Tips & Tricks #6: Using Your Save for Later List Strategically
As an avid reader, I’m constantly finding books I’m interested in reading but don’t have time for right now. Pre-Kindle this would frequently result in me leaving Barnes & Noble with a pile of books that would sit in the corner until I got around to reading them. Thanks to the Kindle, I no longer have to spend the money upfront. Using the Save for Later List built into the Kindle, I can add hundreds of titles to my to-be-read list without buying them and letting them gather dust in the corner of my apartment.
[Yes, I realize I also could have written down titles while browsing B&N to save money. However, these lists tend to get lost and don't provide the same satisfaction as a physical pile of books. The Save for Later list, however, feels similar to a pile of books. I can browse it when I want to (and even see the book covers and prices) and when I decide to read it, I can even Try a Sample to make sure I like it before buying. And when I am finally ready to buy, all it takes is a few clicks and the book appears in my hands.]
Here’s how I make sure I get the most out of my Save for Later List:
1. Keep the Kindle nearby when reading the Sunday paper, Entertainment Weekly’s book section, or other book review-type materials. As I browse the weekly Ideas & Books section of The Boston Globe or the Books section of Entertainment Weekly, I keep the Kindle in sleep mode nearby, ready to jump to the Kindle Store at a moment’s notice to add a book to my Save for Later List.
2. Bring the Kindle with you to bookstores. This is easy if you always have your Kindle with you, as I do. A little harder to remember for spontaneous shopping trips, though. While I’m browsing Barnes & Noble, Waldenbooks, Borders, etc., I keep my Kindle handy, again in sleep mode, in case I see a book that would typically be an impulse buy for me. Within seconds I can look it up in the Kindle Store and add it to my Save for Later list.
3. Browse the new releases and best-sellers in the Kindle Store. You never know what you might find to add to your list. Plus, they may be $9.99 now, but in a few months the price might drop once the book is out of the spotlight.
4. Be prepared to not find your book in the Kindle Store. Sometimes, despite a stock of over 140,000 titles, your book might not be in the Kindle Store. Either the publisher hasn’t made it available yet, or it won’t ever be available. I like to keep a list of these books separately and check the Kindle store for them once in a while.
5. Have a system for checking your Save for Later list. If you don’t check it often, it can get out of hand. I prefer to browse through mine every time I finish a book, that way I have a chance to start a new one from the list if it’s more interesting that the ones I have already downloaded. You may prefer a weekly check, or monthly - use whatever works best for you so that the Save for Later list doesn’t become where your to-read list goes to die.
That’s how I manage my Save for Later list. If you have any tips to add, please share them in the comments.
