Free eBooks? What's the Catch?

 

 

What is the Catch to Free Kindle Books?

For the most part, there is no "catch" to downloading free Kindle books from Amazon.

Why are There Free Kindle Books on Amazon and How Does it Work?

There are are two classes of free books on Amazon.

KDP Free Book Promotions

The main source of free Kindle books on Amazon is a result of Amazon's Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) Program. When Kindle authors sign up for the KDP program, they get a total of 5 free days within a 90 day period when they can offer their Kindle books for free.

Some authors choose to use up their 5 free giveaway days all at once while others may spread them over the course of weekends or special holidays and events.

Digital List Price of $0.00 or Free

There are Kindle books on Amazon that are listed for the price of $0.00 while not on any promotion.

Some authors list their books for free for some of the following reasons:

1. a way to hopefully get more traffic to their other books, 
2. a way to possibly increase their sales rank and possibly make the Amazon Best Seller List, 
3. as a test, 
4. a way to get exposure for their book with minimal marketing, 
5. avoid paying high costs involved for book reviews, giveaways, and press releases

The same reasons can be applied to those who choose to use the free Kindle Direct Publishing platform as well.

Free to Borrow for Prime Members

Some Kindle authors choose to have their books available for free to borrow under the KDP program.  Amazon Prime Members pay a certain amount every year (somewhere around $80 or less) in order to get access to main items with free shipping and a lot of other benefits.  One of these benefits is being able to have the exclusive access to borrow books for free that others would have to pay the full price.

How Long are These Kindle Books Available for Free?

There's no way of knowing how most Kindle books will remain free unless you subscribe to the author's email list or visit or subscribe to a website/blog such as this (FreeWholesomeKindleBooks.blogspot.com) in order to find out what's currently available.

Can I Download a Book Even if I Don't a Kindle?

Yes!

There are applications you can download so that you can download a free Kindle book to your computer.  There is also a Kindle app for the iPad and iPhone.  Tablets and phones have access to the files and you just have to find the right one to download for your computer or mobile device.

Do I Ever Have to Pay for a Kindle Book After I've Downloaded it During the Free Trial Period?

No.

So long as the Kindle book is marked "free," then the book is free. One thing to take note of is that I've seen some authors give a few free chapters in one free download.  They are hoping that you would purchase the entire manuscript, which most likely will be for sale.

How Can I Sign Up for Amazon Prime Membership?

It's easy.  Along with paying the fee mentioned above, you fill out their form on Amazon's page or you can support this website by using our referral link here:  Join Amazon Prime for Membership Benefits