I’m not a hoarder of free Kindle books, but I do download the occasional freebie. A title or cover may catch my eye, or a blurb may sound too good to resist. More than likely, an indie author’s name I’m familiar with crops up in my Twitter or Facebook feed, and I figure what the hell. It’s free. Fast forward two years. All of those free Kindle books sat mocking me. The sheer number lining my virtual bookshelves dulled my desire to read rather than fuel it. What to do? I hit delete last weekend. Over and over again. Title, by disappearing title, my relief grew.
Now that I’ve committed the great Kindle purge, I’m recommitting to searching for books that truly spark my interest. Back in February, I posed the question how often we quit reading a book. Believe it or not, I have gotten better about putting books aside, but still a sense of obligation lingers. No book appeals to all readers, so I will tell myself at least my clicks on those free Kindle books hopefully helped someone climb the Amazon charts.
But what of receiving free Kindle books for the reviews I post on this blog? Granted, I’ve connected with some great writers like Denise Baer, Candy Korman, SP Mount, and Larry Crane (to name just a few). Since I don’t post one- or two-star reviews for independent authors or for any book I quit reading, you’ve not been privy to some of the books that didn’t make the cut to be reviewed on this blog.
Just a few days ago, I put aside a shapeless, meandering memoir that lacked chapters. Then there was a novella with a creepy cover I liked, but the first two paragraphs read like a middle school attempt. Or what of the story of a pop star that contained an orgy of epic proportions? Even better is the slow-paced horror novel’s author who retaliated and gave my titles one-star on Goodreads.
Where am I going with this? Once again, this is my way of owning up to doing more of what I like and less of what I feel obligated to do.
I’ll still probably download free Kindle books. After all, I would hope others would do the same for me. It’s not like eBooks take up space, unless we can count the space in my head, the space that is getting tired of reading books that simply aren’t ready for the light of day.
I need to start reading the books on my wishlist, and those books reflect the reading tastes I’ve spent years cultivating: carefully crafted prose, attention to pacing and structure, not to mention marrying a great plot and characters to deeper thematic elements.
Needless to say, when I do agree to review a book here, I have made the decision to at least pay for a copy of the darn thing. At least then I am putting my money where my mouth is.
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How many free Kindle books have you downloaded? As a whole, what impression have they left you with?
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Please share responsibly. Jeri Walker, 2013.
I must say I download quite a lot of book, free and those I need to pay for. Either way, I have no qualms in tossing the ones that aren’t up to my reading standard. Can be my taste or just downright bad writing. (I mean the first page riddled with not only SPaG but repeated words?) Like you I don’t post less than three star reviews (in my opinion a three star is still not bad at all.) but I will instead mail the author to let them know why I wouldn’t review their book and offer my help in pointing out what I found that took away of what could have been a good read. (that is for the books I was asked to review, the rest just gets tossed and is never mentioned again) I too have noticed that not all authors take kindly to our well meant words and take a defensive stand, of as you said outright go into attack mode. A shame really, because what better way to improve your writing than to hear the remarks of readers? Okay, sorry for this rant. I’ll get off my soapbox now. 🙂
Lucy, it’s just more proof that someone probably isn’t ready to publish is they take every little comment so seriously 😉 Still, a couple of experiences with retaliating authors has made me more than extra-cautious about the books I download and read.
Thanks for this post, Jeri! While my ebooks are not kindle, i also download quite a few freebies, and most certainly all ebooks i get from HubSpot… Sad truth is i rarely read those – mostly while flying (there’s nothing else to do while on a plane!) but that’s hardly enough time to read them all, too.
I have purged my marketing ebooks section on my machine once or twice before but i found out that it takes me a lot of time to clean up and doesn’t really breaks the habit of hording those in the first place. I guess this is something for me yet to discover…
Diana, ironically enough my Kindle purge came about as a way to avoid reading. I’ve been having quite a time getting to most books lately. Now that I’m all moved into my new house, I hope the reading urge will strike again.
I find that I always downloading free Kindle books. Some because I know I will like them. Others because I would never have purchased them so I would never have read them. These are always the last books to be read. Sometimes I find good ones, many times not. But this at least gives me more exposure to other authors without having to pay for something that may be truly awful.
Cheryl, I like the way you look at your free downloads. I too have discovered a handful of great authors that way. I just wish the odds were more in my favor for stumbling across a greater number of books that are ready for publication.
There have been times that I view my books list on my kindle app and think I have grown out of proportion. At those times I go through like godzilla and tear up the city of books I have created.
