Are free books good quality?

MrsPartridge · 01-01-2011, 07:34 PM

Aside from the classics that are available for free, do you find the freebies offered on Kindle/Kobo/Sony etc. sites worth reading?

I was sure that most would be sort of below average - like reading a high schooler's attempt at fiction writing and no decent editing that you can get from a publishing house. However I'm really enjoying the freebie I got on the Sony site called "Romeo Romeo" by Robin Kaye.

Are you happy with the free books offered?

desertgrandma · 01-01-2011, 07:42 PM

Welcome to MobileRead, Mrs.Partridge.

The free books available here are of excellent quality, formatted by our own members.

I would always check here for PD books before going elsewhere.

If you are acquainted with Robin Kaye, you might let her know we have a wonderful Writers Corner here also, with related threads.

screwballl · 01-01-2011, 07:42 PM

It all depends on the source. Most books fall into the same as their written counterpart, and I think especially now with the ability to submit your own books, there is a better chance at poor writing, but only slightly more than the classics that are past copyright and free as well.

GraceKrispy · 01-01-2011, 07:45 PM

It varies greatly. Some of the freebies offered on those sites are regularly published books that are free for a limited time. I believe it's the same quality as the other books from the same publisher. Some freebies are pretty crappy in terms of formatting and editing (or lack thereof).

susan_cassidy · 01-01-2011, 08:02 PM

I've gotten several excellent books free from Amazon. Some were the first book in a well-known series. The vast majority of the ones I've seen lately are not of interest to me, and are either romance, Christian-themed, or independent publishers where the book sounds like one cliche after another and/or otherwise badly written. Other people love all the offerings. I find that few are things I'd be interested in. It depends on what you find interesting, I guess. I've gotten far more good ones free from Baen, over the years.

Girl Read Write · 01-01-2011, 08:16 PM

Most of the "ebook only" freebies that I've attempted to read aren't very well written at all. But that doesn't surprise me, as our electronic publishing age allows people to write whatever and publish it with very little quality control.

I would say that the electronic versions of previously in-print books are better in quality, but I see just as many typos and mistakes in those.

It's just hard to say.

LaurieGator · 01-01-2011, 08:28 PM

I have found a few of the freebies that were pretty good.

I am very picky with the Free Books. I have read a number of them that I got a few chapters into the book and tossed it for various reasons.

CWatkinsNash · 01-01-2011, 08:57 PM

Results vary. The Amazon Kindle offerings are often good, depending on whether or not your a fan of the genres frequently offered. As mentioned, lots of romance and Christian fiction. I'm a fan of the first but rarely read the latter. Often a book is a freebie because they want to promote the author's newest work and will, for example, give away the first book in a series or something from the backlist. It's helpful to become familiar with the names of certain publishers because the summary alone (when there is one) isn't always enough to tell you what you're getting. Certain publishers I will grab every time, others I generally pass over.

Smashwords freebies can be a crapshoot, but that's true for some of the non-free content as well. I do like the site, and I support it because I want it to flourish as a self-publishing platform, but the nature of such a platform guarantees that quality will vary. Fortunately, because of their distribution channels, you can often find reviews for at least the same author on Amazon or another site, if not the actual book you're thinking of downloading. My biggest beef with them is that the epub versions are usually great but sometimes the other formats are missing most of the metadata.

Barnes & Noble can be frustrating because you often don't know what you are getting. You will find that many of the freebie reviews on B&N are people upset because it wasn't made clear that an item was only a first chapter preview or something similar. It's especially confusing because there's often a "sample" button available for an item that turns out to only be, say, 20 pages long in it's entirety. You can't go by file size because sometimes that number is mostly the cover image. But then, Amazon sometimes has the same problem so it's not strictly a B&N issue.

Baen's offerings are exceptional if you're a fan of the genres there, which I am. I can't say enough good things about them.

The MR Library has an excellent selection of quality ebooks. This is probably the only site where I can pretty much guarantee there won't be any horrible formatting issues. The offerings here are top notch.

Sometimes it really just comes down to whether or not the offerings at any site are in one of your preferred genres.

Feedbooks has some really good free stuff, both classics and originals. I've gotten quality stuff there in a variety of genres.

Project Gutenberg is an excellent resource, but try to find it here at MR first if you want better formatting. However, I do not mean to denigrate PG in any way because they provide an amazing service. "Pretty formatting" was never the goal. The goal is to basically duplicate the original text, and changes are only made if it can be agreed that something was a printing error, and not something intended by the author.

DixieGal · 01-01-2011, 09:02 PM

I generally read mostly the freebies. I like finding that hidden gem amongst the losers.

RockdaMan · 01-01-2011, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CWatkinsNash

Results vary. The Amazon Kindle offerings are often good, depending on whether or not your a fan of the genres frequently offered.

This. When I bought my Kindle, it was because I had been reading PD and Baen books on my telephone and wanted a bigger screen. Then I got sucked in by the free, 99 cents, $1.99 and $2.99 specials that Amazon offered (and still offers) and here I am today.

