My favourite Kindle tips and tricks listed and explained below. These are especially helpful if you’re a newbie kindle owner. Some of them are obvious, others aren’t so much! Read on, you’ll be thanking me later!
Edit 16/5/2013: Whilst writing this post, I was focused on my own device – a Kindle 3 (with the keyboard). I will be creating an updated post for the newer Kindle devices!
And not one of those jelly protector things that rip easily! I’m talking about something durable that will offer protection for your screen as well the sides and back. Kindles are pretty flimsy (I’m on my third device!) so something durable is necessary to protect it. Strangely enough, not many companies make Kindle covers (I’ve spent many a hour scouring Google and the occasional technology shop) so you’re best bet for something of quality is Amazon itself. I suggest something like what I have (available in various colours), as it both feels like a book and can be folded behind itself to save space and maximise comfort! It’s also ridiculously cheap for the quality that you get. I’ve had it for a year and it’s still going strong with no faults. This website is also pretty cool as it is the only one I have found that allows you to design your own kindle cover (I will be ordering from there soon) but I have to wonder how long the elastic will last with regular use.
Unlike some other eReaders, the kindle does not have a backlight. That means it’s impossible to read in the dark without some form of an external light. Some kindle covers come with a light attached but the good quality ones are usually expensive. Instead, I suggest buying yourself a nice reading lamp. Not only will you be able to read from your kindle, but you’ll also be able to read your other paperback books. Otherwise a candle (love to use them in winter!) or kindle cover with a reading light works just as well 
Now this is one is something that requires a computer of some sort but it’s useful nonetheless. Calibre helps to organise and back-up any type of eReader by allowing you to edit the meta data of a document, add a book cover, change the format of your file (For Ms Word Docs I suggest changing them to PDF in Word and then if possible changing these PDFs to the Kindle format in Calibre, if you have fancy/complicated formatting in your file, just leave it in PDF form) and also transfer your files on to your eReader. There are probably more uses for it that I have yet to make use of, but so far these features have been the most useful.
Many Books and Project Gutenberg have saved me so much money for uni books! I can always find classics from my reading list on these two Otherwise try Amazon for the free and most popular books available on the kindle, all you have to do is log in to your Amazon account and hit download and it’ll be sent wirelessly to your kindle! Personally, I find myself looking at the free books more often on the list (particularly the classics out of copyright which are more or less always free!) but it’s interesting nonetheless. You just can’t beat a good freebie!
You have the ability to publish your finished book to twitter/facebook, audio book and music options, photo album facility, the ability to use the device for simple storage rather than using a usb and of course internet browsing! Explore your device thoroughly and you’ll find that there’s a lot that it has to offer!
Your kindle has the ability to take screenshots (alt+shift+g or alt+shift+h) and save them on the device for later use. There are also shortcuts to discover games, Minesweeper (alt+shift+m) and Gomuku (press G from Minesweeper screen), on your kindle! For more shortcuts, visit this website.
Tags: Alternatively, subscribe or follow using one of these methods:
Posted on 08/06/12 | 
I had no idea kindle let you publish books!! The free books are a plus too! I can only use a kindle android app on my thrive and I wonder if it’s limited, I’ve never tried doing some of these though
thanks!!
By publish I mean it’ll tweet something along the lines of ‘I just read ____ on my kindle device *link to amazon page* – sorry for the confusion!
I think some of the stuff it kindle device only too! Sorry about that! I guess I should have been more specific!
The free books will definitely still be available to you though! I think you have a larger selection on the U.S site too!
These are some great tips, I have had my kindle touch since december and knew alittle but will definately be checking out calibre
What do you think of the kindle touch? I have a kindle 3rd generation and I always wondered if there was anything really that amazing about it?
Is it easier to highlight/make notes? I think that’s the thing I’d want to use it most for because I get tired of the scroll buttons on mine!
@Farhana Chowdhury:
It is funny you as as I was really close to getting the white one with the keyboard, but decided to go with the touch because it has better options for things like highlighting as even getting to various books and things. I think having a touch screen phone would be similar to the advantages instead of using the buttons. Some people complain about the groove that is lets you get “crumbs in the screen” but I personally don’t eat over my kindle that way. The only thing I would say was better about the third generation is that it may be slightly easier to type since you have physical keys, but the screen on the kindle touch doesn’t lag like cheaper models and it fits my hand more comfortable than the nook and you still have the benefits of a kindle with selection and internet option if you download audibles or websearch. They are both nice, if the touch didn’t come out that would have been the one I would have gotten though.