35 Simple Ways to Get Free Books by Mail
Reading Time: 15 minutes 
Getting free books inside of the mail is a straightforward process to start up. If you love reading and want to get some incredible books for free, putting in a simple order can be a great way to find some great reads.
You can then look forward to getting your next book through the mail and travel to a brand-new location with every single story.
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However, getting free books online might seem a bit sketchy to you. If that is the case, then I urge you to stick around.
Getting free books by mail is not only easy, but it is also a lot of fun! Below, I go over the process and the places you’re able to get free books, legitimately.
Can You Really Get Free Books By Mail?
The short answer is. Yes! The programs listed below are mainly non-profit organizations or large companies that have a reading promotion.
Many libraries and larger organizations have some form of mail system where they can send you books on loan. Free books for adults and kids, delivered to your door every month.
Why would you want free books by mail? If you don’t have a library nearby, it can be difficult to get books you like to read for free.
While spending money at a bookstore is nice, it can get quite expensive if someone in your family is a high-speed reader. With this service, the books come to you, and there’s no cash involved.
It’s just authors and readers who are united in their love of books and reading. Getting free books in the mail is a way to share stories and get lost in brand new worlds. You also get new books every month or so, so at least there is some variety!
Free Books for Adults
Here are the best programs to get free books sent to you for adults.
1. Goodreads
As mentioned, Goodreads is another website that I highly recommend. Getting free books there is easy, and all you need to start participating is a free Goodreads account.
Goodreads is a website where authors and publishers can often give away copies of their books to people like you. You’ll find them available under the “Giveaways” section. All you have to do is promise to leave a review once you are done reading.
Goodreads also saves all of the books you sign up to receive in its order catalog, and you can occasionally receive recommendations based on what you have read before.
The website promotes something that we don’t see a lot from free book-by-mail websites, which is the connection between the author and the reader.
Whether the book is Sci-fi, an autobiography, or a fantasy novel, every single author is telling a story. They want to get their books out into the world, and Goodreads allows them to see what their reviewers are thinking.
They can see all the positive feedback and learn from it. As a reader, you can share your reading experience with the author.
There’s nothing more empowering than knowing that I can send my thoughts to the author after I’ve read a book. That connection between writers and readers is what it is all about, and Goodreads understands that.
The one problem with Goodreads is that free book supplies are limited. You might need to send out a lot of requests to make sure you get a free book.
The books are rewarded on a raffle system so it takes a little bit of luck to win one. There are books on Goodreads for everyone, so you should find something you like eventually.
Related: The Best Personal Finance Books To Change Your Life.
2. Audible Premium Plus Free Trial
Every other suggestion on this list does offer at least one free book in the mail but that takes time to get to you. If you’re wanting a free option in the meantime, I suggested giving the Audible Premium Plus free trial a go.
For an entire 30 days, you can listen to as many free books as you’d like from the Audible Plus Catalog. You also get 1 free title of your choice for the entire Audible selection.
The perks are even better if you’re a Prime member. You’ll get 2 credits (= 2 books of your choice) with your membership.
That’s a great deal! Just make sure you cancel before the 30 days are up if you don’t want to keep the membership.
Related: See What Other Amazon Prime Perks You’re Missing Out On
3. Baker Publishing Group
If you are active on social media or have an online following, then you can apply to become a Baker Publishing Group book reviewer.
They’re looking for book lovers who will review and share their books to YouTube, Instagram, a book blog, TikTok, or any other online presence. Their free books are offered to US residents only.
While this option has more restrictions than the others, it’s a great fit if you meet the requirements.
4. Book Crossing
BookCrossing is a fun way to exchange your pre-read books with other members and get new books in return. Each member has their own BookCrossing ID that they write in the book.
Then you either exchange the book with other members or “release the book into the wild” at a certain location. With either option, you can check online where your book ends up by tracking your ID.
As your book gets shared with other BookCrossing members and is logged into the website, you get to watch your book’s travels. Perhaps your book will even make it overseas and travel the world?
5. Harlequin Reader Service
If you love reading romance novels then this membership is for you. After signing up, you get 2 free books to try it out.
It’s not all romance though. They also offer suspense and inspirational book titles as well as large print.
If you don’t want to keep the membership, make sure you cancel before the next month.
6. Enchanted Book Promotions
Enchanted Book Promotions is a promotions company to help spread the word about new books. To be eligible for a free book, you have to either have a blog or have an Amazon account where you can leave a review.
This website allows authors to submit their own books to be given away and reviewed. If you like writing book reviews in exchange for free books, then check them out.
7. Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College offers a free copy of the US Declaration of Independence. If you want a pocket-sized version of this historic document, then snag your copy.
8. PageChaser
PageChaser (formerly Book Look Bloggers) is a site that connects book bloggers to publishers looking to get reviews on their books.
Before you sign up, it’s important to know that there is a minimum traffic requirement for your site to be considered.
