Promote your book to 9.9 million readers — without the BookBub gatekeeping.

Free-eBooks.net has spent 20 years building a global community of readers who actually finish books. If you're an indie author, self-published writer, or small publisher, this is where your next reader is waiting.

9.9M registered members. Millions of visits every year. Readers in 240+ countries. One of the longest-running free-ebook destinations on the web.

Become an Author → See how it works ↓

The author opportunity

Most book-promotion sites either cost a fortune or turn most authors away. We were built differently.

You get reach. 9.9M registered readers grown over two decades, not bought. Hundreds of thousands of newsletter subscribers across our genres. A genuinely global audience — India, the US, the UK, South Africa, Nigeria, the Philippines, Spain, Canada, Brazil — readers in 240+ countries. If you've struggled to find international readers, this is one of the only places they're already gathered.

You get a real catalog home — not just a one-time email blast. Your book lives on a permanent title page with cover, description, and download links. It surfaces in genre browsing, search, and recommendations alongside tens of thousands of curated titles. The site is 20 years old and well-indexed — readers keep finding books long after launch day.

You get readers who come looking. Millions of visits a year from people searching for free books to download — not scrolling past an ad.

You keep your rights. Submitting to Free-eBooks.net is non-exclusive. Your book stays yours — list it here alongside Amazon, Kobo, Apple Books, your own site, anywhere.

What kinds of authors do well here

• Indie and self-published authors building an audience and email list from scratch.
• Authors with a series or back catalog — readers who download book one come back for the rest.
• Nonfiction authors and author-entrepreneurs using a free book as a lead magnet for coaching, courses, or paid follow-ups.
• Small presses and hybrid publishers wanting reach in markets where paid ads don't stretch.

If you're a major publisher with a Big Five budget, BookBub probably reaches further on a single slot. We're built for the rest of the field — the authors BookBub turns down, and the ones who need reach without remortgaging the house.

Top-performing genres today: Romance, Self-Improvement, Business, Mystery, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Short Stories, Poetry, Educational, Engineering & Textbooks.

How it works

1. Sign up as an author. Free account — name, short bio, contact.
2. Submit your book. Manuscript (PDF, ePub, or both), cover, description, category. Reviewed for basic quality and format.
3. Choose your promotion level. From a free permanent catalog listing to paid placements in the newsletter, on the homepage, or at the top of your genre.
4. We publish, readers download. Your book goes live on its own title page and in its genre — and in the newsletter or homepage rotation if you've chosen a paid feature.
5. You see results and decide what's next. Watch downloads arrive and plan the next book, series, or promotion.

Why this is different

Competitor figures from their public pricing pages, checked October 2026.

The short version: BookBub has deep US reach but is highly selective. Freebooksy is approachable but smaller. Free-eBooks.net is open, affordable, and the only one of the three with a truly global community.

Pricing

• Catalog Listing — Free. Permanent title page, genre browsing, search, downloads.
• Featured Listing — $39. 7-day featured slot in your genre + a mention in the next themed newsletter. The best way to test whether our readers respond to your book.
• Newsletter Feature — $129. Your book as the dedicated feature in a themed newsletter to a curated genre segment of our newsletter list of hundreds of thousands of subscribers — not one of twelve in a list. Plus 30 days of in-genre featured placement and inclusion in the next monthly Readers' List.
• Homepage + Top Spot — $349. Seven days on the Free-eBooks.net homepage, the lead slot in the next themed newsletter, and 30 days pinned in your genre. Maximum reach across the 9.9M-member community.

Every paid tier is capped per slot so promotion stays scarce and effective. We don't oversell.

What we promise (the honest version): We'll show your book to real readers. We won't promise a download number — anyone who does is making it up. Results vary by genre, cover, description, and first paragraph. Romance and self-improvement consistently see the highest engagement. We don't run pay-for-reviews and we don't game ratings.

Payment: PayPal or credit card, in USD. Full refund any time before your promotion starts; if we ever fail to deliver a placement you paid for, you choose a re-run or a full refund.

FAQ

Do I need an ISBN?

No.

Can I list a book that's also on Amazon / Kindle Unlimited?

Yes — listing here is non-exclusive and you keep all rights. (KU's own exclusivity rules are between you and Amazon.)

Can I list a paid book?

No — Free-eBooks.net is a free-reading platform. Your book must be free to download here. Many authors list book one of a series free and sell the rest.

Will my book be safe from piracy?

We host your file under your terms, but we can't control what readers do with a free download — that's the trade for reach. Promote here as part of a wider strategy (list growth, series funnel, lead magnet).

Can I take my book down later?

Yes, any time — from your author account, or contact author support.

How do you pay authors?

We don't — downloads are free to readers. Authors use Free-eBooks.net to build readership and demand for paid follow-ups. For per-download royalties, KDP or a paid retailer is the right model.

What languages do you accept?

English plus the major languages already active in the catalog (Spanish, French, Portuguese, and more).

Ready to put your book in front of 9.9 million readers?

Become an Author →

Already have an account? Submit your next book → · Questions first? Contact the author team →