Readers love free ebooks. Authors love finding new readers. And somewhere in the middle sits a whole world of ebook deal newsletters, library apps, and promotional sites that can fill your phone, tablet, Kindle, or computer with enough books to make your nightstand feel personally judged.
The good news: there are plenty of legitimate ways to get free ebooks.
The bad news: “free ebook” is also one of those phrases scammers and shady download sites love. So we’re going to stick with the real options: trusted ebook newsletters, major retailers, library apps, and author giveaways.
And yes, I’m speaking partly as an author here. I’ve put books into free and discounted promotions. Authors do this because we want new readers to discover our work. If you enjoy the free book, we hope you might buy the next book in the series, sign up for our newsletter, recommend us to a friend, or leave a kind review.
That is the bargain. You get a free story. We get a chance to make a new reader friend. Nobody has to meet in a parking lot wearing a trench coat.
First: Where Do You Read Free Ebooks?
You do not always need a Kindle device to read Kindle books.
You can read ebooks on:
- A Kindle e-reader
- The free Kindle app on a phone or tablet
- Apple Books
- Google Play Books
- Kobo
- Barnes & Noble/Nook
- Library apps like Libby, hoopla, CloudLibrary, or Palace
- Sometimes directly in a browser
BookBub says its deals can be read on a Kindle, tablet, phone, or other device. The Fussy Librarian says its free newsletter links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, and sites like BookFunnel.
The catch: not every free book works in every app. Some books are free only at Amazon. Some are free at multiple retailers. Some are delivered through BookFunnel or another author-delivery service. Some library books must be read inside the library app. Before you click, look at where the book is available.
Also, always check the price before you hit Buy. A book that was free yesterday may be back to $4.99 today. That’s not a scam by itself; many free promotions are temporary.
Part 1: Why Authors Give Away Books
Let’s get this out in the open.
Most authors are not giving away books because we enjoy making zero dollars. We are doing it as marketing.
A free book can help an author:
Introduce new readers to a series
Build name recognition
Get more downloads
Boost visibility on retailer charts
Attract reviews
Lead readers to the next book
Bring readers to an author newsletter
Revive interest in an older title
Promote a new release by making Book 1 free
BookBub says authors use Featured Deals to drive exposure for backlist books, get readers hooked on the first book in a series, build awareness for an author brand, and support new launches.
In plain English: if I give away Book 1, I’m hoping you love it enough to try Book 2. That is why you’ll often see the first book in a series offered free or deeply discounted.
It’s not a trick. It’s the free sample at the grocery store. Except instead of a cube of cheese on a toothpick, it’s a murder mystery.
Part 2: Authors Often Pay to Be in These Newsletters
This is the part readers usually don’t know.
For many ebook deal newsletters, the reader signs up free, but the author or publisher pays to be featured. Sometimes the fee is modest. Sometimes it is hundreds of dollars or more, depending on the newsletter, genre, audience size, price of the book, and whether the book is free or discounted.
BookBub, for example, is free for authors to submit to, but if a book is selected for a Featured Deal, the author or publisher pays a flat fee based on category, region, and deal price. BookBub also says meeting the requirements does not guarantee selection, and one of its support pages says it can only select about 10% to 15% of U.S. Featured Deal submissions because of limited space and high submission volume. BookBub Support
That means when you see an author in a big newsletter, especially BookBub, they didn’t just press a magic “free publicity” button. They likely submitted, waited, got accepted, discounted the book, and paid for the placement.
Some of these promotions are a gamble. The author is hoping that giving away or discounting one book will lead to future sales, new fans, reviews, library requests, newsletter signups, or word of mouth.
So when you enjoy a free book, leaving a review or telling a friend really does help. You are not just being nice. You are helping that book find its next reader.
Part 3: BookBub
BookBub is probably the best-known ebook deal newsletter. Readers sign up, choose genres they like, and get free or discounted ebook deals. BookBub says it is a free service that helps millions of readers find deals on bestselling ebooks.
What readers like
BookBub is polished, genre-based, and often features strong books. You can follow authors, choose categories, and get alerts for deals that match your interests.
It is especially useful if you like popular genres such as mystery, romance, thrillers, fantasy, historical fiction, biography, and nonfiction.
Pros
- Free for readers
- Personalized by genre
- Often high-quality selections
- Good for discovering authors
- Links to major retailers
- Easy to follow favorite authors
Cons
- Deals are temporary
- Not every book is free; many are discounted
- Popular books may tempt you into buying more, which is the point
- The best deals can clutter your inbox if you sign up for too many categories
Author side
BookBub is highly competitive. As mentioned above, it says only a fraction of submitted U.S. Featured Deals are selected. That’s why authors often get excited about a BookBub feature the way normal people get excited about winning a raffle basket full of chocolate.
