I am a book lover; I adore intriguing mysteries, juicy chick lit, fab fiction, and even biz boosting books. When I was gifted with a Kindle Fire (Coincidence on the name? I think not!), I reached new heights of joy: endless books to discover, a never-ending stream of book lists, my ultimate book nirvana… Hmmmm, not exactly. Sometimes my Kindle just flames out and frustrates me! And, let me tell you why, Jeff.
My 5 Wishes for Amazon and my Kindle Fire
Give me a Read List – Don’t you ever look at a book, but are still unsure whether it’s a yay or a nay? You’re intrigued, but not ready to buy today? If so, it’s in your maybe pile. While on Amazon video, you can create a “watch list”, but with books, there’s nothing! The “wish list” only exists when you are on Amazon via the web, not through the Kindle store. That’s annoying!
Make it Easy for Me to Discover New Books –There isn’t a good browse by list function. Where are the Edgar Award, Booker, or Pulitzer Prize winners? Why is it so hard to just browse new books? Where is the “just released” tab? I get so frustrated that I either head on over to bn.com or walk into a book store and create a wish list on my iPhone. Jeez!
Let me Follow Book Reviewers – Every reader can write a review, but certain reviewers seem to really “get” me. How can I subscribe to those reviews? Or, how about create alliances with other content providers so that I can subscribe to People or Oprah reviews? Because of a lack of this feature plus a wish list, I have torn out book reviews jammed into my Kindle holder. So, if I am a digital reader, why am I hording paper?
Revamp the Lending Library – It sounds OK in theory, but borrowing books from Amazon is laughable. Why? You can only borrow one book per month. In my world, that means I borrow a book on April 1 and I’m finished by April 3. I then have to wait until May 1 before I can borrow again. How about switching it to 12 books per year? If so, I could choose how I spend my book budget. I could, for instance, devour all 12 books on the beach in a week and then return to buying books upon my return.
Reward Your Current Customers – Amazon Prime just bumped up to $99 per year from $79; And, it then introduces Fire TV. So, of course, I’m expecting that loyal members get a least a $20 discount to justify the membership price increase, right? A big no! No real incentives besides free shipping. So, what did I do? I promptly ordered a Roku for $49. (And, yes, Jeff, I ordered it from your website).
Jeff, I love to read, I adore books; please make me fall back in love with my Kindle.
To better reading!
Liz Goodgold
PS: all comments welcome below.
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