I’ve already written about libraries, but with the sad demise of a major pirate site this week (Kidding! Authors are dancing in the digital streets) it’s worth sharing a few more free – and legal – ways to read.
*Hops onto soapbox*
With an alarming number of BookTokkers are weeping on social media about actually having to pay for the books they claim to love, think of it this way… You work in a bakery, and you just made a batch of beautiful cupcakes. A customer comes in and eats them all without paying. When you suggest that they might perhaps want to contribute so you can buy more ingredients to make more cupcakes, they tell you they don’t want to. That nobody should gate-keep cupcakes. That cupcakes are too expensive in this town. That their local food pantry doesn’t have the cupcakes they prefer. That they need to taste the cupcakes for a project, but they’re a student and can’t afford them. That bakers don’t deserve to get paid to make cupcakes and should do their job for the love of it. Does that sound reasonable? Of course not. So why are books different? Editing, covers, audiobook narrators, proofreading – none of that comes free. And then in the next breath, the same *ahem* cupcake buyers ask why their favourite baker stopped making those cupcakes they love so much.
*Hops off soapbox*
BUT there are plenty of ways to read for free if you know where to look for them!
FREE EBOOKS
- Libraries! I wrote a longer article here a few weeks ago. Readers get books free, authors still get paid, plus it supports a great community resource. Libraries are one of the few remaining “third spaces” we have left, a place where anyone can go without being expected to buy anything. We need to protect them ❤️
- Check the free lists on retailers like Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Google Play. There are hundreds of free books available every day.
- Daily newsletters offering freebies. Sign up for your favourite genres, and lists of free and discounted books will drop into your inbox, no additional searching required. Some of the most popular ones:
- Wattpad – a site full of free books written by everyone from hobbyists just starting out to NYT bestsellers. Fun fact: Wattpad is where I started writing, and as well as accidentally discovering a whole new career, I made some awesome writer and reader friends.
- AO3 (Archive of Our Own) – tons of fanfiction, all free.
- NetGalley – read books before they’re even released and review them afterwards.
- ARC teams – many authors offer Advance Reader Copies to readers who’ll review the books and/or post about them on social media. Bonus: you meet likeminded readers and friends along the way.
- I have a free starter library of my own books here. If you enjoy romcom suspense, go and grab them!
- Get creative! If you can write book reviews on your socials, or take nice bookish photos, many authors (myself included) will be happy to send you copies of backlist books to help with that.
FREE PHYSICAL BOOKS
- Libraries! Seriously, libraries are amazing.
- Little free libraries – these are everywhere, tiny library boxes throughout local communities. Take a book or leave a book! The one near me is in an old telephone box.
- Book swaps – swap with friends from school or work.
- Book clubs – join a local book group, great if you enjoy being social too. If there isn’t one near you, why not start one?
- ARC teams – some authors send out free copies or PR boxes to ARC readers, especially those who review regularly.
- Author giveaways – many authors run regular giveaways, especially around holidays or to promote new releases. You can often find these on social media or in author newsletters.
- Goodreads giveaways – Only available in the US and Canada at the moment (boo!), but super easy to enter.
Leave a Reply