Answering All Your Questions about Free Ebooks

Since we work with authors and publishers daily to provide free ebooks to our readers, we get a lot of questions about free ebooks.

Lots of readers wonder if this is legal, how authors are making money if their books are free, and how to make the most of free ebooks. While our team is always happy to answer your questions, we figured that for every one person that actually asks, there’s probably a hundred more readers wondering without asking. So, we thought we’d compile some of your most frequently asked free-ebook questions into one place.

Let’s get started.

1. Are free ebooks really free, or are there hidden costs?

Free ebooks are truly free ebooks, and every book on our site that is advertised as free, whether from our retailer deals or our direct download deals, is truly and completely, one-hundred-percent, free.

However, for many of our direct download deals, our authors do ask that you subscribe to their author newsletters in exchange for their free book.

We will never ask for your credit card information or other personal information to access the free ebooks.

There are several sites out there that claim to have free ebooks but then ask you to enter your credit card information to get them. These sites are participating in fraud.

Additionally, some sites charge an upfront or monthly fee to access their “free ebooks.” Furthermore, it has recently come out that many of these fee-pay sites actually don’t have permission from many of the authors on their platforms. In other words, they stole the books and are now charging you money from them. We recommend vetting your free ebook vendors carefully before accessing them as these disruptible vendors are seriously hurting authors.

2. Why are authors giving away their books for free?

Authors generally give their ebooks away for free for marketing and promotional purposes. Here are some common reasons authors decide to give their books away for free:

• ARC editions of books for feedback and reviews. Authors will giveaway pre-published editions of their books in order to gain feedback on their writing, assess how the book will be received, and receive honest reviews on retailer platforms.
• Free new releases to gain reviews and boost visibility. Authors will also give away free new releases to drive interest and gain early reviews. Having early reviews can go a long way in helping authors get those initial sales.
• Giving away the first book of a series. Authors will give away the first book of their series in order to promote purchases of the rest of their series. They hope that if you enjoy the first book you got for free, you’ll then go on to buy the rest of the series.
• Other books in a series for series promotion. Authors will also sometimes rotate through the different books in a series and put them all on sale at different times to keep interest in the series up. Authors will also often put the latest book in a series on sale before releasing the next book to drive more interest in purchasing the newest book as soon as it’s available.
• Generating interest in backlisted books. Many authors have older books that are still great but no longer receive marketing attention from publishers or notice from readers simply because they’re older. Authors will do free ebook promotions on these types of books to help boost their momentum and keep them from being forgotten.
• Increasing rankings on retailers. In order to sell more books, an author’s book must rank well on retailers to be found by readers. By giving away some copies of their book for free, their rankings will be boosted on retailer sites so that more people will discover and purchase the book at full price.
• Collaborating with other authors. Some authors will participate in group promotions with other authors, where they all agree to offer one book for free, then cross-promote them amongst their readers. This is a great way for authors to discover new readers who will enjoy their books and for readers to discover more authors like the ones they already like.

There are many other reasons and considerations behind why an author might offer their ebooks for free, but we’ve covered the main ones here. We collaborate directly with authors and publishers to help promote their free and discounted books.

3. How do authors make money if their books are free?

They don’t make money on the copies of the book being given away for free, but count on readers who enjoyed the book to check out and purchase some of their other books.

Giving away some books for free in the short term can also help authors gain more reviews and rank higher on retailers, both of which help them make more sales in the long term, since the book will show higher in search results and will look more attractive to readers who aren’t familiar with the author or their books.

So, if you’d like to thank an author for a free ebook you received for free, be sure to write a review, tell all of your friends and family members how much you loved it, and check out some of their other books to see if you might like them as well. These simple things are invaluable to authors.

4. Can I read free ebooks on any device?

Yes, you can read free ebooks on a wide range of devices. Most ebooks are available in popular digital formats such as PDF, EPUB, and MOBI, which are compatible with various devices and applications. Many apps, like Amazon’s Kindle app, work across several different devices as well, making it very easy to sync your digital library across all of your devices.

