There’s nothing wrong with getting new books at your local bookstore but if you’re an avid bookworm, then your budget probably can’t handle it if you get all your books there.
Luckily there are plenty of legal ways to get books for free or cheaply and here are some of the best ways to do that.
Embrace the Indie World
A lot of people are wary of self-published books because there aren’t any gatekeepers ensuring quality. And it’s true that most self-published authors can’t afford the same resources traditionally-published authors get from publishing houses. But that doesn’t mean the self-published books should be dismissed entirely.
Self-published books can be really well-written and a lot of fun to read. They’re more likely to break the formulas as well, because they don’t always cater to the masses like the big publishing houses have to. And you can get them for cheap or for free.
Smashwords is my go-to for discovering indie books. The website is easy to use and it allows you to search for books by genre, length, and price, so you’re bound to find something that you’ll like. You can even filter the search results down to show only the free books.
Smashwords also has epic book sales like
Looking for
Use Your Library
If you want to find print books and bestsellers for free, then your best bet it the library. Libraries are great places to find even new bestsellers. And without the financial barrier, you can take risks on traditionally published authors you haven’t heard of before, and maybe even find your new favorite author.
A lot of people think using their libraries instead of buying the books rips off authors, but that’s not actually the case. Libraries actually buy the books from the publishers using taxpayer money. So instead of thinking of the library as a place for free books, think of it as a place full of books you already paid for. And you might as well use it if you’re paying for it.
If you like collecting the books you read, then you can still use the library. After all, why risk dropping 20 dollars for a hardcover of a book you end up hating? You can read the book at the library and then later buy the books you like when you have the money.
Libraries are an increasingly important part of communities everywhere as being a public space where people can find refuge. And not only can you support them by checking out books, but also from buying books at library book sales. You can find some good books for a dollar or less at these sales, which will help you build your book collection while also supporting a good cause.
Become a Book Reviewer
This isn’t for everyone. While it’s always good to leave an honest review for books you read, especially lesser known books, it’s a lot different taking review requests, where you’re reading on a deadline and can’t DNF a book you don’t care for (well, you can, but you shouldn’t.)
But you can get a lot of books for free in exchange for reviews. Authors need more exposure and feedback on their work and reviews are how they get them.
A common misconception is you have to have a large following before you can get review requests, but that’s not the case. Most authors and small publishing companies don’t care about the review you post on your blog or YouTube channel. They care about the ones you post on Goodreads and Amazon because those reviews get authors more exposure regardless of who posted them. If you look on Twitter or in Goodreads Groups, you’ll be able to find authors willing to give complimentary copies of books in exchange for reviews.
Don’t have a blog? No problem. Netgalley is a great place to find advanced reading copies from well-known authors and traditional publishing houses. Here you request advanced copies and in exchange provide feedback. As long as you keep your feedback-to-request ratio high, you’ll be able to get a lot of books from some of your favorite authors for free.
You can also become a reviewer for Online Book Club, where reviewers get free books in exchange for reviews– and even possibly a little money. There are pros and cons to this site, with a big pro that you can potentially work your way up to paid reviews. But Online Book Club has high standards for their book reviews and you have to be very active on the site to qualify for paid reviews. This is a site where you have to commit to finishing a book, even if you don’t like it, or it will really hurt your score.
Enter Giveaways
Giveaways are a lot of fun to enter and even more fun to win. Authors and book bloggers alike hold giveaways to gain exposure, engage with their fans, and even to fundraise for a good cause. You can find giveaways on social media and through Goodreads.
A good site where you can find freebies every day is Prolific Works. Here is where authors put their book up for free for a limited amount of time and you can snag it and start reading or save it for later. You can sign up for their newsletter and get lists of free books in your preferred genre in your inbox every day. Be careful, though. Daily freebies will make your TBR list snowball.
Lover’s Quarrel is also throwing its own giveaway!! Starting on April 22nd, Earth Day, Lover’s Quarrel is holding a giveaway of at least five romance novels to raise money for Trees for the Future. To stay updated on the giveaway, follow me on Twitter.
Disclaimer: The Smashwords link is an affiliate link, which means if you purchase a book through that link, I’ll get a small commission but at no additional cost to you. I donate half of my affiliate earnings to Trees for the Future.