Something I find rather enjoyable about the way the clouds work for many of these companies, though you may remove the books from your device, they are still saved in the cloud. When I have made a purge of unreads I can go back through my library in the future and find books that I am ready to look through now.
I have a standing rule that I do not begin a series that is not complete. For me there is nothing worse than having to wait a year or more for the next book. I have broken this rule for two writers. Jim Butcher and the Dresden series and Terry Brooks and the Shannara series.
The Dresden series torments me, I made the mistake of picking up the first book and it resonated with me. Now I drop everything I am reading when the next book comes out. The Shannara series is one that I keep thinking he has written the final book (I mean seriously its been going for 30 years or more now) and then he writes a new section.
Because of things like these I have to push books aside or clear them from view.
Jon, my uncle is the same as you about not starting series that aren’t yet finished. It’s been quite some time since I felt compelled to read a series. I tend to prefer stand alone books, though from a writers point of view, I can only wish I could pull of a series since people can get so addicted to them. Not to mention a series is easier to market than a stand alone.
I have a price point (not to be revealed here) and anything under that figure, that intrigues me in any way is a download. As a result, I’ve read — in entirety or in part — a boatload of FREE or discounted titles. Some have been excellent. True treasures, made even better because I’d gone “bargain hunting” but a lot of that boat is filled with books I’ve dumped overboard, justifying not finishing it with the thought that “at least it’s not taking up any space on my bookshelves” and I didn’t spend more than X on it.
There was the mystery overloaded with backstory that seemed to restart with the introduction of each new character; the ghost story with a complete lack of realistic details about the real world (including a wildly mistaken representation of how one is awarded a Nobel Prize in science); the mind-numbing memoir about child abuse that read like a useless therapy session; the teen werewolf that read like a preliminary draft of something that could have been fun; and the thriller that read exactly like a treatment for a screenplay that happened to be written by a screenwriter. That one was professional and appalling, with zero character development (the actors were needed to fill it in) and a wide streak of misogyny.
I think of the FREE offers are a great marketing ploy. If the book is good, it’s a real way for indie authors to gain exposure and reviews. If it’s not… It’s not.
Candy, even the books with serious flaws can be worth the read when we learn something from them about what to avoid as fellow writers 😉 I can see free books being a boon to authors who have more than a few books on their shelves. Alas, I’m a long way off from that.
My reader came with a bunch of free books which I do not count. Other than those, I am pretty good at reading what I download, but then I haven’t downloaded much since I’ve been so pre-occupied with articles I come across on-line. I also feel guilty if I download a book and then don’t read it.
I can’t believe someone was so petty as to give you a poor rating because you didn’t care for their book. That behaviour begs the suggestion, if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
Debra, I think I share the same guilt you do about not downloading free books and not being able to read them. I guess our approaches to downloading books is as varied as the way any shopper approaches the task at hand. Shopping has never been my thing, even when the merchandise is free.
For me this used to happen with PDF reports or white papers. The titles are often SO intriguing. When people started with this “limited free offer on Kindle,” I didn’t bite often. Then since I turned my Kindle into my cook book and keep it in the kitchen, I bite at Kindle books even less.
I love reading. Heck my guess is, most bloggers love reading. For me it’s gotten to a point of practicality: can I really read everything I download whether on Kindle or the continuing offers of PDFs or will practicality of having the time read them weigh me down in guilt and procrastination?
Right now, I’m not downloading much of anything. That could change in 6 months or so. And in 6 months or so, new offers will flow in. It just works that way.
Patricia, I think you’re spot-on in stating all bloggers must love reading. I often lament how the number of blog posts I read in a given week usually outweighs the number of book pages I read. One of my goals involves the practicality you mention.
I have not gone to the free download frenzy yet. Partly because It takes me longer then most to read a book. Like you I want to only read the books that interest me, thrill me and hold my attention. There are some really good reads out there, so why waste time on the ones that aren’t. Just saying. 🙂
Susan, but so often I’ve read a sample that struck me as okay, only to be so disappointed after I made it further into the book. That being said, I guess I have become even more aware of what grips me about a story and what doesn’t. Now, I will put a book aside if the first paragraph isn’t up to par. It’s great that Amazon offers such a generous sample.
I do not own a Kindle but I have the Nook and I too have been on a download binge. What I try to do is pick books that I am interested in ready right away. I try to limit myself to three books and then read one and add another.
