If you bought a real live dead-tree book from Amazon anytime between 1995 and now, you may be able to buy its e-book version for $2.99 — or less — with an upcoming program called Kindle MatchBook.

After the dawn of the 20th century, popular fiction could be found at the corner newsstand by a nation eager for the tales. Each issue was printed on cheap, pulpy paper that was soon synonymous with ...