How to Get Free (Poetry) Books

21Jun 2020 by admin

“Book swaps are the best! Especially amongst friends because you can then talk about those books after the both of you have read them.” – dimitrireyespoet.com

The summer season is here meaning it’s a good time to catch up on things you might not have been able to during the Winter or Spring. This includes some good reading! Whether you’re a peak-time outdoors person, or you wait until the after-six cooldown, it’s nice to explore a new book and there are so many greats that have been released this year. Though I am a proponent of supporting our artists, I do realize that many of my viewers are always trying to save a few dollars, so I thought it’d be helpful if I showed a few ways to get your hands on free reading material. Here are 7 tips on How to Get Free Poetry Books.

1. Little Free Libraries

Little Free Libraries is an amazing non-profit lending library organization with locations all over the world. Quite literally, they have over 100,000 small book libraries set up around the world where people are allowed to borrow books and donate books to these nifty little book shelves. You can look up your location here to see where your nearest Little Free Library is.

2. Public Libraries

In the age of super fast internet and information available at the click of a button, public libraries are always in need of our support and attention. It is important for us to still be aware of all libraries have to offer, not only do they lend out books for free but they’re also institutions that offer free programming and classes for the public. If you’re really lucky, your library will also be stocking the shelves with new works every year. If you’re double-lucky, your library may even have FREE poetry workshops and readings. Simply search their website’s event calendar in order to find out. You can also call them, they’re job is to service the community.

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3. Book Reviews

If you like to write short essays and want other ways to help the poetry community, publishers, literary magazines, and poets are always looking for book reviews. After all, this is how they get seen by a wider audience and this is always the goal— to reach the people. This means that some authors, publishers, and magazines will give you a pdf or complimentary copies of a book in exchange for a review. Of course, this way of getting reviews comes with some work, 250-5,000+ of work, but it’s an honest way to get new work freely while advocating for another writer.

Where to start? If you already have a submittable account— if not, I show you how to get one here— simply peruse their discovery section for different magazines/ publishers accepting book reviews and send them an email stating that you’d like to be a book reviewer. Do you know a poet that’s releasing a book? Ask them how you can review it for them.

4. 30-Day Free Trials (Scribd, Audible, etc)

I’ve spoken about these 30-day free trials in my COVID-19 Poetry Resources blog, and if you haven’t taken advantage of this, online companies who have digital libraries will give you the first 30 days free. This is a great way to get to read large amounts of new material and preview the efficiency of digital libraries at the same time. Not your thing? Cancel before your billing cycle.

5. Craigslist, Offerup, LetGo, FaceBook Marketplace

Now I know what you are saying, Craigslist and other platforms like this may seem a little sketchy, yes. But if you are worried about meeting up with these strangers and you bring along a friend and you pick up items together or you meet in a very public place that’s okay.

Also, as an individual concerned with our environment and our excessive consumerism, our household makes it a point to buy used or get things through ‘curb alerts’. People sometimes need to unload things like books and this is when those books can find a good home. If you go into any of these and search “Poetry Books” you may be surprised how many collections you can save from being thrown out.

6. Trade w/ Friends

Book swaps are the best! Especially amongst friends because you can then talk about those books after the both of you have read them. Poets do this so often that they usually forget who they lend their books out to— which in a poetic way continues to pay forward the idea of sharing poetry. Back in my MFA, there was a book that got passed around 3 of my colleagues before I had gotten it, then when I suggested that Poet B reads the book “But make sure to give it back to Poet C, because I borrowed it from Poet D,” Poet B responded, “Wait, this is my book, I just remembered that before winter break I lent it out to Poet E.”

(In the community, this is a VERY common scenario!)