Part 4: The Fussy Librarian
The Fussy Librarian is another ebook recommendation service. Readers can sign up for free and choose the kinds of books they want to hear about. The site says it offers email newsletters catered to readers’ particular interests, and its author FAQ says its free newsletter links to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo, Google Play, and BookFunnel-style options.
What readers like
The Fussy Librarian is good if you want a steady stream of free and bargain books by genre. It has a friendlier, more curated feel than just wandering around Amazon’s free charts with a flashlight and a granola bar.
Pros
- Free for readers
- Genre preferences
- Includes free and bargain books
- Supports multiple retailers
- Good for discovering indie authors
Cons
- Quality can vary
- Some deals are bargains, not free
- You may need to check the retailer price before downloading
- You may get more emails than you expected if you sign up broadly
Author side
Authors pay for many of these promotional placements. The Fussy Librarian’s author advertising pages include separate promotion options and submission guidance for free and bargain ebooks.
Part 5: Freebooksy
Freebooksy is focused on free ebooks. It says it sends readers free books from indie authors, and its author pages describe features that promote free ebooks to large genre-based lists.
What readers like
Freebooksy is very direct. If you want free ebooks, that is its whole job. It is a good place to discover indie authors and first-in-series books.
Pros
- Focused on free books
- Strong for genre fiction
- Good for Kindle readers
- Often features indie authors
- Useful if you read a lot and want to sample new writers
Cons
- Many books are temporarily free, so check the price
- Quality varies
- Some authors are new or lesser-known
- You may find yourself downloading more books than any one human can read before the sun burns out
Author side
Freebooksy has paid author promotion pricing based on genre and list size. Its pricing page says the service links to books on Kindle, Apple, Nook, Kobo, and Google Play.
Part 6: Ereader News Today
Ereader News Today, often called ENT, has been around a long time in ebook-deal land. Its site says it has been delivering highly rated free and bargain ebook deals since 2010.
What readers like
ENT is straightforward: free and bargain ebooks, often in popular genres. It has a long-standing reputation among ebook deal hunters.
Pros
- Free daily newsletter
- Long-running service
- Includes free and deeply discounted ebooks
- Good for readers who want regular deals
Cons
- Deals are temporary
- Selection varies by day
- More useful if you like genre fiction
- You still need to check the price before buying
Author side
ENT’s submission page says authors can advertise bargain or free books through the website, social media, and daily newsletter, and that the book must be at its discount or free price on the promotion day.
Part 7: Robin Reads
Robin Reads is another author-paid ebook promotion service that sends readers free and discounted book deals. Its author signup page says authors use the service to boost sales, raise awareness, and introduce readers to new favorites.
What readers like
Robin Reads is known among ebook bargain hunters for curated genre deals. It can be a good source for finding authors you might not discover through bestseller lists.
Pros
- Free or bargain deals
- Good for genre readers
- Curated newsletter style
- Useful for discovering indie and small-press authors
Cons
- Not every book will be your taste
- Deals can expire
- The selection depends on what authors are promoting
Author side
Robin Reads works with authors on price promotions and requires authors to discount books before the promotion time.
Part 8: Book Cave
Book Cave offers free and discounted ebook alerts, and one of its reader FAQs says it also offers free books that can be downloaded directly from Book Cave in return for signing up for an author’s newsletter. My Book Cave
What readers like
Book Cave has a strong reader-targeting angle. One notable feature is content ratings, which can help readers avoid books with material they do or do not want.
Pros
- Free and discounted ebooks
- Content ratings can be helpful
- Includes retailer promotions and direct downloads
- Good for readers with specific comfort levels
Cons
- Some free books may require joining an author newsletter
- Direct downloads may be less familiar for beginners
- You need to know where the book will live after downloading it
Author side
Book Cave’s author pages explain retailer promotions where authors discount ebooks or audiobooks through retailers and Book Cave emails subscribers about the deal.
Part 9: RetireHub
RetireHub is not only a book newsletter. It is a broader retirement-lifestyle site and newsletter aimed at older readers, but it also offers book promotion opportunities. Its book-promotion page says authors can feature a book in the RetireHub daily newsletter for a flat fee and describes its audience as U.S. readers 45+ who engage with books, entertainment, and retirement-lifestyle content.
What readers like
For readers over 45, RetireHub-style newsletters can be useful because the books may be mixed into a broader daily email that also includes deals, lifestyle items, retirement topics, and entertainment.
