Amazon has such a vast catalog that it can seem intimidating. Although I always have a long TBR list, I can find it hard to decide what to read next or to keep up with all the deals. Near the beginning of the pandemic, I started checking for Kindle Daily Deals on ebooks almost every day. It’s a habit I developed as social distancing made bookstore and library visits impractical. Maybe it’s partly because I write for Book Riot, which curates book deals every day. Finding Kindle book deals and sharing them with coworkers has helped me discover great reads and save money.
By reading more ebooks, I’m trying to reduce my carbon footprint and spend less on shipping. These tips will work on a Kindle, smartphone, or browser. Time-sensitive deals may last only a few hours or up to a month, so you can decide whether to buy now or later. If you buy books as often as I do, you may save time or money! Disclaimer: I don’t have any inside knowledge of Amazon. This is just what I’ve learned as an expert ebook deals buyer.
Between newsletters, web pages, and apps, here’s a brief guide to getting the most out of Kindle book deals. You can filter them by price, genre, rating, or the duration of the deal. The publisher sets the prices, which are often the same across multiple platforms. Some deals are Kindle only. Some are also on Barnes & Noble’s Nook or on Kobo. Many authors make royalties based on the retail prices of their books. Even if Amazon offers a steep discount, sometimes over 80%, authors usually don’t make less per book. Ebook deals tend to help authors’ sales overall.
Finding Kindle Book Deals
Kindle book deals are updated every day. I have this Amazon deals landing page bookmarked on my browser.
You can search for deals in the Kindle app or in the search box in a browser. Many Daily Deals are self-published through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing or included in Kindle Unlimited, and they also have many from traditional publishers. Ebook deals often range in price from $.99 to $4.99, and you may see categories like “Stock up your Kindle for $4.99 or less.”
Amazon also has lots of classic, public domain books for under $2. Unless you prefer a specific edition on Amazon, I’d recommend going to the library if possible, or getting a free, legal ebook from Project Gutenberg, instead.
Types of Kindle Book Deals
I’m usually not an impulse buyer (except for books!), but I’m more likely to buy a book if I’m unsure when the deal will end. Amazon has several types of Countdown Deals for limited amounts of time. While browsing the Kindle app or Amazon’s site, you may see banners, such as “best price in 30 days” (see below).
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Lightning deals are the shortest, sometimes lasting only 4 to 12 hours. Or they occur on special occasions, like Black Friday or Amazon Prime Day. They may also require you to check out quickly. Amazon also has 24-hour, 48-hour, weekly, and monthly deals. Sometimes a banner will compare the discount price to the list price (see below).
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Use Newsletters To Find More!
You can sign up for our free book deals newsletter to get cheap ebook deals delivered right to your inbox! You can also check out the daily deals on the site.
Early Bird Books and Modern Mrs. Darcy are also great blogs that curate deals across genres and platforms every day.
Newsletters directly from Amazon include special deals, choices curated by editors, or sorted by genre. Some are sent out daily, weekly, monthly, or only occasionally.
I can’t predict book deals, of course, but I notice trends. Ebooks will often go on sale around the same time as a sequel, TV or movie adaptation, or the publication of a paperback edition. Good Omens and Dune had recent ebook deals and streaming adaptations. These deals are often the final push that lets me afford something I’ve wanted to read for ages. Deals help me decide what to read next and take a chance on a book that piques my curiosity.
Some blog posts from years ago say that you’re unlikely to find a bestseller in Kindle deals. In Fall 2022, this is no longer true. Examples of recent, acclaimed, popular books that were Daily Deals while still in hardcover include Kaikeyi, Daughter of the Moon Goddess, True Biz, The Gilded Ones, Firekeeper’s Daughter, and Legendborn.
In the past year, BR highlighted the full Throne of Glass series (eight books) and the Cursebreaker trilogy as Kindle ebook bundles under $6 each. Amazon also recently offered ebook discounts on classic books by Joan Didion, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Alice Walker.
So go forth and load up your Kindle with ebook deals! You’re always able to browse on Amazon directly, but it can be hard to sort through hundreds of titles on sale to find the best ones, which is why curated newsletters like ours that narrow it down to the most exciting options can be so useful. We don’t promise to keep you to your book buying budget, though: sometimes finding ebook deals just means buying ten times as many books as you would have otherwise…
