How to Get Free (and Bargain) Books Now and Into the Future

Pandemic or not, humans are always looking for ways to distract themselves while also saving money.

Books are a great way to escape, but sometimes they can be a strain on a tight budget.

Which is why I thought now would be the perfect time to tell you how to find free and bargain-priced books delivered to your inbox every single day. Or, rather, newsletters full of hand-picked books for you to choose from.

But Before We Begin…

As a library junkie, my first recommendation for getting free books would be your local library. Even though most libraries are closed right now, their ebook systems are still wide open.

Unfortunately, the increased use may mean reduced availability and you’ll have to put the book you want on hold. So, while you’re waiting for that hold to come in, why not try out one of the bargain book newsletters listed below.

A Little About These Bargain Book Newsletters

Of course, BookBub is the big daddy of them all and I’ve covered all their benefits in a previous post, but since BookBub does have strict limits on how many books they accept, your choices each day may be slim. Also, since Bookbub is taking more and more books from traditional publishers, the freebie selections aren’t as plentiful as they used to be.

Luckily, there’s loads of similar newsletter services that offer a much broader range of books. Even better, the majority of these books are from indie authors. Not only does this mean you can support an independent creative hero (and yes, even getting a free book is a form of support, see below), but it also means you may meet a new writer you haven’t heard of before.

And don’t worry, just because you haven’t heard of the author, just because the books are self-published, doesn’t mean these tomes are of low quality in any way. Each of the newsletters listed below has a stringent list of requirements books must meet, including stellar reviews, and most have an actual human checking over the books before the book is accepted into the newsletter.

And, best of all, every newsletter is free to join, most will feature at least one free book every day, and many are brimming with freebies. Any book that isn’t free, will be heavily discounted…I’ve often snagged $10 box sets for only 99c.

Does this type of bargain hunting hurt authors?

No!

Okay, yes, some people will download any and every free book they can get with no intention, no matter how much they enjoyed a book, of paying for something from that author. That’s fine. We all have budget constraints.

However, many readers will take advantage of these freebies and bargains as a way to try out a new author without risking too much hard-earned money. If the book captures them, these readers will stick with the author and buy more of his or her books. It’s no different than a brand name product offering a free sample in the hopes you will continue buying their product.

Finally, any download, whether it’s free or not, gives a book a little boost in the retailer’s ranking system. Enough downloads can rocket a book to the top twenty which means it will be front and center to other shoppers. Visibility like that is a boon to authors because it gives a form of social proof that that book is worth buying.

And, if the stars line up correctly, the book may soar to Number One, which is what happened for me with my book The Trials of Hercules. That book is permafree, but my sales for the other books in the series in the weeks after were AMAZING.

Note: If you do get a book you enjoy for free, the best way to pay the author back is to leave the book a review!!

Yeah, Yeah, Show Me the Newsletters!!

Okay, enough explanation, here’s a few of the newsletters I’ve worked with and many of which I subscribe to myself. Give one of them a try, or all of them. If one turns out not to be a good fit for you, you can unsubscribe at any time.

Book Raid – This one has a terrific array of books from many retirees. Plus, their mascot is pretty cute.

 

Free Kindle Books Today – As far as names-that-explain go, you can’t do better than this. The books are free and they’re for your Kindle (Amazon). They do have a few 99c books now and then, as well as new releases.

Freebooksy – Yep, free books, but they don’t limit themselves to Amazon, if you prefer to support other retailers.

Bargain Booksy – The sister newsletter to Freebooksy. Same idea, but the books range from 99c to $2.99.

E-Reader News Today – This newsletter sends out a mix of freebies and bargains for all retailers.

A Few Genre Specific Newsletters (all run by the same company)

• Book Barbarian – Freebie and bargain sci-fi and fantasy tomes available at many retailers (although most tend to only be available at Amazon).
• Book Adrenaline – Same as Book Barbarian, but for thrillers and mysteries.
• Red Rose Romance – And the same again, but for romance titles.

And A Couple Bits of Freebie Self-Promotion

Of course, you can also subscribe to my own newsletter. You’ll not only get a free short story, but I also participate in at least a couple author-sponsored promos each month and I share these promos every other week with my readers.

The books in the promos may not be vetted by the powers that be, but each promo has a HUGE variety of freebies and bargains for you to try out.

And last but not least, the first books of both of my historical fantasy series are always free on all the retailers. If you’re interested, just click the covers below, select your favorite retailer, and grab your copies!

 

What about you? Do you have other book newsletters to suggest? Do you like free books to test out a new author? 

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