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Help

Help Downloading & Reading Books

Downloading a Kindle book to anything other than a Kindle can be difficult. I set up this page to offer ways to download and read a Kindle book your PC, iPad, Mac, Android Tablet, or Kindle device. I will try to constantly update this section, but if you don’t see what you’re looking for, please let me know (Contact me by Email).

First get the Kindle App (to read on your device)

If you don’t have a Kindle (come on what are you waiting for, they’re amazing reading devices), not to worry, you can still read any Kindle book on any device or computer. First you have to download the Kindle reading app to your device: for PCs, for Macs, for android devices, or for iPads/iPhones.

Downloading to your Device

Now, let’s try downloading the book file to your device. Click on the download link on the webpage or in the email I sent to you and the book should be automatically download to your device. You can also try and copy and then paste the download link into the address bar of a browser on your device. Here are some hints based on the device:
On iPad – If you copy/past the download link into a Safari browser, you are usually prompted with a big animated arrow (pointing down) and a “?” above it. Click on the “?” and you should be taken to a prompt to “Read on Kindle” (assuming you’ve downloaded the Kindle app to your iPad and the book file is a .mobi file).
On Android – If you have an Android-based device, here is the best way to download a book to your device. Open up your Chrome app and copy/paste the location of where the download link exists. Click to download and in Chrome, you should see a “?” and arrow down icon. Click on this to open the download and your device should prompt you open in Kindle. If it does not, go to the “Reading on your Device” section below (even if you have a separate Kindle for reading).

Send to Kindle App – This is a really cool software that allows you to send the file right to your Kindle or Kindle app. I use the “Send to Kindle for PC”  I right-click on the .mobi file (that’s the extension name for all Kindle books) I downloaded to my PC and I choose the “Send to Kindle” option. A window pops open and gives me a chance to change the title, author, and which Kindle device on record to send it to. Just open your Kindle and voila, it’s there (You might have to Sync to speed it up). Guess what, you can get this for your non-PC computers/devices too. Here are the links:
Send to Kindle for PC
Send to Kindle for Mac
Send to Kindle for Google Chrome
Send to Kindle by Email
Send to Kindle for Android
Send to Kindle for Mozilla Firefox

Reading on your Device

iPad – Once downloaded, a downloaded file is not easily found, because there’s no file system like on a PC or Mac. First go to your Kindle app. Open it and then look for it under Library (specifically “All Items” on your “Device”). The book should be there. If it s not, try to sync, to prompt the book to appear.
Android – Once downloaded, you may not be able to open it directly to Kindle. To get the download to be recognized by your Kindle app (or to send it to your actual Kindle device), do the following:
a. Open your Kindle or Kindle app and look up your “Send to Kindle Email Address”. This is the email address you can email files to so as to upload to your Kindle program. Find this in Kindle’s Settings and make a note of your “Send to Kindle Email Address”.
b. Now look at your Android’s Downloads (find this by clicking on home and then the Downloads app).
c. Find the book, touch and hold until it clicks and shows a checkmark by it.
d. Touch the share icon (three dots connected by two lines) to the left of the garbage icon (top right hand side of the screen).
e. From the Share Via screen, choose Gmail (or whatever email you’re using). An email will appear, with the download attached. Type in your “Send Kindle Email Address” in the To area and send (the paper airplane logo).
f. Now return to the Kindle app (or your Kindle) and the book should be there within two to ten minutes in the All Items section of your Library (or Home if using a Kindle). Touch the “Snyc” to speed it up a little.

More Help

Here are some outside links that may lead to a solution.

  • Help for your 2nd Generation Kindle – If you’re having difficulty getting any of your free books to your Kindle device or computer/template that uses a Kindle app, this page may help.Help for your Kindle Fire – Including how to Sync and download content, transfer content from a computer to your Kindle Fire, and Emailing a document/file to your Kindle Fire.
  • Need further help – If you have a problem not covered on this page, or you need further help, please feel free to contact me directly.

One reply on “Help”

  1. daniel says:

    Michael, Thank you for your quick response. Not quite sure which did what but it happened!
    I am in the thick of it and am transported. My God, Michael, you are addictive. I am sure
    that CICADA is. My new drug of choice. More complete review to follow upon completion.
    Already planning a re-read of the beginning. Just for fun !! Thanks again for the whole
    Stone Age experience and now the Cicada future….