by C.K. MacLeod
Are you a beta reader or an editor? You don’t have to review or proofread a book on your computer. You can proofread it on a Kindle, or any device with the Kindle app loaded on it.
Here’s how:
1. Sign up for an Amazon account if you don’t already have one.
2. Add your reading device to your Amazon account, if it hasn’t been added already. Your device is automatically added to your Amazon account when you download the Kindle app onto it.
Once added to your Amazon account, your device will have an email address with an @kindle.com extension associated with it. To find this email address for your device, go to Your Account, Manage Your Content and Devices, and click on the Your Devices tab.
3. Go to your personal email account — your gmail account, for example. Email the book file as an attachment, from your personal email account to your @kindle.com email address. You can email a variety of file types, including .docx files or mobi files (one of Amazon’s formats).
Note: You need to email your book from the email account that’s associated with your Amazon account. If you use another email account, it won’t work. If you have more than one reading device linked to your Amazon account, make sure you’re emailing the document to the right device.
4. Turn on wifi and sync your Kindle or your device with the Kindle app on it. The book should arrive on your reading device within a few minutes.
5. Use the Notes and Highlights feature on your Kindle, or in your Kindle app, to proofread the book. If you’re a beta reader, share the Notes and Highlights (your feedback) with the author.
Proofreading on a Kindle is easy. Further, proofreading a book in a new environment can help you to see errors that you’d otherwise miss.
Thanks to Carla Douglas at Beyond Paper Editing for teaching me this trick.
Image by M. Appelman