Book pirating is a real problem for indie authors. I've seen the conversation of the ethics regarding this issue go round and round on social media. I won't go into extreme detail in this post. I created this page to share with you links to free access to books that I find. I'd love for this to grow so if you have any resources please leave a comment!
Simon Teen releases free books every month that you can download right on their website. Go here and check out the FREE READS section! https://rivetedlit.com/
Brooklyn Public Library (BPL) is launching a new campaign Books UnBanned, to help teens combat the negative impact of increased censorship and book bans in libraries across the country. For a limited time, young adults ages 13 to 21 nationwide, will be able to apply for a free eCard from BPL, unlocking access to the library’s extensive collection of eBooks. To apply for the card, teens can send a note to BooksUnbanned@bklynlibrary.org, or via the Library’s s teen-run Instagram account, @bklynfuture. The $50 fee normally associated with out-of-state cards will be waived. Teens are encouraged to share videos, essays, and stories on the importance of intellectual freedom and the impact that book challenges and bans have had on their lives.
Sign up for the Tor newsletter. They have several free short fiction newsletters in the Sci-fi and Fantasy genres here https://www.tor.com/tag/newsletter/ AND don't forget to sign up for their free BOTM club https://ebookclub.tor.com/
This is more of a "free with purchase," but you can get free books by reading other books! Open Road Media will send you a free eBook whenever you click the link provided in another book they publish. Learn more about this deal here.
When you sign up for the Early Bird Books newsletter, you get a free ebook. And you can refer your friends to get more free ebooks!
Did you know that many authors put their books on promotion for free on Kindle sometimes? To find one just click here: https://amzn.to/366LfYs and then filter by the genre you're looking for, and sort Price from Low to High. You don't need a Kindle Unlimited subscription for this!!! Google and Barnes & Noble have sections too!
Not everyone has access to a local library. Do check to see if you have a county library if you don't have a local city library. Here are libraries where you can create an account online: https://www.aworldadventurebybook.com/blog/libraries-with-non-resident-borrowing-privileges
And if you don't have a city library, you likely have a county library. If you can't get there, call that library and see if they can make an accomodation for you. Librarians are truly the last magicians, and I have seen many a librarian work a miracle!
Or you could start your own Free Little Library, or borrow from someone else's. This map is a great resource to find local Free Little Libraries. They're not all on there though, so post on your local town's Facebook page and ask for locations of free little libraries around your town!
Project Gutenberg is a volunteer effort to create and share e-books online. They have a selection of 45,000 books and counting.
Open Library has over a million free e-books available.
Dolly Parton will send your child free books. Why? Because she's a damn saint, that's why. https://imaginationlibrary.com/
Free audiobooks are a little rarer, but I've got a whole separate post on that here.
Many indie authors are desperate for reviews. More reviews = more sales! Message them and ask for a copy in exchange for an honest review. You won't get one every time, but you won't get a no every time, I promise! (Building up your social media account where you post books is a great way to get more yes's!)
Sign up for a Netgalley account. You can get free books before they're released! There are many available to anyone, and the better score you get from reviewing all the books you receive, the more chance you'll have of being approved for the more sought-after new releases. The higher your score the better chance you have of getting a book you request. The formula is simple: Number of books reviewed divided by Number of books received. So don't request more than a couple at a time, or your score will drop!
Your own books! If you have Facebook, check out the many B/S/T groups. Many readers will trade books they've read.
Youtube. I've come across many library pages who are reading a book chapter by chapter online, no subscription required.
You can find more contemporary online books for free at Goodreads’ free eBooks shelves.
And of course don't forget WattPad, FanFiction.net, and BookRix!