Pros
- Good fit for mature readers
- May surface books outside the usual ebook-deal crowd
- Useful for readers who like a broader newsletter, not just book listings
Cons
- Not purely an ebook newsletter
- Book selection may be smaller
- You may receive non-book content too
Author side
This is another example of authors paying to reach a targeted audience. For some books, especially mystery, memoir, women’s fiction, historical fiction, nonfiction, or books with older-reader appeal, that kind of audience can be valuable.
Part 10: Library Apps — The Best Kind of Free
Newsletter freebies are nice, but don’t forget your library card.
Library apps let you borrow ebooks and audiobooks legally for free through your public library. The big difference is that you are borrowing, not buying. The book returns automatically. No late fees. No hunting under the car seat for a missing paperback.
Libby
Libby is made by OverDrive. It lets you borrow ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, and more from participating public libraries. Libby says you can browse, borrow, and read or listen through your library. OverDrive
Libby is great for popular ebooks and audiobooks, but you may have to place holds if all digital copies are checked out. OverDrive also says users can borrow and send ebooks to Kindle from Libby, Sora, or a library’s OverDrive website when the Kindle version exists.
Best for: popular ebooks, audiobooks, magazines, Kindle readers, library users.
Possible downside: wait lists for popular books.
hoopla
hoopla lets library users borrow ebooks, audiobooks, comics, movies, TV, music, and more through participating libraries. Hoopla says access is free through your public library, and borrowing limits and available content may vary by library.
hoopla is great because many items are available instantly, but your library may limit how many items you can borrow per month or per day. Hoopla says borrow limits are set by your local library and reset at the beginning of the calendar month.
Best for: instant borrowing, audiobooks, comics, movies, TV, music, and ebooks.
Possible downside: monthly borrowing limits.
CloudLibrary
CloudLibrary lets library users browse, borrow, and read ebooks and audiobooks from participating libraries. Its site describes it as a way to access your library’s digital collection.
Best for: libraries that use CloudLibrary instead of or alongside Libby.
Possible downside: selection depends on your library.
The Palace Project
The Palace Project is a free library ebook app designed to help readers find, check out, read, and listen to digital content from their local library. It also describes itself as a way for libraries to bring digital collections into one app.
Best for: libraries that participate and readers who want one library-centered app.
Possible downside: not every library uses it.
Part 11: A Few Warnings Before You Download
Free is wonderful. Free is also how the internet sometimes gets you to click before thinking.
Use these rules:
Check the price before you buy.
Use trusted retailers or library apps.
Avoid random “download free PDF” sites.
Do not enter credit card information for a “free” book unless you are using a trusted retailer account.
Remember that Kindle Unlimited is not the same as free. It is a paid subscription, even if the book says “Read for Free.”
Watch for newsletter signups. Some direct free books require joining an author’s mailing list.
Do not download pirated books. Authors, narrators, editors, cover designers, and publishers deserve to be paid for their work.
A free book promotion is legal because the author or publisher chose to make it free. A stolen book file on a sketchy site is not the same thing.
That’s not “saving money.” That’s stealing with extra pop-ups.
Part 12: How to Be a Lovely Free-Book Reader
When you enjoy a free book, the nicest things you can do are simple:
Leave an honest review.
Tell a friend.
Follow the author on BookBub or Amazon.
Sign up for the author’s newsletter if you want updates.
Request more books by that author at your library.
Buy the next book in the series.
Share the deal while it’s still free.
You do not owe the author a glowing review just because the book was free. Reviews should be honest. But if you truly enjoyed it, even a short review helps.
Something as simple as:
“I enjoyed this small-town mystery and immediately wanted to read the next book.”
That matters. Reviews help other readers decide whether to try the book, and they help online stores understand that real people are engaging with it.
For authors, a free download is nice. A new reader who comes back for more is the dream.
Free ebooks are one of the best gifts the digital reading world has given us. With a few newsletters and a library card, you can fill your Kindle app, phone, tablet, or e-reader with mysteries, romance, thrillers, history, memoirs, cookbooks, fantasy, classics, and audiobooks without raiding the grocery budget.
Just remember what’s happening behind the scenes.
Libraries pay for digital access. Authors pay to promote books. Retailers use free books to keep you browsing. Newsletters survive by connecting readers and authors. And authors give away stories because we hope you’ll fall in love with our worlds and come back.
So grab the free books. Enjoy them. Tell your friends. Leave a review when one makes you smile.
That’s the circle of ebook life.
Less majestic than lions on a cliff, maybe, but much better for your reading list.