9. Library Thing
Library Thing offers free books to Early Reviewers after you sign up. On their site, you can browse through all of the early review book options and sign up for the ones you’re interested in.
10. Book Mooch
Book Mooch is a book exchange membership where you can request books from others based on how many points you’ve accrued.
After signing up, list the books you have that you’d be willing to part with. When someone requests a book, you mail it to them.
For every book you mail, you get a certain number of points. With those points, you can request books from others to get books in the mail for yourself.
11. PaperBackSwap
Much like Book Mooch, PaperBackSwap is focused on trading books with other members in the free club. Once you find a member you want to trade titles with, you both pay the respective postage to send your book.
Once you get the book, it’s yours to keep. There’s no need to swap it back.
12. Lola’s Blog Tours
This is another free book offering for those who run a book website or can at least leave reviews on Goodreads or Amazon. After you sign up, you’ll be notified when new opportunities for books become available.
13. Craigslist
You can find pretty much everything on Craigslist, and books are no exception. Depending on how many books someone is getting rid of, it may be too pricey to ship them to you.
But if you live nearby, you may be able to swing by to pick them up for free. If someone is moving or needs to leave quickly, its often easier to have people come pick items up rather than renting a truck to move it themselves.
14. Jiffy Recipe Book
Jiffy offers a free copy of their classic recipe book with updated favorites. If you and your family eat Jiffy mixes, then this recipe book is sure to be well-loved.
15. Sun-Maid Recipe Booklet
If you love raisings, then check out Sun-Maid’s website as they give away raisin recipes. Sun-Maid is a brand that specializes in raisings but they’re offering a free booklet with delicious raisin-based recipes.
16. NetGalley
NetGalley is a platform that connects new books to readers of influence. If you have a social platform and love to read, this could be a good fit.
They’re available in other countries and languages as well which works great if you’re not living in the US.
17. Project Gutenburg
Project Gutenburg is a well-known website that is free for anyone to use. They offer 60,000 titles in ebook format from books that have expired US copyright.
So if you like classic books and have an e-reader, this website will give you more than enough to read for years.
Free Books For Kids By Mail
There are a lot of programs specifically made for kids’ literacy. If you have a child at home, taking advantage of some of these is free fun to keep them entertained.
18. Dolly Parton Free Books
Dolly Parton is known for a lot of things. She’s a singer, songwriter, author, and she can add librarian to that list.
Growing up in Tennessee, Dolly had books as her method that pushed her towards her dreams. Now she wants to give back and encourage other kids to unlock the power of imagination in reading as she did.
So, her organization, Dolly Parton Free Books (Imagination Library), has a mission to provide one book a year from your child’s birth to age 5. These books are age-appropriate and are guaranteed to stoke your child’s imagination.
Dolly wants everyone to have access to the joys of reading, regardless of their economic status or distance from a library.
If you live in the U.S, UK, Canada, or Ireland, you can register your child. All of the books are handpicked by the Blue Ribbon Book selection committee and the Penguin Random House publishers.
Dolly says that her books all deal with themes of love, color, diversity, dream chasing, and self-confidence.
After your child is registered, they can get a free book and should continue to get some more as they age. Parents are encouraged to read with their children and teach them that reading is lifelong.
I believe that this is one of the best companies out there for high-quality books, and it was all inspired by one woman’s love of reading.
19. Lego Magazine
If you have a child who loves Legos, this magazine could be the perfect reading gateway. Whether you are a kid or an adult, you want to read about topics that are interesting to you. Your child loves Legos, so let them read a Lego-focused magazine.
The Lego magazine is a magazine that comes to your house four times a year. It is full of pictures, exciting projects that your kids can do, Lego building tips, and a whole lot more.
It’s more of a magazine than a book, but the Lego pictures might just be enough to drag your kid into reading the articles.
The magazine comes four times a year and is entirely free. All you need to do is sign up for a Lego account on the website. You can input your information, and then the magazine comes straight to you.
The magazines should continue to be delivered to your child from ages 5-9 years old. If you have a younger child who loves to build with those shiny bricks, get them this magazine. It might open their eyes to a whole new world, one of reading and of Legos!
20. The Barnes And Noble Summer Reading Program
This reading program is almost like a mini-challenge over the summer. The Barnes and Noble bookstore chain always releases a selection of books that make up this year’s reading challenge.
If your child is in 1st to 6th grade, they can sign up, and Barnes and Noble sends them the free books by mail.
Typically, there are eight books on the list, and your child should read them all. To prove that they have been read, your child can go online and write out their favorite part of the book and why.
Once they’ve read and written about all the books, they can take the completed form to any local Barnes and Noble. Then they receive a book of their choice for free!
Entering challenges like this is a great way not only to get kids excited about reading, but it forces them to think and write about books as well. Plus, you get nine free books in the mail, all for a simple sign-up!
Other bookstores and school programs might have similar challenges. Although they work the same in some, your child might need to take an easy test or complete a small project using the theme of the book.
Keep an eye out because these programs are a straightforward way to get some free books. It’s a lot of fun to be competitive as well.
