The Kindle is the most popular e-reader currently on the market. As a result, most ebooks are available in the Kindle’s proprietary format accessible only to Kindle e-readers and Kindle apps. If you aren’t a Kindle fan, don’t worry. Different devices and different formats exist, giving you many alternative ways to read ebooks.
Choose a format
Alternatives formats include PDFs and TXT files. The vast majority of ebooks sold in stores cannot be acquired in these formats, and they lack the easy formatting options that come with reading an epub on an e-reader or in an app.
Pick a device
There are many e-readers to choose from, such as the NOOKs by Barnes & Noble, the Sony e-readers, and the Kobo e-readers.
You can also find alternative ways to read ebooks by downloading e-reading apps that aren’t tied to a major bookstore. The Aldiko app for Android has seen millions of downloads and allows you to read ebooks from many different stores. If Aldiko doesn’t tickle your fancy, you may be interested in the features offered in the Moon+ Reader or Cool Reader apps. iOS fans can consider checking out the Bluefire Reader or Stanza.
Choose a store
eBooks can be found all over the Internet. Feedbooks is a bookstore with a wide selection of free and public domain material alongside a decent selection of current bestsellers. Smashwords and Lulu provide independent authors with a place to self-publish and distribute their creations. Project Gutenberg provides a massive selection of public domain material in a plethora of formats, including TXT and HTML. New initiatives such as StoryBundle provide regular exposure to new or independent authors. Occasionally even the Humble Bundle team will put out an ebook-centered bundle.
Conclusion
If you know of any alternative ways to read ebooks, please share them in the comments below.
Bertel is a tech blogger and independent novelist who puts perhaps a tad too much trust in Google. He’s loved Android since the moment he got his eager hands on his first device – if not sooner – and has understood the Chromebook Pixel from day one.You can follow his work at bertelking.com.
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