Elizabeth, the idea of a three-book limit is a good one. Having a long TBR list kind of strikes me as being akin to any huge amount of pending work in my life… the more there is of it, the less enthusiastic I get.
That is an interesting problem. Too many books to read. But like all things, too much choice is debilitating. They say that people with no emotions due to an accident or similar, suffer even more with choice because their choices are only logical and often can’t be resolved. With throwing things away and finishing books or movies we hate/dislike is similarly interesting – once we invest in something we are reluctant to throw it away regardless of the waste of time and money continuing brings. Hmm this is all coming from a book I am reading now called – “you are not as smart as you think”!!
Ashley, that sounds like a good book. I will have to check it out 😉 I’ve been struggling a lot lately with the effects of having the freedom to make too many choices.
I too have felt overwhelmed by choices recently. There are stacks of purchased books, stacks of library books, and a plethora of ebooks languishing on my Kindle. I don’t know which way to turn. Mostly I have shunned free books although Jon Harrison’s THE BANKS OF CERTAIN RIVERS was urged on me and turned out to be absolutely wonderful. At any rate, it is reassuring to know that I am not alone!
Ann, isn’t it funny how too many choices can be just as frustrating and overwhelming as not having any choices at all? It’s so hard t find that in between sweetspot.
I don’t have a Kindle but I do download free things from itunes every now and again.
Krystle, I’ve yet to look into the freebies offered by other eBook services, and it’s probably a good thing too 😉
I used to download free books, partly because I wanted to read a book from a new author and this was a way of seeing if I liked what they wrote. The same for free downloads. I don’t download any PDFs any more because generally I found them lacking substance and were rehashes of blog posts. Regarding books for my Kindle I still do but not as often as before.
Susan, like you, I plan to taper off on the number of free downloads I acquire. Experience is the best teacher, and too many free eBooks have been lacking in the writing department. Besides, if I’m truly drawn to an author, I would much rather buy their book and show my support that way.
I did bring myself to purge some books from my Kindle, some of them I’d even paid a small amount for. I felt guilty doing it. At least if I purge my hard copy books to create space on my bookshelves, I can gift them to the library or sell them for a few cents at a garage sale. Just deleting off my Kindle feels like sending books into purgatory. Silly, I know.
Jagoda, I totally get that. Book purgatory 🙂 It can be hard to put another’s writing efforts into the slush pile, especially if you think about how you would feel if the same happened to your writing. Then again, not all books suit all readers, so at least we can be glad to have helped an author climb a bit in Amazon’s rankings during the free trial run.
There are just so many freebies out there that it’s impossible to attach much value to them, I find. If one pays for anything, automatically I think they’ll be more inclined to appreciate it – at least, in general.
I get it; people stockpile, not used to getting things free, human nature. Perhaps. But I’ve never been carried away by the frenzy of free books, and never will be. Quite simply, it looks like freebies will always be there if I want them; they ain’t going nowhere; there will always be something to read when I’m a poor starving artist out on the street with nothing but my e-reader and hacked Wi-Fi for company. I don’t have to hoard.
Neither do I mark a book as to read on social media. Not anymore. Largely, I think, one of those social media things that have no real meaning. If I want it, I get it. Why wait? There will always be something else I want to read before getting to it, if ever, and so may never fulfil that ‘promise.’ If a book sparks my interest, and it’s free, I read the sample chapter and decide from that whether or not to download it; I will then look forward to it, and then onto the next.
I think if a plethora of free books has been on the ‘shelves’ of your reader, yet you keep looking for more to download, you should re-evaluate what you’re doing, read the ones you’ve got, or purge because they ARE simply sitting there doing nothing. And perhaps always will.
I download movies, often putting many off until there’s hardly any choice, and I have to watch one of those I’ve had for months – often finding they’re the best viewing, and I can’t believe that I did. I think readers are spoiled for choice, but if they were stuck on a deserted island, they would most definitely find some gems in what they’ve got… as long as they had a solar power battery….
And lastly, I feel honoured that you mentioned my name here; that was a pleasant surprise. Thank you.
Stephan, you’ve certainly been one of my more pleasant indie author discoveries. I just wish there were more gems to be found from the sheer multitude of books being published. In a way, I have a horrible habit about feeling obligated to read things I know aren’t really my cup of tea. Which in turn, only makes me take longer to get to the stuff I really want to read. Here’s to hoping my Kindle purge is a step in the right direction.
