A Review of Websites Offering Free (or Nearly So) Books

There are many websites selling books on the worldwide web, but I wanted to share a few resources for free, or nearly so, books.

If you are a book lover, Project Gutenberg (www.gutenberg.org) is THE site for you. Any book that is no longer copyrighted is available on this wonderful website. And a few that are, thanks to their authors. Do you love the classics? They're all here. Do you love "how to" books? There are more than I can count! Stories for children, young and old, can be found here. And guess what? They're all free! That's right, you can download them to your computer or even your Palm Pilot or smartphone. The search feature will help you find whatever you're looking for. And if you're an author, you can submit your book to them if you are in a generous mood.

And if you want to get involved, go to PG's sister site, Distributed Proofreaders (www.pgdp.net) and help proofread books and get them ready for publication. It is so much fun! You can proofread at three different levels, format at two, get involved in post-processing, or volunteer to check a text for smooth reading. There are easy-to-understand instructions and little "tests" to help you understand the process. Get involved today!

Manybooks.net (www.manybooks.net) is another source of free eBooks for your iPod, PDA, or eBook reader. As the main page says, every one of their 15,709 books is free. Start enriching your life today!

Another site for book lovers is Paperback Swap (www.paperbackswap.com). Here is a site where you can find new books to read for merely the cost of postage. Go through your bookshelves, your bedside tables, your Royal Reading Room (bathroom), and gather all the books you'd be willing to swap. Post them on the website. Initially you get 3 free credits for posting nine books, then it's one credit for each book you send. Browse the book lists and either request the ones you want, or if you're short on credits, put the really important ones on your wish list. Most books can be mailed for the book rate of $1.59. There are very few places where you can get books for that price!

If you have a decent printer you could get creative and print these free books. Here are some ideas:

1. Print children's books: Many of them have delightful stories and beautiful pictures.

2. Print "how to" books: They come on any subject imaginable.

3. Print any book that can't easily be found in the library.

Then offer them for sale! You're not infringing copyright on almost all of those available from Project Gutenberg. They give detailed instructions so that you're clear on that issue. Yes, you got them free, but your customers would be paying for your efforts. You need a good software program and a good duplex printer. After that, your only cost is ink. And you should check your local print shop for prices. It might be cheaper to have them print multiple copies. Depends on demand of course. You can then build a website and offer them as either electronic books for instant download, or paper books to be sent through the mail.

So whether you need a source of income, or you just love a good book, check out these websites and start reading today!