Publishers offer access to e-books during lockdown

If you didn’t have an Amazon Books account, now is the time to sign up for one.

Given the circumstances of the Covid-19 virus, physically going to a book store is not possible but downloading e-books it the easiest way to get your reading done.

The misconception is that you need a reading device such as a Kindle to read e-books. This isn’t the case – any smartphone, desktop computer or laptop will do. The only requirement is access to the internet and an account.

Additionally, the Amazon app can be downloaded onto a smartphone with ease and books stored for later reading, depending on the amount of storage the device has.

Amazon offers multiple genres, and pages that have been read can be bookmarked and stored. Readers are given the option to search titles and authors, and the website regularly recommends best sellers and popular reads.

Melinda Ferguson.

E-book reading should become more popular in the next few weeks, even months, of the country’s lockdown.

Popular book publishers such as Pan Macmillan released statements stating that in order to comply with President Cyril Ramaphosa’s call to limit the impact of the Covid-19 virus and to keep South African citizens protected, the publishing house will be supporting South Africa’s bid to limit exposure as far as possible while continuing to ensure business continuity.

This means it will have books in stores but, because of store closure, all titles will be available in e-book versions on all online platforms.

Melinda Ferguson, the founder and publisher of Melinda Ferguson Books and Imprint of NB Publishers, says all her titles will be available online, so now is the opportune time for readers to try new ways of engaging with books.

“I am thrilled when people read and engage with books. Whether they hold a physical book or read a book on a phone, tablet or Kindle, in the end it’s a book. During this time of lockdown digital books are going to be all the rage and will help to get people through these difficult days.”

From 1 April a whole virtual bookshelf of Melinda Ferguson Books will be available online as e-books. Titles include Eva Mazza’s mega best seller Sex, Lies & Stellenbosch and the sizzling sequel, Sex, Lies Declassified. Other hot title are Being Chris Hani’s Daughter by Lindiwe Hani, Get Me to 21 by Gabi Lowe and I Choose to Live by Letshego Zulu.

Ferguson is known for her books Smacked, Hooked and Crashed and published her first book in 2004. She strongly supports South African authors and constantly encourages new writers to tell and publish their original stories having published more than 40 South African titles.

Ferguson believes that e-books are the best way to encourage a new way of telling stories and help keep the message of hope alive. She can be contacted on melindafergusonwriter@gmail. com

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