It’s important to note that while most devices support common ebook formats, there may be some restrictions or compatibility issues depending on the file format and device capabilities. Checking the supported formats and requirements of your specific device or app will ensure a smooth reading experience.

If you need help figuring out how to read your free ebooks on your device, please check out our blog, Everything You Need to Know About How to Download Ebooks on Any Device, for detailed step-by-step instructions on downloading ebooks onto a variety of devices.

5. Are there limitations on the genres or types of books available as free ebooks?

While there is a wide range of genres and types of books available as free ebooks, it’s important to note that not all books will be available for free due to copyright restrictions or licensing agreements.

Typically, books that are selling well and have a lot of momentum will not be offered for free. Offering free books is generally a way for an author to promote their books, whether by discounting the first book in a series before releasing the latest book or by reigniting interest in an older novel, among other reasons.

This is why recently released books and top sellers are not usually offered as free ebooks. At least, not until some of their momentum has died down. If a site claims to have a newly released, popular book for free, that’s a huge sign that site is not a legitimate source and is stealing from the author.

With that being said, there are still so many incredible books that can be found through free ebook sites, and we’ve featured several books from top-selling authors.

To check out which free ebooks we’re currently offering for free, don’t forget to sign up for our daily deals email! Some of the hottest deals are only featured for a day, so this is the best way to make sure you don’t miss them.

6. Are free ebooks good quality and well-edited?

Yes, free ebooks are still incredible, high-quality books. Well, okay, I wouldn’t say that every free ebook across the entire internet is a great-quality book, but every book we promote is.

We have our team of editors vet each book before we feature them. They look at not only the writing quality, editing, and formatting of the books to make sure they are professional, but also vet for the type of content in each book to provide a movie-like rating. This allows you to search for only the content you like when browsing free ebooks on our site.

Our goal has always been to connect the right readers with the right books. We want to make it as easy as possible for you to find great, new reads for free or steeply discounted.

7. Can I download and keep free ebooks indefinitely?

Yes. Once you “purchase” a free ebook through a retailer like Amazon or download a free ebook through our direct downloads service, it’s yours to keep forever.

8. Are there any legal issues with downloading and reading free ebooks?

Downloading and reading free ebooks from reputable sources is completely legal. We work with authors and publishers to promote their books. They set up their own promotions; we just help them run them.

However, and unfortunately, there are many, many sites offering free ebooks illegally. While some of these sites are obvious to spot, like torrent sites, some sites put a lot of work into appearing legitimate.

If you are ever in doubt about the validity of a site, reach out to the author and mention that you were considering downloading their free ebook but want to ensure it’s a legitimate source first. This is the fastest and most direct way to get answers to your questions. And authors really appreciate it when readers let them know about illegal copies of their books out there.

Not only do these illegal copies hurt authors in a multitude of ways, but they can also prevent authors from being able to sell their books anywhere. Sometimes authors can get in trouble with the publishers and platforms they have contracts with if illegal copies of their books are found elsewhere.

For example, an ebook in Amazon’s KDP Select program is not allowed to be offered anywhere else. So if Amazon learns that an author’s book is being sold on another platform, they may assume the author did it themselves and terminate their contract with the author, when in reality the author hasn’t done anything wrong and is just a victim of theft.

It takes a lot of time and effort and resources from authors to fight these sites, so we can do what we can as readers to help them out by alerting authors to potentially illegal copies that we spot.

By obtaining free ebooks from legitimate sources, respecting copyright laws, and adhering to the terms of use, you can enjoy reading free ebooks without legal issues. And if that sounds like a lot to navigate yourself, don’t worry. That’s why we handle it all for you.

9. Do free ebooks include popular bestsellers and new releases?

While it is less common to find current bestsellers and new releases available for free, there are instances where authors or publishers may offer limited-time promotions or giveaways for these types of books.

