Hi Folks!
Through the magic of Google alerts, I was dropped into this site. I was surprised that anyone would bother to pirate an indie's books that cost less than a Big Mac, but here they were.
I won't bore you with statistics of authors who make less in a year than the pizza delivery dude. I also won't debate if file sharing is stealing. Or if authors are greedy. Or if art belongs to the world and wouldn't it be all sunshine and lollipops if everything we wanted or needed was free?
Of course it would. It pisses me off that I pay for health insurance, yet I still get a bill every time I set foot in the doctor's office. Such is life.
What I am here to do is provide resources and ideas for readers who want to fairly represent authors while getting their hands on as many books as they can. Believe me, authors understand promotion. They understand giving away freebies and they do it all the time. They just like to have some form of control over it. They like to know where their work is being offered. They like to be
asked.
(Note: one reason authors fear freebie sites such as this is that people may read a book simply because it
is free, not because it's a genre or writing style they enjoy. The result can be a negative review that didn't necessarily spring from a poorly penned story. Personally, I think it's bad form to bitch about anything received as a gift, but there you have it.)
This year, I was involved in two charity anthologies. Pink Snow Bunnies in Hell was compiled by Deb Geary and benefits animal organizations. Every Witch Way But Wicked was compiled by myself and benefits Nathan Fillion's project, Kids Need To Read You are not allowed to view links.
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I only mention this because I read through some of the other threads and saw a few posts that disturbed me, although I do see valid points from both sides of the coin. I hope you do as well.
Not every solution is for everyone and certainly not every author will agree with all I have to suggest. But it's a start. So without further ado…
FREE KINDLE READSThe Kindle Owners Lending Library * Free for Prime Members * No Due Dates You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginBooklending.com * Free to Lend, Free to Borrow You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginIndie Authors Lending Library * Blog divided by genre for indie authors in the Prime program You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginPixel of Ink * Daily offers and "best of" lists You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginEreader News Today * More daily offers and free game apps You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginFREE PRINT READSGoodreads * Multiple authors, genres, and books. I gave away 25 copies of OPAL FIRE here, globally. You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginPaperback Swap * Includes Audio You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginLibrarything * Free books in exchange for reviews You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginBOOK BLOG GIVEAWAYSThese can be ebooks, print, hardcover or prizes. Just depends on the author. There are literally hundreds of book blogs that host giveaways. Here are links to ones that I participated in.
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LoginFacebookLots of authors and book bloggers host giveaways on Facebook. I gave 10 totes away in October along with 30 copies of my book. Here's 2 ongoing throughout this month:
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LoginFROM MEALL my books are available for lending via Kindle. And the titles below are also in the Kindle Lending Library for FREE ongoing and for non-prime members, specific dates are free to EVERYONE.
Freebies this month:
Gnome Wars, December
16, 17 via Amazon: You are not allowed to view links.
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23-25 You are not allowed to view links.
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31-January 1: You are not allowed to view links.
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LoginOPAL FIRE or BLOODSTONE giveawaysOpal Fire:
Stacy Justice is a small town reporter who was raised by witches. They believe she has a far higher calling than writing articles about the local lizard race. She's just happy she doesn't have to live with them anymore. But when her cousin's bar catches fire and she barely escapes with her life--family squabbles no longer matter. Something cryptic is uncovered in the rubble that changes everything. Stacy is thrust into a cat and mouse game as she seeks to unveil the cause of the blaze that nearly destroyed her family. Suddenly, she finds herself running from a killer that will stop at nothing to keep a secret. Bloodstone:
Book Two of the Stacy Justice Series has more magic, more mystery and more twists and turns than your average amusement park.
A long-lost sister.
A missing mother.
And murder.
Stacy Justice finds herself caught in a web of deceit, betrayal and family secrets that run deeper than the Mississippi in this follow up to Annino's debut novel, OPAL FIRE. Not only must the reluctant witch determine if the teenager on her doorstep is her sister--she's forced to confront her mother's disappearance--again. Add to that a dead guy in the kitchen and Stacy's at her witch's end. She's pretty sure the Blessed Book of her family's ancestry holds the key. Except she can't find it. And if the killer does--it may be over Stacy's dead body. Is Ivy really her sister? Where is Stacy's mother? And what does the dead guy have to do with it all? Find out in Bloodstone.These are the first 2 titles in my paranormal mystery series. The books are laugh-out-loud funny. Think Janet Evanovich meets Alice Hoffman. Giveaways are for choice and will happen here on December 20th: You are not allowed to view links.
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Login and here on the 21st: You are not allowed to view links.
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Volunteer to be a Beta Reader: This is especially needed for indie authors looking for honest feedback from readers who are familiar with the genre they write in. You read for grammar, spelling and continuity and point out anything that might make the story falter. The book will not be polished because you're reading an early copy, but you get it for free.
Join a book blog: Again, with the surge of the self-published, book bloggers are getting pretty busy. Try to find one in a genre you like who needs help with review requests and you get to read for free in exchange for an honest review.
Email the author for a copy: I saw some posters claim they had no access to books in the part of the world where they reside. I assume if they come here, they have internet, so try to email the author for a copy you can purchase via paypal.
I also want to point out that if you do read a book for free, the best way to repay the author is by telling your friends and family about the book, sharing a review on a website, shouting it out on Facebook or Twitter or even emailing the author your thoughts on the story.
As a special present to you for getting through this lengthy post, here is a 50% off Smashwords coupon for Opal Fire, book one of the Stacy Justice series. Original price is $2.99.
NU54L . Expires January 1, 2012
Happy Reading!
Sincerely,
Barbra Annino
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