When I send out documents to my beta readers, I prefer to convert them to an e-reader format, because I want my readers to see the book as close to possible to the way it’s going to look when I publish it.
Now, what I have been doing is to e-mail the file as an attachment to my readers and letting them fool with connecting the USB and transferring the file to their Kindle.
However, I have found that there is an easier way (for the reader) and since I figure that my readers are doing me a favor I want to make it as easy as possible for them to read my work.
First off, when a Kindle is registered, it gets its own e-mail address. That’s how Amazon sends you content, actually, via e-mail. Generally your Kindle’s e-mail address is [the first part of the e-mail you used to register the device]@kindle.com. So if you registered your Kindle with BettieBlow@Hotmail.com then your Kindle’s e-mail address will probably be BettieBlow@kindle.com. (I say probably because mine is a little different because I’ve had three different Kindles registered to my e-mail, so Amazon keeps adding numbers at the end.)
However, this e-mail address won’t receive e-mails from anyone other than Amazon unless you specifically tell it to. The registered owner has to go into Manage Your Kindle and then to Personal Document Settings and manually enter an approved address. (This same screen will also confirm your kindle e-mail address.)
So… if you want to send an e-book file directly to a Kindle, you first have to convert the document into either .mobi or a .pdf file. (You already have Calibre, right?)
Then, you have to tell the recipient to manually add the e-mail address that you will be sending the file from Manage Your Kindle/Personal Document Settings.
Then send an e-mail with the file as an attachment to the recipient’s Kindle e-mail. On older Kindles the book will show up on the main screen, on my Fire it showed up under the Docs tab. (And unfortunately does not show up under the Books tab, however it does act like any other e-book in all other ways.)
And there you have it. I know it sounds complicated when I go through it in excruciating detail, but it’s really pretty quick and easy–I sent my Beta of Cannibal Hearts to a non-tech savvy friend in about five minutes.
So, if you have someone that you would like to send a WIP who doesn’t want to mess with moving files and such, this is how you do it. (Oh, and the recipient can always remove your e-mail address from the approved list after receiving the file, in case she or he is worried about you spamming the device.)
mishaburnett 
I published on Kindle a while ago. What kind of book are you writing?
It’s hard to describe, but I usually call it science fiction. It’s a sequel to my first novel, which has been out since July of last year.
Can you give a plot synopsis?
Uh… a man with an alien serial killer living in his head and his half-plant girlfriend/boyfriend and some walking dead friends of theirs rehab a riverboat casino under orders from the man’s sister, who is possessed. Plus they get attacked by a guy with a gun that shoots electrified toads.
wow
Thank you, thank you so much! I was at my wits ends trying to figure out how to put 2 books on my kindle (1 a prize and 1 sent for review) so I could read without using Desktop. You helped me so much!
Thanks again!
Alice M (Aj)
Good!
Cool info! Sharing on Facebook antho group so we can load mobi’s on to kindles.
Thank you!
You just saved me some time, and what’s better, figuring out (the brain doesn’t work so well with new stuff). I’ve bookmarked – and will learn to use this asap.
I’m sure it will work with an ipad and a Nook, too, once I figure out the email addresses to be used. Having to locate and use an actual physical cable? So 20th century.
I bought Scrivener ($46) to manage my writing. It produces .mobi and .epub files easily (one of the main reasons I bought it – though I haven’t tried them out thoroughly yet). Scrivener is one of my favorite purchases of all times.
Do you know if there is a way to add author notes to an ebook (mobi, azw3,etc.) so that every reader can download the ebook with the notes and with just one click on the word or phrase that has the note would be visible?
I’m not sure if you can do it quite like you describe, but I know that mobi
and epub files allow hyperlinks within a file, and I’ve seen those used for footnotes.
Hey, this would have been exactly what I was looking for. Only thing is – when I installed Calibre I couldn’t understand how to make that work. But I found a way to convert to pdf online, and now I can save it into the pdf feature I installed on my iPad. Now all I have to do is grasp your instructions (you may have seen that I’m a Technoklutz). Thos is a very steep learning curve for me. I may slip over the edge, lol!
I ran across another blog that describes the process with screenshots–that may help.
http://authordtaylor.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/how-to-get-a-mobi-file-on-your-kindle/
Thanks so much. We did actually follow the instructions, but what was supposed to happen on the screen – didn’t. And we hated what it did to the computer. It changed my email and made it hard to access. Is there anything else you can recommend apart from Calibre? Bearing in mind that although I am a self-confessed Technoklutz I can follow really simple instructions.
The same blogger mentions an on-line source for converting word to mobi files. I haven’t used it myself, but she seems to feel it’s relatively straightforward.
http://authordtaylor.wordpress.com/2013/09/25/how-to-create-a-mobi-file/
Oh yes, this looks much easier. Thank you. Your help is much appreciated.
hi there,
it’s a reply to your next question actually, but it doesn’t have “reply” link underneath, so i used this one.
i think you can try a program called “mobipocket creator” from mobipocket.com site. kindle is effectively mobipocket bought by amazon and refactored.
mobipocket creator imports word documents and makes kindle files, plus much more.
there might be glitches with word versions, as mobipocket project has been dropped after purchasing.
and you might rename the file you get after converting: creator saves it into a file with .prc extension, just rename it into .mobi, and you can put it on your kindle.
as for some other options of putting e-books on kindle, it can be done via web links. like you upload your file to a server, and give people a link. they fire up their kindles, browse to the url you give them, and can download right to their devices. something similar to downloading e-books from sites (like http://www.kindle-books.ru for example). you don’t have to create web pages for the books, just plain upload to you server (for example where you host you blog), and give your targeted audience direct link to the file. if they browse to that link in kindle, they will get the book.
how this would be useful.
cheers!
andrew
Neat article. But on researching this further, I ran into this on Amazon, which concerned me:
There is a document processing fee for the Kindle Personal Documents Service when you do not use Wi-Fi or USB. Fees for the Kindle Personal Document Service via Whispernet are based on the size of the file submitted, your country, and where you’re accessing Whispernet. If possible, we will attempt to deliver via Wi-Fi rather than Whispernet, and no document processing fee will be charged.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=hp_pdoc_main_short_us?nodeId=200767340#GUID-3C2794B6-1BDF-4C17-B4BB-B077DCC31A98
So what’s your experience with this?
That fee would only apply to a Kindle that uses a 4G connection–I’ve never had one of those.
Reblogged this on CKBooks Publishing and commented:
I didn’t know you could do this, did you? I wonder if it works for other e-readers as well?
I don’t know for sure, but I suspect that other e-readers use a type of e-mail to transfer files, so it would probably be possible.
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Thank you! I was trying to figure it out as well..glad I came upon your info…
Thank you so much!
Hello there! If interested, I can recommend another free conversion tool – kitpdf.com – a free resource to get mobi format for Kindle. Cheers!
You also can use a tool which allows you to upload book to kindle directly from internet
http://www.justsendtokindle.com/
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Thank you — very helpful. Just put a link on my blog.
Thank you so much for this post, this is the best explanation I’ve found by far! I owe you one ^^
Stupid question 6744 – Does it do like other documents and convert the file to PDF? I don’t want it to show up as that. I’ve sent other things with Send-to-Kindle and it has made a pdf. Thanks.
Send To Kindle is a different function–that goes through Amazon. I’ve never used it, but it would make sense that it converts to PDF because that’s kind of the go-to format for mobile apps.
E-mailing directly to the Kindle works just like e-mailing a file to a computer. In fact, it’s the same way that Amazon gets e-books into your library.
Thank you.