Publishers and authors often use free ebooks as a promotional tool for lesser-known titles and backlisted books, or as a way to introduce readers to new authors and series. So, many older bestsellers can be found as limited-time free ebook deals, but not often ones released in the last year or so.

If you are specifically looking for popular bestsellers or new releases, it is more likely that you will need to purchase or borrow them through commercial platforms or subscription services. Libby, Hoopla, and Overdrive are digital lending libraries where you can borrow and read new releases and popular books not found as free ebooks.

10. Can I access free ebooks in languages other than English?

Yes, you can access free ebooks in languages other than English. We hope to offer different languages on our site as an option in the future; however, we only offer English books right now.

But there are numerous websites, platforms, and digital libraries that offer free ebooks in various languages. Some popular sources include Project Gutenberg and Open Library. These platforms often have a wide selection of books in different languages, including classics, public domain works, and books from independent authors.

11. What are some trusted websites or platforms that offer free ebooks?

There are several trusted websites and platforms that offer free ebooks. Here are a few popular ones:

1. Book Cave: Offers new free ebooks daily in a variety of genres. Since we work directly with authors and publishers, we are able to feature ebooks outside of the public domain. You can find a great variety of current and trending ebooks through Book Cave’s daily deals services.
2. Project Gutenberg: Project Gutenberg is one of the oldest and most well-known sources of free ebooks. It offers a vast collection of public-domain books, including classics, literary works, and non-fiction titles.
3. Retailers: You don’t always need a service to find free ebooks, although we make it immensely easier. You can also try your luck by simply searching for free ebooks on retailer sites like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple Books, Google Books, and more.

12. Are there any limitations on the number of free ebooks I can download or access?

Nope. None. You could get every single free ebook on our site if you wanted to. But you’d end up with thousands and thousands of ebooks, so . . .

13. Can I share or lend free ebooks to others?

The ability to share or lend free ebooks to others depends on the specific terms and conditions set by the platform or website where you obtained the ebooks. Some platforms may allow you to share or lend ebooks within certain limitations, while others may restrict such activities.

For example, if you borrow an ebook from a library’s digital collection, there may be restrictions on sharing or lending the ebook to others. The borrowing terms typically apply only to the individual who borrowed the ebook and do not permit sharing with others.

On the other hand, if you obtained a free ebook from a platform that uses open licenses, such as Creative Commons, you may have more freedom to share or lend the ebook to others, as long as you comply with the specific license terms.

It’s important to review the terms of use or licensing information associated with the free ebooks you obtain to understand any restrictions on sharing or lending. If you’re unsure, it’s best to consult the platform or website’s guidelines or contact their support for clarification.

14. Do free ebook platforms require registration or personal information?

Nope. They shouldn’t. We offer a daily deals email to notify you about new ebook deals that you may be interested in as a convenience to you, but it’s not a requirement to access our free retailer deals which can also be found on our site.

However, the daily deals emails are highly-customizable for you. So not only do you save time by having them delivered directly to you, but they only alert you about the types of books you’ve indicated that you’re interested in. You can narrow down your preferences by genre, content rating, and retailer. If there are no books that fit your preferences that day, you won’t get an email. We don’t want to waste anyone’s time.

15. Can I read free ebooks offline or without an internet connection?

Yup. Just make sure they’re actually downloaded to your device, and not just being stored in the cloud.

For example, many e-reader apps from retailers like Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or Kobo will store your books in the cloud until you’re ready to read them. Once you’ve clicked on the book within the app, it’s then downloaded onto your device for reading. Once downloaded, you can access and read the ebooks even without an internet connection.

Our direct download deals are automatically provided to you in their downloaded format (such as MOBI or EPUB) that can be saved to your device for offline access.

16. Are there any geographical restrictions on accessing free ebooks?

Yes, there can be geographical restrictions on accessing free ebooks, depending on the platform or website you are using. We always suggest to our authors that they make their deals available to a worldwide audience, but not every author is able to do this.