I follow Books on the Knob and the freebie forum here on MR religiously.

Maggie Leung · 01-01-2011, 09:31 PM

Not for the stuff I prefer to read -- history and other nonfiction that requires considerable research and expertise. I like classics as well, but they're free only because copyright has expired.

Catlady · 01-01-2011, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrsPartridge

Aside from the classics that are available for free, do you find the freebies offered on Kindle/Kobo/Sony etc. sites worth reading?

I was sure that most would be sort of below average - like reading a high schooler's attempt at fiction writing and no decent editing that you can get from a publishing house. However I'm really enjoying the freebie I got on the Sony site called "Romeo Romeo" by Robin Kaye.

Are you happy with the free books offered?

I don't read the self-published freebies. But there are good books from major publishers that are free for a limited time. As was mentioned, they seem to be heavy on Christian themes and romance, but I've found some mysteries and historical fiction, which are more to my taste.

I figure if the synopsis sounds interesting, I might as well download the book while it's free. If I decide it's dreck after a few pages, I can just delete it.

K-Thom · 01-01-2011, 10:16 PM

Self-published freebies have one advantage: they are free.

So simply download them, read a few lines and delete them if you don't like them. It's about the same amount of time you'd spend in a bookstore trying to find something worthy to read (and buy).

Generally they will lack editing, granted. On the other hand you're getting a non-streamlined work and discover the (literally) raw potential of the author.

ebusinesstutor · 01-02-2011, 12:51 AM

Freebies are my top way of finding new authors right now.

I read science fiction and fantasy and find new free ebooks from Baen Books, Kindle and other places. Many I find in the forums here.

I have found some great new authors and gone on to buy additional ebooks from these authors.

Yes, I do find some poor ones, but I just delete them after a few chapters if they don't grab me. And I have had that same problem with paid books in the past. With free ones, there is no risk.

I also do like that I can read some chapters of books online before I buy as well. Great way to try the book before I buy.

GA Russell · 01-02-2011, 01:48 AM

MrsPartridge, it's only a few weeks until Read an eBook Week!

There will be many free offerings that week. Last year I found a short story I liked very much by a new-to-me author named Russell Atwood. I looked him up and found that he has written two novels. If it weren't for the free short story, I wouldn't have known about him.

01-01-2011, 07:34 PM	#1
MrsPartridge Member Posts: 10 Karma: 35244 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 650	Are free books good quality? Aside from the classics that are available for free, do you find the freebies offered on Kindle/Kobo/Sony etc. sites worth reading? I was sure that most would be sort of below average - like reading a high schooler's attempt at fiction writing and no decent editing that you can get from a publishing house. However I'm really enjoying the freebie I got on the Sony site called "Romeo Romeo" by Robin Kaye. Are you happy with the free books offered?

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01-01-2011, 07:42 PM	#2
desertgrandma Enjoying the show.... Posts: 14,270 Karma: 10462843 Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Arizona Device: A K1, Kindle Paperwhite, an Ipod, IPad2, Iphone, an Ipad Mini & macAir	Welcome to MobileRead, Mrs.Partridge. The free books available here are of excellent quality, formatted by our own members. I would always check here for PD books before going elsewhere. If you are acquainted with Robin Kaye, you might let her know we have a wonderful Writers Corner here also, with related threads.

01-01-2011, 07:42 PM	#3
screwballl NewKindler Posts: 504 Karma: 1865773 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: NWFL Device: Kindle3 Wifi	It all depends on the source. Most books fall into the same as their written counterpart, and I think especially now with the ability to submit your own books, there is a better chance at poor writing, but only slightly more than the classics that are past copyright and free as well.

01-01-2011, 07:45 PM	#4
GraceKrispy It's Dr. Penguin now! Posts: 3,909 Karma: 4705733 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: (USA) Device: iPad mini, Samsung Note 3, Sony PRS-650 (rarely used now)	It varies greatly. Some of the freebies offered on those sites are regularly published books that are free for a limited time. I believe it's the same quality as the other books from the same publisher. Some freebies are pretty crappy in terms of formatting and editing (or lack thereof).

01-01-2011, 08:02 PM	#5
susan_cassidy Wizard Posts: 2,251 Karma: 3720310 Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: USA Device: Kindle, iPad (not used much for reading)	I've gotten several excellent books free from Amazon. Some were the first book in a well-known series. The vast majority of the ones I've seen lately are not of interest to me, and are either romance, Christian-themed, or independent publishers where the book sounds like one cliche after another and/or otherwise badly written. Other people love all the offerings. I find that few are things I'd be interested in. It depends on what you find interesting, I guess. I've gotten far more good ones free from Baen, over the years.

01-01-2011, 08:16 PM	#6
Girl Read Write Literary Goodness Posts: 57 Karma: 34 Join Date: Dec 2010 Device: Nook Color, iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPhone 5, Samsung Infuse	Most of the "ebook only" freebies that I've attempted to read aren't very well written at all. But that doesn't surprise me, as our electronic publishing age allows people to write whatever and publish it with very little quality control. I would say that the electronic versions of previously in-print books are better in quality, but I see just as many typos and mistakes in those. It's just hard to say.

