How to send a book to another person when you run a free promotion?

[Laura]

I will have a free Amazon KDP promotion soon. Anybody can "buy" a free book, but is there a way to send it to another person as a gift?

There are several older people to whom I would like to send the book rather than a link suggesting they download it themselves, and I am trying to figure out the way to do it.

[Rebecca]

You can gift a copy through Amazon. If it's on free promotion, then I'd think it would be free.

[Laura]

I tested it. I cannot find the way. If the book is free, you can only buy it via one click or start reading for free. But there is no option to buy it as gift.

[D.C.]

You cannot gift a book while it's on free promotion with Amazon. Sending the link is probably the best way, despite necessitating their having to download it themselves.

[Rebecca]

I guess their rationale is you can't gift it if it's already free.

[Laura]

Thanks. This would be a great enhancement if one could. In traditional publishing, an author gets certain number of copies free to give away. I can see the rationale not to have unlimited number, but KDP could follow the same approach and let each author to gift 10 -20 copies of ebook even when it is not free.

[D.C.]

Well, it is unlimited in a way, because there's no limit to how many people can download a copy, but Amazon doesn't really have an author copy set up. Traditional publishing varies. With mine, I have to pay for print copies, but they provide me with e-copies, which I am expected to be very responsible with (reviewers and the occasional give-away).

[Laura]

I did it via free day. I emailed to several dozens of acquaintances who either were due a free copy or I thought would like it. No placements on any sites, newsletters, or tweeter. l had nearly 500 downloads. l did find later through Google that Amazon put it into its tweet. somebody in UK made a post about the book, so 30 downloads were in UK.