OPRAH TO FEATURE KINDLE THIS COMING WEEKLisa Respers France, writing for CNN about The Oprah Show's final year on television, made a casual mention of a segment that will be shown this week.
Bookworms, a book club in Jamestown, North Dakota, "recently headed to the show in Chicago, Illinois...for the episode featuring best-selling author Jonathan Franzen."
' The group was thrilled with the chance to be in the audience, which [member Shelly Jystad] said included a 100-year-old fan who had followed Winfrey's career, and the gift of a free Amazon Kindle e-reader to every audience member. '
Looking further, I see that TV Guide's Natalie Abrams noted on Nov. 30 that
"Oprah Winfrey will announce her latest book club selection on Monday.
Harpo Productions also announced Tuesday that the episode will feature Winfrey's latest book club author, Jonathan Franzen."
So there you have it. The last time she had a show during which she gave everyone a Kindle (October 24, 2008), it sold out well before Christmas and in that case there were no more until a newer Kindle in late February, the Kindle 2. The show airs this Monday, December 6.
Take note, if you've been planning to get one for Christmas 2010...
Amazon has been calling the WiFi-Only Kindle "the Kindle" so that is more likely to be the Kindle she gives away rather than the Kindle 3G/Wifi (UK: K3-3G), although I'm curious whether her staff chose instead the model with 3G included, as that was a big feature of the original Kindle she gave away back in 2008. (I don't expect the Kindle DXG will be given out as most in her audience would probably prefer the smaller, purse-sized one.)
eBayers will be active on this also but Amazon Kindle orders are limited to three Kindles per customer, so that should help. Since avid readers are said to make up, at best, 10% of households, there will likely be quite a few Kindles sold on eBay later by audience members not really that into reading books but they will probably cost more at eBay if Amazon runs out as they did the last time Oprah featured one.
Kindle 3's (UK: Kindle 3's), DX Graphite
Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources. Top 100 free bestsellers.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or highest-rated ones
Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers.
Although, the first time she did this, she also gave out a code or something to get a discount on the kindle. That certainly spurred sales.
ReplyDeleteSo, I should buy several million Kindles right now & then sell them at above market prices when Oprah's followers march to the stores to buy them? :)
ReplyDeleteCathy,
ReplyDeleteI remembered that after sending the post up but also remembered that at that time, the Kindle cost was $399.99 :-)
That was about 12.5% off then and would mean a $17 discount now. But you're right that was key -- people wanting to get that $50 discount.
A great many people will see "discount" and buy without noticing what it is they're buying, what it costs, or what they discount actually is.
ReplyDeleteA store near where I live experimented with that one day by placing a large placard "now discounted bags, were $29.95, now $39.95".
Sales soared that day...
You see the same on eBay as well, people spending more than the retail price on things for no other reason than "it's on eBay so it must be a good deal", then often selling it again at a loss shortly after buying it because it's useless to them.