Sunday, March 03, 2013

5 Ways to Get Free Books

5 Ways to Get Free Books
To say that I'm a book lover is putting it altogether too mildly...I adore books! (My always overflowing book shelves attest to this fact.) If you're like me, and you love to have a book always at hand to delve in to, then you'll need to find some ways to get free (or very cheap) books.

1. Amazon - If you have any sort of website or blog, then having a few Amazon affiliate links is a great way to earn Amazon gift cards, which you can use to order books for free! I keep track of the books I'd really love to get and then when I have enough gift cards, I order away, with no guilt whatsoever.
2. Secondhand books - You can just go in and buy a book cheap - such as when your favorite secondhand book store has a sale on. Or, to get books for free at secondhand book shops, take your own used books in to get credits which you can then use for the new (to you) books that you really want.
3. Hold a book swap - If your friends and family are fellow book lovers, then have a book swap night. Brew up some tea and coffee, and invite everyone to bring themselves, their books that they'd like to trade in, and a snack to share. It turns a social gathering into something useful - a way for everyone to trade books and get new books to enjoy.
4. eBay - Now, check first to see if you'll earn enough on eBay to get true value out of your old books. Sometimes it makes sense (especially with textbooks - you can earn some good money selling old textbooks), but other times you'll find better ways to get or sell old books. So, you can earn money on your old books, which you can then put towards buying new books!
5. Ask to borrow - If your friend tells you about the amazing book they read, simply ask if you can borrow it to read it, too. But, don't be a book miser - be just as willing to lend out your read books, too, and it'll work for everyone.
6. One extra - keep an eye open for freebies. In the apartment complex where I live, I notice that sometimes people who are moving out will simply leave a small box of books out near the mailboxes, knowing that someone will get use out of them. It's a much better thing to do than throwing good books out, and if you keep your eyes open, you just might score some great new reads without paying a single dime.

Okay book lovers - tell us how YOU manage to score free books in the comments section, below.