If you've got an e-book reader, here's how to fill it up with your favourite digital books. And some of them are free.
In most cases you'll need to hook up to a PC or laptop to get hold of content to read on your e-book device. Both Amazon and Apple are incentivising publishers to offer their authors' titles as e-books with attractive revenue deals, and have around 70 publishing houses signed up.
You don't necessarily need to pay for books, however. You can grab digital extracts of books from Lovereading.co.uk and by going to the author or publisher websites, while BooksOnBoard.com offers a selection of free Harlequin romances and a range of cut-price titles. It’s worth signing up for newsletters from specific publishing houses whose authors you enjoy – or even following them on Twitter.
For recently released paperbacks by internationally known authors, you're likely to pay around £8 a time – a similar price, in other words, to buying a physical copy from a bookshop. Not all e-books are as expensive, however. Waterstone’s sells paperback fiction and non-fiction for around £9 a title, but its classic e-books – out-of-copyright books nicely repackaged – are just £4.50 to £5.
Special offers can also be found, particularly if you're on the hunt for bodice rippers and raunchy romances. Free titles you can download tend to be first-time novelists and those without established agents.
WHSmith's (whsmith.co.uk) pricing is similar, while Foyles' most popular titles tend to be more expensive. You will pay £16 for Hilary Mantel's Booker Prize-winning Wolf Hall, for example – the same as if you were buying a hardback copy.
An advanced search on the Foyles site allows you to browse through its 77,000-strong e-books list, where you'll find some titles at paperback prices and some educational and religious studies ones for £3 or £4. This list includes audiobooks.
Audiobooks
If audiobooks also interest you, the two main sources are Amazon-owned Audible.co.uk and Audiobooks.co.uk. The former operates on a subscription basis, where the first three months cost £3.99 each and you then pay £7.99. In return you get heavy discounts. Full-price audiobooks cost around £12 to £19.
The Audio Book Store offers good bundled deals – £25 for 10 Penguin Classics on CD, while downloadable audiobooks cost around £10 each.
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Comments
Rosemary Hattersley said: Thanks - Ive fixed the links Gutenbergorg is indeed a great source of free books This piece is part of a wider look at ebook reader devices in which Gutenberg gets plenty of mentions hence its initial omission here Clink the link to Group test whats the best e-Book reader for the rest of the feature
Rob said: Gutenburgh org is a good source of free books also from free ebooks netcannot post links as PCA thinks I am spamming Google for links
Helen said: Just wanted to add that its worth double checking on your libraries website as the overdrive website didnt find my library by postcode but when searching under regions it did
S M said: Disappointingly two of your links dont work ebookdictionarycom isnt a working site Neither is searchoverdrivecom Please check your links before they are published
Helen said: Just wanted to add that its worth double checking on your libraries website as the overdrive website didnt find my library by postcode but when searching under regions it did