What You're Missing if You Don't Have a Kindle

    When they first came out I was pretty down on e-readers.  Like technophobes everywhere, I was convinced that the aesthetics of a traditional book were a critical part of the reading experience.  The heft of the book, the feel of the paper on your fingertips, the swish of the pages when you turn them, the smell of ink and pulp and the printing press.  You can't recreate that on an electronic device!  I thought.  I'll never get one.

    Well, I got one, and the only bound books I read these days are new releases I feel very strongly about.  There are a number of different e-readers, but I have a Kindle.  The Kindle is light so I can take it anywhere; it's flat so I don't have to hold it open; the screen doesn't cut me; it has a built in dictionary; it includes clickable menus to quickly navigate through the text; books are delivered immediately over the internet; it recommends titles for further reading.  I've always read a lot, but my book consumption has exploded since I got a Kindle, mostly because it makes getting and reading books incredibly easy.

  

I couldn't do this with a traditional book.  

    It also makes publishing books incredibly easy.  All you need is a manuscript and the ability to click boxes and fill in fields.  The Amazon software and web architecture does the rest.  I've been incredibly impressed by the Kindle Direct Publishing service and would highly recommend it to anyone with a book who doesn't want to belly up to the roulette table that is traditional publishing.

    But let's get back to the Kindle itself.  There are a number of models ranging from grayscale e-readers to the full color Kindle Fire.  I personally use the Kindle Paperwhite, which rules.  It doesn't support color, but it's backlit, has a touch-activated dictionary (touch and hold the word you want defined and as long as you aren't reading highly experimental fiction it will show you the definition), and a battery that lasts for days.  It's also not that expensive: you can get it for - actually I just checked and the new ones are more expensive than I thought.  About $180.

    You can get an older model for cheaper, or you could just get the app for free.  You can use the app on your computer (PC or Mac), phone (Android or iPhone), tablet (iPad or whatever else there is).  It's color supported, and while not quite as easy on the eyes as the Kindles themselves, still makes for a pleasant reading experience.  You'l need either a Kindle or a Kindle App to read my book, but even if you don't decide to read my book I would recommend getting one anyway.  It's the easiest way to get on the reading rainbow, and once you're on I bet you won't want to get off.

    Oh, by the way my book is now available for pre-order.  Get it today!

Pre-Order Direct Translation Impossible