2022
BungaDunga: as I mentioned, you use the Calibre application to first strip the DRM, convert the files to .mobi (or a format that the Kindle will read), and then you use Calibre to add the file to the ereader. I do this even for the books I purchase from Kobo that I am loading onto a Kobo ereader, because I prefer to strip out the font formatting.
posted by jb at 1:15 PM on June 22, 2022
posted by jb at 1:15 PM on June 22, 2022
Best answer: I use the Kobo store because I have a Kobo device, but I do like their iPad app fine (it’s actually the only ereading app I’ve found that doesn’t animate page turns in PDFs, which is important to me but veering far afield from your question).
The other big player is google - this page explains how to download epubs purchased on Google Play.
If you are comfortable with a workflow where you buy epubs and manage them on your computer, then transfer to the iPad to read, then there are a variety of ereading apps you can use- Bluefire and Marvin are two that come to mind but there are many others.
posted by yarrow at 2:18 PM on June 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
The other big player is google - this page explains how to download epubs purchased on Google Play.
If you are comfortable with a workflow where you buy epubs and manage them on your computer, then transfer to the iPad to read, then there are a variety of ereading apps you can use- Bluefire and Marvin are two that come to mind but there are many others.
posted by yarrow at 2:18 PM on June 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Storybundle and BundleRabbit have bundles of books usually for a good price, if you like their selection.
posted by kschang at 5:58 PM on June 22, 2022
posted by kschang at 5:58 PM on June 22, 2022
I hope this is not against Ask etiquette, as this is not an answer to your question, but a request to reconsider your principles.
For writers like me, who self publish and are not in the US, UK, Canada or Europe, Amazon has been an absolute game changer in finding an audience.
I'm particularly aware of how this affects African writers.
It's true we can use Kobo and other platforms, but for reasons I won't go into here, there are barriers that make it tricky.
In terms of acting ethically, it might make more sense to seek out writers to support, wherever they sell, than in boycotting Amazon.
I mean, one course of action will make a marked difference to living people, while the other seems almost entirely symbolic.
posted by Zumbador at 8:40 PM on June 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
For writers like me, who self publish and are not in the US, UK, Canada or Europe, Amazon has been an absolute game changer in finding an audience.
I'm particularly aware of how this affects African writers.
It's true we can use Kobo and other platforms, but for reasons I won't go into here, there are barriers that make it tricky.
In terms of acting ethically, it might make more sense to seek out writers to support, wherever they sell, than in boycotting Amazon.
I mean, one course of action will make a marked difference to living people, while the other seems almost entirely symbolic.
posted by Zumbador at 8:40 PM on June 22, 2022 [3 favorites]
Best answer: Barnes and Noble will sell you ebooks and you can read them in the nook app.
Google will sell you ebooks and you can read them in the Google Play app.
I use both of these apps on my iDevices and have no issues.
posted by soelo at 9:00 PM on June 22, 2022
Google will sell you ebooks and you can read them in the Google Play app.
I use both of these apps on my iDevices and have no issues.
posted by soelo at 9:00 PM on June 22, 2022
Best answer: I recommend ebooks.com , who are independent and great and have a huge selection - I've never had trouble finding an ebook I was looking for on there. I also strip DRM from my books (I use epub DRM removal) and then send them to my Kindle and convert at the same time using Calibre.
posted by urbanlenny at 11:42 PM on June 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by urbanlenny at 11:42 PM on June 22, 2022 [1 favorite]
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posted by phunniemee at 10:32 AM on June 22, 2022 [2 favorites]