I generally only read the books that I find appealing. If the writing (or the editing) is atrocious, it bothers me. Sometimes I overlook it, but more often than not, I try to make contact with the author to find out why it was edited the way it was. I generally find some type of criticism, even though I look for the good qualities, too! I am a pretty positive person (mostly!) and so I always try to compliment the things that are worthy of praise!
Lorraine, I so agree that it’s important to find something to praise. Constructive criticism can be so helpful is the person is open to receiving it.
It’s been a while since I downloaded a book to my Kindle app. Back when I was entering every blog contest under the sun I don’t know how many I ended up with. I’m slowly working through the books, reading them mostly at bed time.
Cassi, have you found some great books in your download mix?
Have never downloaded Kindle books for the simple reason that I prefer to read books.
Having said that you can now use Kindle even when you are Swedish so I will publish an ebook this autumn. It’s about global leadership and that kind of books I could read online. But not fiction:-)
Catarina, congrats on joining the world of ebook publishing. I’ll be sure to take a look at your book once it’s out.
I have the Kindle when it first came out and frankly it just sits in the closet. I haven’t looked into getting anything for free because I didn’t know it existed. I have downloaded books on to it, but it is hard to find the time to read. Sadly, I still like the feel of a book and that is what I will read first.
Arleen, I’m the opposite in that I prefer ebooks to print books. If you are interested in free downloads at all, try exploring Amazon’s Top 100 Free Downloads. Every now and again, a title stands out.
I downloaded a bunch in ‘the early days’ but hardly ever do now. I pay for most of them, but have slowed down on that purchase cycle, too. I find that having a lot of books around that I haven’t read brings it’s own kind of guilt and a longing for more free time to read!
Laura, I’m with you on feeling guilt about not being able to read the piles of books I acquire.
I’m a physical book hoarder which is obviously more of an impediment than virtual hoarding. I see lots of great Kindle books but I found that after they began populating with a lot of excerpts I only collected classics here and there. Also, I may be one of the few people that’s less likely to read on my Kindle/IPad than with an actual book.
Stephanie, you’re still in the majority with preferring to read a book in print vs. electronically. Granted, the trend will continue to shift, but for now, print still holds more favor than ebooks (at least according to an informal show of hands at a recent writing conference I went to.)
Three- I’ve downloaded three free ebooks and never read them. One of them I ended up deleting. The other two still just sits there. I’ve been reading just not those two books. I’m not sure why – I am curious how these unknown authors fair. I should make a point to do so – I think I’ll make it a goal of mine before the end of the year.
Joanne, your reluctance to read the three freebies you downloaded does speak volumes to how hard it it can be for unknown authors to find a readership. Building an author’s platform often strikes me as being such a mystery.
I have the same criteria for a “free” book that I have for anything else. If I trust the author, know the author, or if someone I trust has recommended the book, I’ll download it. If it’s an unknown I may read the sample but I’ll seldom download the whole thing unless the first few pages blow me away.
Lauren, thanks for visiting. I feel much like you do. If I know and trust the author I’m much more likely to download and actually read their book. I know that’s been the case many times when it comes to the author interviews I’ve posted on my blog. Once I get to know a bit about the writer, I’m much more intrigued about their work.
I haven’t downloaded many free ebooks… I usually go after a specific book I want to read instead of browsing what’s available. I guess it’s the difference between how a guy shops and how a girl shops!
Dan, men are lucky that way for the most part 😉 Browsing for items is indeed a huge time suck.
I’m one of the few people commenting that doesn’t have a Kindle to hold in my hand. I’ve downloaded the free Kindle to my computer and will occasionally download a reference book . I rarely go to my Kindle library. I guess I’m an old timer but I like to feel a book in my hands. I find that for my business I can find almost everything I need to to know online — via webinars, newsletters, blog posts, HubSpot and other sites that publish a lot of reports. I’m already on information overload. When I read for pleasure it’s almost always fiction — thrillers. Great escape. It’s for fun. There, I said it!
Jeannette, there’s nothing like a great escape read! I need to make myself read what I like more often, because when I start to feel obligated to read something for any reason, the fun factor definitely goes out the window.
I think I am still in the dark ages as I find it really hard to read on Kindle. I just love the feel of a real book in my hands. Perhaps I need a better reader….
Becc, you’re not alone in still preferring print to eBooks. I can go either way, but for thick novels or heavy coffee table type books, I much prefer my Kindle. I’ve found I like reading on the iPad when I need to skim or takes notes quickly. When I really want to enjoy a book electronically, I will use my Kindle. I’m hoping to get a Kindle PaperWhite for Christmas. I love how the font and spacing can be adjusted.