How To Read Your Manuscript on a Kindle
A few months ago I discovered how to email personal documents, a.k.a. my Work In Progress, to my Kindle (or to a Kindle App). Since then I’ve had a few author friends ask me how to do this so I decided to write a post about it.
Why I like doing this:
1. It forces me to read over my work without my editing hat on — I make a deal with myself, no red ink until I’ve read through my work, beginning to end, once.
2. It gives a different perspective of the text — things like huge blocks of text are even more apparent on the smaller screen.
3. It’s great for critiquing — I can read my friends’ work anywhere, and it encourages me to come up with more overall comments. On the flip-side, it’s super easy for me to share my manuscript with beta readers.
4. It’s better for the environment — no more killing trees in order to read your or a friend’s manuscript and, bonus, it’s a nice change from the computer screen.
5. It’s really fun to read your work on a Kindle — it makes it feel like a real legitimate book *sigh*…
Here’s how you do it:
1. Find your Kindle’s email address — That’s right, your Kindle has it’s own email address (that’s how books are sent to it!).
You can find this on Amazon.com under the Your Account drop down –> Manage Your Kindle:
From here, click on the Personal Document Settings link (this is on the left sidebar under the Your Kindle Account menu). There you should see a list of all the email address for various devices associated with your account.
2. Add the email address you’ll be sending your manuscript from to the Approved Personal Document Email List — (This is how your Kindle blocks spam!) The list is located just below where you found your Kindle’s email address.
3. Send an email to your Kindle with your word document attached! You don’t even need a subject in the subject line. The document’s filename is what your Kindle recognizes as the title of your book. It may take a couple minutes for it to go through, but you should see the document pop up on your Kindle’s home screen. Enjoy!
Writers, what helpful technology secrets have you discovered?
What I’m reading: Bless Me, Ultima by Anaya Rudolfo
What I’m listening to: Foster the People — Supermodel (can’t get enough of this album!)
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