How to Gift a Kindle Book This Christmas

The dilemma - you want to support indie authors by buying their books this Christmas but the problem is, not only have you already read their amazing book BUT the paperback version is usually a little more than you want to pay for a gift and you'd rather pay the eBook price. However, once you've bought the eBook for yourself you can't then buy it again to gift it to someone else. Can you?

Of course you can!

Here's what you do if you use Amazon.com:

• Head over to Amazon.com
• Find the eBook you want to send as a gift e.g. The Rose Thief
• Click on the 'Buy for Others' button
• Enter the personal email address of your recipient
• Enter a delivery date and an optional personal message
• Click Place Your Order

It works exactly the same way on Amazon.co.uk but the important thing to note is that if you are a UK person buying a gift for an overseas person using your UK account, it will not work. The Buy for Others button is country-specific.

I do have a solution! You can create an amazon account for that country - so for me, I would create an Amazon.com account - and then you can buy a gift voucher for the amount of the book you want to buy them.

• Head over to that Amazon site
• Buy a gift card for the cost of the eBook
• Print it out or make a note of the gift card code
• Personalise a Christmas card with the details of your gift i.e. the name of the book, why you think they should read it and of course, the gift card information

Now, of course, you have no control over what someone does with a gift card you give them, it's only a suggestion but maybe because you've gone to the extra trouble they just might take your advice and buy the book.

So now when you finish reading a fantastic indie book and you think Oh, my brother would like that you can get a warm and fuzzy feeling on the inside because you can gift that eBook. Some indie author books are also less than a fiver - perfect for a stocking filler or Secret Santa!

So let's not forget, books make superb Christmas presents because:

• You are introducing someone to a whole new world
• They're easy to wrap (especially if it's an eBook!)
• It wasn't too expensive
• You can introduce friends and family to something new
• Books are ultimate re-gifts! Paperbacks get passed around and eBooks get recommended
• You can personalise it by buying signed copies from the indie author, by buying the paperback yourself and writing a message or by personalising the Christmas card with the Amazon e-gift voucher inside
• There is a book out there for each and every one of us
• Reading makes you a better human #fact
• You don't need to buy any accessories
• Books last and good ones are always remembered

If you'd like to support my writing endeavours over the Christmas period feel free to buy me tea and cake or maybe even check out my books on Amazon - 'tis the season!

Claire Buss is a multi-genre author and poet, completely addicted to cake. 

Find all her books on Amazon. Join the discussion in her Facebook group Buss's Book Stop.