A free ebook platform may have specific rights to distribute a book only in certain countries or regions, which means that users from other locations may not be able to access those particular ebooks. Additionally, some publishers may have different distribution rights for different countries, leading to variations in the availability of free ebooks across regions.

So, while we prefer to promote books that are available to a wider audience, many of our books are only available in the US. Through our emails, we are able to send you a link to the ebook listing in your country. However, if you’re just browsing our site and aren’t signed in, we are not able to link to country pages and will simply take you to the US pages (which can cause weird pricing when the retailer attempts to convert the price to your country’s pricing, while staying on the US page).

17. How often are new free ebooks added to the collection?

Daily. We have new book deals every single day of the year, including holidays (because we know how important it is to have something good to read when we finally have some time off). Sometimes these deals are only available for 24 hrs, and sometimes they are available for longer, but we are constantly adding new free ebooks.

This is why we recommend subscribing to our highly-customizable daily deals emails. So that you never miss a deal you might be interested in.

18. Can I request specific books or authors for free ebooks?

Sure. It never hurts to let an author know that you’d be interested in seeing them do a free ebook promotion. If the author thinks there is a lot of demand for this and that it could give them a big boost in sales, they may decide to go through with it.

Some authors have been known to give a free copy of a book out to people who enquire. You may also be able to join an arc team for the author where they provide a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. However, there’s no guarantee that an author will agree to a promotion or give you a free copy of their book.

You can find the contact information for many authors through our Author Profile Pages. You can also follow your favorite authors there to receive notifications when their books go on sale.

Remember that free ebook platforms strive to offer a wide range of titles, but the availability of specific books or authors can vary based on factors such as licensing, copyright, and publisher agreements.

19. Are there any age restrictions on accessing free ebooks?

We require all subscribers to be 16 in order to sign up for our daily deals newsletter or to make an account.

The retailers where the books are actually available for download have various terms and restrictions. Generally, these terms affect ages younger than 13 to 18 years of age.

It’s important to review the terms and conditions or user agreements of the specific platform or website offering the free ebooks to understand any age restrictions or requirements. Additionally, if the platform or website offers content that is specifically intended for mature audiences, they may have additional age verification processes in place.

We always suggest that parents are involved in helping their children acquire new ebooks.

20. Can I find free ebooks for academic or educational purposes?

Yes, it is possible to find free ebooks for academic or educational purposes. Many platforms and websites offer a wide range of educational resources, textbooks, and scholarly literature that can be accessed and downloaded for free. These resources cover various subjects and disciplines, including science, mathematics, history, literature, and more.

Some reputable sources for free academic ebooks are Project Gutenberg, OpenStax, and Directory of Open Access Books, as well as online repositories and archives from universities and research institutions.

When searching for free ebooks for academic purposes, it’s important to consider the credibility and reliability of the sources. Look for reputable platforms, check the credentials of authors or publishers, and ensure that the content aligns with your specific educational needs.

21. Are there any special promotions or discounts available for free ebook readers?

While free ebooks themselves do not typically come with additional special promotions or discounts, there are often promotions and discounts available for ebook readers or devices that can be used to read free ebooks.

For example, we offer a monthly Kindle device giveaway to subscribers of our daily free ebook newsletter.

In addition, Companies like Amazon (Kindle), Barnes & Noble (Nook), and Kobo that offer their own ebook reader devices often have sales on their e-reading device. Some of these sales may come with a trial of their book subscriptions as well. Keep an eye out for these sales to get discounted prices on ebook readers.

Authors may reward readers of their free ARC editions with coupons to use to purchase the officially published book later or one of their other books.

Remember that while free ebooks are widely available, promotions and discounts on ebook readers or related services may vary depending on the platform, retailer, or region. It’s always a good idea to compare prices, read customer reviews, and consider your reading preferences and budget before making a purchase.

Do you have any more questions about free ebooks? Share them with us in the comments below!

Happy reading.