IFTTT ^[1] is an awesome tool, which lets users automate several daily web tasks. Some of them are related to e-books, and I’ll list them in this post.

The name is an acronym for “if this then that” … which is a decent explanation of what, exactly, the service can do for you.

For example: If there’s a new item on my Pinterest board, then upload it to a specific Facebook photo album. If I shared a new photo on Instagram, then download this photo to Dropbox. If there’s a new free app of the week on iTunes, then send me an email.

There are a lot of useful recipes on IFTTT, and what makes this service even more interesting is the fact that you can create your own.

Triggers, channels, actions … this may all sound too technical, but it’s just a first impression. The service is extremely easy to use. All you have to do is to sign up and activate your preferred services ^[2], like Twitter, email, Tumblr, Buffer, Evernote, SoundCloud, or any number of others.

After you’re done with a list of your channels, you can start browsing for the recipes. When you find the one you want to use, in many cases it’s just a matter of filling in the email address or title and clicking on a Use Recipe button.

Below, you’ll find most useful IFTTT ebook recipes.

1. When a new book is added to Kindle Top 100 Free Ebooks, send me an email ^[3]

Click on the recipe, and if you’ve already activated your email address, all you have to do is to click on the Use Recipe button. You can also adjust the content of the email to fit your needs. (Try changing the title, for instance.)

2. When a new Kindle Daily Deal arrives, send me an email ^[4]

This recipe sends an email every day, shortly after the books are added to the Kindle Daily Deal (12:00 AM, Eastern Standard Time).

Unlike other Kindle Daily Deal IFTTT recipes (which are based on Twitter search results, usually from an official Amazon Kindle Twitter account – and are nothing more than a 140-character text) this recipe includes the following in an email:

• book title
• book cover
• short description of the book
• yesterday’s price
• today’s discount
• Kindle Daily Deal price
• link to the book’s page on Amazon.com

3. Convert and send books and documents from Dropbox to Kindle ^[5]

If you save a .pdf or .doc document to a public Dropbox folder dropbox/public/convert2kindle, this recipe will convert it to Kindle format (azw) and send it to your Kindle (via @free.kindle.com address).

4. RSS feed items to Kindle ^[6]

If a new item is added to the RSS feed you specified, it will be automatically sent to your Kindle. Things to do: Type RSS feed; type email address of your Kindle.

5. If tagged as “Kindle” in Google Reader then send to Kindle ^[7]

If you decide to use this recipe, you’ll automatically get delivered to your Kindle any Google Reader entry that you tag with “Kindle”. Specify the email address of your Kindle, and you’re good to go.

Obviously, you can choose a different tag – type it in the Trigger section.

6. If Kindle/Kindle-related item is added to Amazon Gold Box, send me an email ^[8]

This recipe looks for Amazon Gold Box ^[9] items with “Kindle” as a keyword. It’s based on the original RSS Gold Box feed. If you’ve ever checked the deal page on Amazon, you’re aware that dozens of deals are fired up every day, and that it’s hard to browse through all of them to get to the one you may be interested in.

The best part about this recipe is that you can replace the word “Kindle” with any keyword you want.

7. If the app is discounted/goes free in iTunes Book Category, send me an email ^[10]

Based on an RSS feed from AppShopper, where any app is added if it becomes free or discounted. The email will include the app’s description, icon, price change, and iPhone/iPad compatibility info.

8. New Free App of the Day in Amazon Android App Store, send me an email ^[11]

Every day one Android application from Amazon App Store goes free. If you don’t want to miss a chance to get an interesting app, use this simple recipe. You’ll receive an email once a day with the free app. This is particularly handy for users in the United States, as the Amazon Android App Store is restricted to the U.S.

9. When new Nook Daily Find arrives, send me an email ^[12]

You’ll get an email as soon as a new title is added as a Nook Daily Find. The email will contain the following: book title; book cover; short description of the book; yesterday’s price; today’s discount; Nook Daily Find price; link to the book’s page.

10. If iPad/iPad-related item is added to Amazon Gold Box, send me an email ^[13]

Amazon Gold Box deals for the iPad and all other items, which include the keyword.

1 Comment To "IFTTT recipes for ebook users"

#1 Comment By Xendula On August 30, 2012 @ 8:54 am