An e-reader is a convenient way to have a plethora of reading material at your fingertips. In theory, after its initial cost, the appeal of an e-reader is that it provides access to books much more affordably than buying them in their traditional paper form. E-books are available from a wide array of places and, thankfully, many come at surprisingly low prices – and sometimes for free.
Where and how to find cheap – or free – e-books
Sometimes you’re looking for something to read that’s not on the current bestseller list. That’s a good thing, especially when you’re looking to find inexpensive books. Works by lesser-known and emerging authors – as well as older, classic books – are often offered for bargain prices. Here’s how to find great reads for next-to-nothing:
Online booksellers
Most online booksellers have filters with which you can sort by price – even if that price is free. Set your budget and search – you’ll be surprised at how much there is for so little!
If you shop Amazon.com, these options will help you locate inexpensive books:
- Kindle Unlimited ($9.99/month) – Like Netflix or Spotify for movies and television, this is a subscription that allows you as many downloads as you wish from a library of over 700,000 titles, which even includes audio books. You don’t even need a Kindle per se – just a free Kindle app you can download from the website for your device. Another potential bonus: Eligible Kindle books, once purchased, can be “loaned” one time to another person for up to 14 days, during which only the borrower will have access to the book. It’s a great way to share a book; pay one price, entertain two readers.
- Amazon Prime ($99/year) – One of the numerous benefits of this premium service you may already have is access to Amazon’s extensive lending library. If you use a Kindle, you can download one book at a time free of charge.
Another online destination for free e-books is Project Gutenberg. This site makes over 46,000 books which are out of copyright (which have expired due to the book’s age) available for reading in whatever format you choose.
Also look into these bargain e-book providers:
- Scribd (500,000 titles, 8.99/mo)
- Free-eBooks.net is a free service that offers fiction, non-fiction and instructional books from independent and up-and coming authors.
- Kobo offers a “Daily Deal” on an e-book for up to 80% off and a 99-cents section along with their large and varied full-priced selection.
Authors themselves
It’s easier now than ever to get to know authors; by following those whose books you love on social media, you’ll open a new literary world for yourself. You can discover new authors you’ll enjoy reading there as well. In this new age of book promotion, established authors as well as newcomers often offer discounted or even free downloads of their books through their social networking channels. Sometimes you can even download free books from an author’s own website.
Bonus tip: It’s a common practice for authors to give away the first book in a series to entice you to buy the rest. If you don’t like the first one, you’re out nothing.
Libraries
Don’t overlook the traditional, obvious place for free reading. Libraries are steadily growing their collections of e-books. It’s worth checking with your local library to find out what they have to offer for download.
Low-priced and free e-books are readily available. Often it’s simply a matter of broadening your literary horizons to find lesser-known, independently published or older works that are more than worthwhile reads. You’ll be rewarded with rich streams of reading material as well as substantial savings.
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