How to read more and pay less

The coming of the Kindle and other eReaders prompted predictions of the imminent death of publishing. Predictably, this didn’t happen, and in fact most people I know who have Kindles are reading more than ever – I certainly am.

There are also many more books out there to choose from. eReaders have led to a veritable explosion in self-publishing. Of course this does mean there’s a lot more dross to wade through, but it also means there are lots and lots more diamonds to find.

I’m a huge fan of my Kindle. I love that I can finish a book in a series and in seconds be reading the next one. I love that there are hundreds, possibly thousands, of out-of-copyright books that can be downloaded for free. I love that self-publishing is opening up new avenues for both writers and readers. And I love that reading all those books doesn’t have to cost a fortune.

Twitter
Are you on Twitter? Then get following @FreebooksUK. This feed tracks and lists free ebooks on Amazon. Follow the link, read the synopsis and if you’re interested download it for free.

A lot of these books are by indie authors or the first in a series. So if you enjoy the book, repay the author by buying the next one or by rating the book on Goodreads or Amazon. Writing a short review is even better.

Another good source of cheap books is @eBookDailyUK. This account tracks reduced price and occasionally free titles on Amazon. Unlike FreebooksUK, it often includes bestsellers.

Project Gutenberg
This project is really quite amazing – tens of thousands of free books that have been digitised by an army of volunteers and uploaded so that you can download and read them. All the book here are out of copyright, so it’s a great source for classics.

If you use the resource often you might want to consider donating or volunteering some of your time.

Amazon
Of course Amazon itself is a great resource, with books for £2.99 or less, as well as seasonal sales.

So there's my tips for some ways to get hold of cheap and free books. What resources do you use?