With the mass conversion from print books to e-books, there has also been a distinct push to get people to both try e-books in general and then by the authors themselves to get people to try their books. The most popular way seems to be by offering free and discounted books. You can usually just click on a link, get re-directed somewhere like Amazon.com, download the book, and it’s a simple process to sync it to your e-reader, whether it’s on a device like the Kindle or an app on your phone or PC. Many places will even go so far as to find out your preferences and send you daily emails with books you might be interested in–everything from romance to children’s books to biographies.
The following is a list, in no particular order, of sites where you can sign up to get these emails and start enjoying digital reading for very low costs. Although you’re bound to get sucked in to paying for subsequent books in a series or books by an author you really enjoy, it’s still a great way to start your collection for little or no money.
Although in many cases, such as Amazon, you still have to create an account and put a credit card on file, if the book is free, when you use one-click payment, it’s a simple process, there’s no money involved, and if your device is on, it will be available the next time you look at it. If it’s not turned on, or if you have your wifi connection turned off to save the battery, it’s simply a matter of connecting to wifi and the books usually download within seconds.
1. Book Bub
Bookbub.com comes to your email everyday with a small, but distinct selection of books. Just go to the site, pick a genre (or two) and sign up for their newsletter. Easy to do, and lots of good stuff everyday. Although you will find repeats among many of the reader sites because they all pick up on authors offering “free” books, you will often still find something different on every site.
2. Ereader News Today
Ereadernewstoday.com is another site that provides a daily newsletter that comes right to your inbox. Usually including a plethora of titles, there is bound to be something for everyone. Simply follow the link to sign up here, and you’ll be on your way. You can choose the genres you’re interested in, as well as the device you use (Kindle, Nook, etc.) and then your emails will be set up to send you directly to your preferred vendor (or occasionally to an author’s site if that’s where the special is). Probably the best of all of the choices, it’s easy to start a collection of more books than you have time to read.
3. Kobo E-books
Kobo feels more like an online book store than a site for free or discounted books, even though many of their books are deeply discounted. You can find authors like Lisa Scottoline for $2.99 or get Patricia Cornwell’s latest for less than $10. However, Kobo also offers their own device that has special features, including an app that allows you to read your books across multiple devices without losing your spot. You can see an overview of their devices here:
4. Amazon’s Free Kindle Ebooks
Although this is strictly for Kindle, this really is where you should start: At the source. Just follow this link and you’ll find hundreds of legitimate free e-books from the largest online book retailer in the world! No registration (since you already have a Kindle, you should already be a member), no worries about copyright infringement, and certainly no thoughts about viruses. Just download and go. A Kindle owner’s dream-come-true. The only suggestion would be that if you find one you want, download it immediately! The free books change quite often, so if you don’t get it right away, it may not be free tomorrow!
5. Pixel of Ink
Another site you can subscribe to, this is a great little place to see what’s out there. Although they also repeat many of the same books that are featured on other sites, you can still browse their site directly by Genre, Hot Deals or even their “Useful Links” tab for all kinds of tips, tricks and information. Also mostly geared towards Kindle users, it’s still a great site because if the book is available for free on Kindle, there is always a chance that it’s free for other devices as well. It just takes a little research.
There are tons of books out there for the reading, so take advantage and start your collection now!