01-01-2011, 08:28 PM	#7
LaurieGator Crazy Cat Lady Posts: 96 Karma: 13662 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Arizona Device: Kindle 2i, Nook Color (Rooted)	I have found a few of the freebies that were pretty good. I am very picky with the Free Books. I have read a number of them that I got a few chapters into the book and tossed it for various reasons.

01-01-2011, 08:57 PM	#8
CWatkinsNash IOC Chief Archivist Posts: 3,950 Karma: 53868218 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Fruitland Park, FL, USA Device: Meebook M7, Paperwhite 2021, Fire HD 8+, Fire HD 10+, Lenovo Tab P12	Results vary. The Amazon Kindle offerings are often good, depending on whether or not your a fan of the genres frequently offered. As mentioned, lots of romance and Christian fiction. I'm a fan of the first but rarely read the latter. Often a book is a freebie because they want to promote the author's newest work and will, for example, give away the first book in a series or something from the backlist. It's helpful to become familiar with the names of certain publishers because the summary alone (when there is one) isn't always enough to tell you what you're getting. Certain publishers I will grab every time, others I generally pass over. Smashwords freebies can be a crapshoot, but that's true for some of the non-free content as well. I do like the site, and I support it because I want it to flourish as a self-publishing platform, but the nature of such a platform guarantees that quality will vary. Fortunately, because of their distribution channels, you can often find reviews for at least the same author on Amazon or another site, if not the actual book you're thinking of downloading. My biggest beef with them is that the epub versions are usually great but sometimes the other formats are missing most of the metadata. Barnes & Noble can be frustrating because you often don't know what you are getting. You will find that many of the freebie reviews on B&N are people upset because it wasn't made clear that an item was only a first chapter preview or something similar. It's especially confusing because there's often a "sample" button available for an item that turns out to only be, say, 20 pages long in it's entirety. You can't go by file size because sometimes that number is mostly the cover image. But then, Amazon sometimes has the same problem so it's not strictly a B&N issue. Baen's offerings are exceptional if you're a fan of the genres there, which I am. I can't say enough good things about them. The MR Library has an excellent selection of quality ebooks. This is probably the only site where I can pretty much guarantee there won't be any horrible formatting issues. The offerings here are top notch. Sometimes it really just comes down to whether or not the offerings at any site are in one of your preferred genres. Feedbooks has some really good free stuff, both classics and originals. I've gotten quality stuff there in a variety of genres. Project Gutenberg is an excellent resource, but try to find it here at MR first if you want better formatting. However, I do not mean to denigrate PG in any way because they provide an amazing service. "Pretty formatting" was never the goal. The goal is to basically duplicate the original text, and changes are only made if it can be agreed that something was a printing error, and not something intended by the author.

01-01-2011, 09:02 PM	#9
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	I generally read mostly the freebies. I like finding that hidden gem amongst the losers.

01-01-2011, 09:31 PM	#11
Maggie Leung Wizard Posts: 1,449 Karma: 58383 Join Date: Jul 2009 Device: Kindle, iPad	Not for the stuff I prefer to read -- history and other nonfiction that requires considerable research and expertise. I like classics as well, but they're free only because copyright has expired.

01-01-2011, 10:16 PM	#13
K-Thom The one and only Posts: 3,302 Karma: 535819 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Berlin, Germany Device: yup!	Self-published freebies have one advantage: they are free. So simply download them, read a few lines and delete them if you don't like them. It's about the same amount of time you'd spend in a bookstore trying to find something worthy to read (and buy). Generally they will lack editing, granted. On the other hand you're getting a non-streamlined work and discover the (literally) raw potential of the author.

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01-02-2011, 12:51 AM	#14
ebusinesstutor Star Gawker Posts: 526 Karma: 6944314 Join Date: Nov 2010 Location: Spruce Grove, AB Canada Device: Kindle Paperwhite	Freebies are my top way of finding new authors right now. I read science fiction and fantasy and find new free ebooks from Baen Books, Kindle and other places. Many I find in the forums here. I have found some great new authors and gone on to buy additional ebooks from these authors. Yes, I do find some poor ones, but I just delete them after a few chapters if they don't grab me. And I have had that same problem with paid books in the past. With free ones, there is no risk. I also do like that I can read some chapters of books online before I buy as well. Great way to try the book before I buy.

01-02-2011, 01:48 AM	#15
GA Russell Opening Day June 6 Posts: 7,591 Karma: 31484197 Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Raleigh, NC Device: Paperwhite, Kindles 10 & 4 and jetBook Lite	MrsPartridge, it's only a few weeks until Read an eBook Week! There will be many free offerings that week. Last year I found a short story I liked very much by a new-to-me author named Russell Atwood. I looked him up and found that he has written two novels. If it weren't for the free short story, I wouldn't have known about him.