For people who are bombarded by the news and need to find tranquillity in reading while staying at home, you can read Ethos books in digital format immediately and wait for the purchased paperback by mail delivery, said Ethos Books on Thursday (9 April).
With the aim of benefiting both the readers and writers, Ethos Books took to its Facebook page, saying that it will bundle the available DRM-free e-books with all corresponding paperback purchases made through their website, at no additional cost.
This means the readers can choose any available titles, such as poetry, fiction and non-fiction in the print or digital format via the Ethos website page called “Literature will always be here”.
On top of the bundling a free e-book copy, Ethos Books also revive its $10 gift cards.
It wrote, “We would like to extend your capacity for stillness by offering $10 gift cards that you can purchase for yourself or a friend, to choose any title you wish, any time you want. If you find yourself with some extra coins, do consider adding our titles to your bookshelf.”
This is a new publishing direction taken by Ethos Books given the existing challenge of the literary ecosystem due to the closure of bookstores and libraries following the ‘circuit breaker’ measure which began on Tuesday (7 April) by the government in it’s efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.
Ethos Book said, “With this hope, we will ride out this storm, as we have done many times before.”
“We thank you for being with us, for your support and generosity of spirit. There is no better time than now for a collective consciousness, a collective kindness, a collective spirit,” it added.
Established in 1997, Ethos Books is an independent book publisher based in Singapore. It specialises in publishing literary fiction, non-fiction and poetry works mostly from writers in Singapore, such as Alfian Sa’at, Wong Su Ann, Yong Shu Hoong and others.
Other literary platforms offer entertainment for those stuck at home
In the wake of COVID-19 pandemic, there are many digital reading platforms for readers and parents who need to work at home while keeping their children entertained.
The author of the Harry Potter series J.K. Rowling launched a new site alled ‘Harry Potter At Home’ for families and children who are staying home due to the coronavirus crisis.
The new website features an online collection of child-friendly activities, videos, puzzles, illustrations, quizzes, creative ideas, articles, and much more for its readers to keep them “occupied for hours on end”, according to the website WizardingWorld.
The first book in the Harry Potter series – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone – will be provided for free in the form of e-book and audiobook on its website for all readers until the end of April.
Meanwhile Amazon-owned Audible will also provide hundreds of audiobooks for children and families to stream for free, which is available in six languages, including English, Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Italian.
There are six categories of stories to cater to different stages and needs, namely “Littlest Listeners”, “Elementary”, “Tween”, “Teen”, “Literary Classics”, and “Folk & Fairy Tales for All”.
To make this particular program even more accessible, Audible has eliminated all log-in or sign-up requirements. Customers will only have to select an audiobook and click “Start Listening” without the need to provide an email, password, and any credit card information. All the available titles can be accessed on desktops, laptops, phones, or tablets.