21. American Action Fund For Blind Children And Adults
If your child is blind or has low vision, that should not stop them from getting lost in the world of excellent books. There are several braille and books for the blind out there, but the best one that I have found is the American Action Fund For Blind Children And Adults.
This website focuses on getting books into the hands of the blind and vision impaired. They offer brand new braille releases and get some of the latest books out there into braille print.
Once you sign up for the program, then you should receive one free braille book a month, every month for the next year.
Both kids and adults can sign up for this program, although the books are geared towards younger audiences. Once you fill out the form and have your request approved, the books come to you.
If you have a family member who is blind, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t able to appreciate a good book.
Having a good braille option can help make reading time fun for everyone. I’ve found that a good solution is to read the print book while they read the braille version and then have a discussion about the story.
It’s a great bonding experience for everyone and can only further the love of reading for all.
22. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
The EPA offers free books for kids of all ages. The books are focused on environmental issues and include activities to do.
They’re available in both English and Spanish.
23. Read Conmigo
Read Conmigo (or read ‘with me’ in English) is a book website where both English and Spanish reading is promoted. This website offers dozens of free books and ebooks in both English and Spanish languages.
Once you create an account and provided you live in the correct city, free bilingual books are sent to your home.
You can also receive access to the online learning library, where even more books and games await. Read Conmigo is perfect for both kids and adults learning English or Spanish because the entry-level books are designed to get you excited.
I learned my first bits of Spanish from reading a Spanish picture book, and it inspired a love of language that is with me today!
Read Conmigo also highlights the educational and commercial benefits of speaking in two languages and helps give reading advice and lessons for people who are having trouble.
If you’ve ever wanted to learn Spanish, I have found that Read Conmigo is a great place to start. The books are pretty simple, the online and physical resources are extensive, and you get free bilingual books delivered to your door.
24. Natural Enquirer
Natural Enquirer offers a free “Bee a Scientist” coloring book in both English and Spanish. You can immediately download a PDF or can order it to be sent to you.
How To Order Free Books
I’ve found that the process of ordering free books by mail doesn’t change, even if the service does. There are three different ways to get books by mail, and both of them can require a little work.
Review Websites
The first type of website that can give you free books in exchange for a good review. Websites like Goodreads are a great example, where all you need is a free account.
In exchange for a review, many authors give you their work for free. It’s a great system because the more reviews an author gets, the more people come to read their book.
The cycle gets a great book into hundreds of readers’ hands, and the author gets to hear all the good things that their audience is saying about their work.
You get a bit of a buffer since there are so many reviews on the books you want to snag a copy of. You can read the reviews and get a good feel for what people are saying about the book, as well as if it’s up your alley or not.
Book Raffles
The second type of ordering service is a lot like a raffle. Posts for free books, giveaways, and limited-time daily ads are placed on these websites.
If you act fast, you can snag a free book. I’ve found that these types of websites are a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy the treasure hunting of scouring the ads.
If you are looking for bestsellers or other works by well-known authors, know that you won’t find too many there.
There is a chance, however, that you’ll receive a diamond in the rough and get a free book by a bestselling author. Most of the time though, you are going through the secondhand bin.
Some of my favorite books are secondhand, so I’m okay with that. Once you find what you like, the website should have directions on how you should proceed with ordering it.
After a bit of time, the book should show up in the mail, and you can read your free book.
Publisher Sites
The third type is through a dedicated website that works through a particular person, theme, or publisher. These are the places where you might find high-quality books that you can’t put down.
The one catch is that these places can be a bit rarer, and you don’t get a lot of choice in what books you have. Instead, you sign up and are sent some pre-selected books randomly.
I’ve found that if you work with a dedicated organization, you can find books on the Blue Ribbons book list or other high-quality books.
If you are getting your books from a third-party website, then you are panning for gold. You won’t know what you get until you start looking, but in my opinion, that is part of the fun!
Is Getting Free Books In The Mail Right For You?
Getting free books in the mail is something everyone should try at least once. You might be surprised with how easy the process is, and it just requires some information. Then the free books are dropped off at your door, and they are yours to keep.
If you have a library or bookstore near your home, don’t think that you need to choose one or the other. I love that I have several options for indulging my very active reader side, and they both play off of one another.
If I get a free book by mail and like the author, I head to the library and see if the author has written anything else. If I like a book enough to purchase it at a bookstore, then I browse for the author’s name or the next part of the series when I’m getting books by mail. Both experiences build off of one another.
It can be fascinating if you have kids. Watching the wonder as they open the postal package and see the book inside, seeing the joy as they become little bookworms, is infectious!
Simple Ways to Get Free Books by Mail – Conclusion
It might seem too good to be true, but I suggest you try it at least once. Pick a service and just order one book for free. There’s no cash, no risk, and all reward.
Read the book and see if you like it, and then order another. You might find out that getting free books in the mail is one of the coolest experiences ever, and soon you won’t want to stop.
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