The trouble with free books is:

[cittin5]

I end up reading the first one but I can't go get the next because it's too expensive so I can't finish the series and it really bugs me.

[shequila]

I have bought several books because I read the free book and got up in the story so of course I had to see how it ended.

[Jesska6029]

I am always on the hunt for new books to read. I found that the first book in the series is super cheap or free, but the following books in the series are expensive. I have started to check for sequel prices on books before I buy the first one in a series because I can't justify spending a ton of money on one series. (I'm shopping on a budget - always ).

[Rachaelamb1]

I get so many free books on my kindle that I don't have time to buy the next book in a series if I am not absolutely in love with the story. Most of the books are just ok but there have been a few really great ones that have introduced me to a new author. I think it is a good marketing strategy.

-- 20 Mar 2015, 23:05 --

I also meant to say that I would like to mentally know how the story ends and sometimes it is annoying but I just have to turn my mind onto the next book.

[csimmons032]

I love free books. I just started getting them on my Kindle app and I have been hooked. Although paperbacks are still my first choice, I do like getting the free books. I have got about a dozen of them in my library right now, and I am looking towards getting more.

[bookowlie]

I am always on the hunt for new books to read. I found that the first book in the series is super cheap or free, but the following books in the series are expensive. I have started to check for sequel prices on books before I buy the first one in a series because I can't justify spending a ton of money on one series. (I'm shopping on a budget - always ).

The worst thing is when an author makes the sequel super cheap, but the first book in the series is expensive. Why would I want to buy the "cheap" sequel if I first have to buy the pricey first book? I guess it's a good strategy for the loyal readers who already read the first book. Still, it doesn't do much to attract new readers.

[Tigger0719]

I enjoy a good series. If I connect with a character I want to spend more time with them. I do like a free book if it the first one in a series but recently I have come across several free books that are the third or fourth in the series. I'm not sure why they are giving away a book in the middle of the series. Do they expect us to buy the first and second before reading the free third?

[sjauhar]

While I can agree that it is a pain to get a free book and have to pay for the rest of the series, it does introduce you to a wide variety of genres, which can be a good thing. One bad thing that I have noticed is that some of the free books really need some good editing and I wish that I could contact the author just to let them know that they should proofread their book before putting it out there. I notice that a lot of the free books that are more along the lines of classic works like Dickens etc have a lot of typographical errors. I know that they were typed out by volunteers so that these works could be available to all for no cost, but I do think that they should consider having someone go over it first. I have found a few new authors the free book way and I do think there is a lot of up and coming talent out there, so it's fun to get in on the ground floor, so to speak.

[Tenzi]

I'm with you on the anxiety of an unfinished book Tyler. I can't help but think maybe the story line will get better or if I just stick with it I'll get sucked in. I see the free books as sampler plates like I get from a new restaurant, you get a chance to taste a new author's work and decide if you want to order the whole meal. I've found a few excellent authors this way and it helped weed out those that I didn't care for. But if you're on the fence then why not buy just one, most books are so reasonably in price that it's not a huge investment, so why not go for it. If you don't like the second one you can then move on.

[Thimble]

I have read one free book for my eReader. I had a hard time getting through it because the plot was too contrived and the characters were uninteresting. I haven't read any free books since. It just left a bad taste in my mouth. I wouldn't mind reading them if requested, though. I'm just too curious!

[BarefootBookworm]

I agree with several of the previous posts - many of the free ebooks I've gotten have been poorly edited and painful to read. There are a few gems worth the struggle through the rest though!
I also enjoy many of the "classics" that are now free - Louisa May Alcott, Brother Lawrence, etc...

[gbcmars]

Well, certainly the quality (or lack thereof) is a very serious issue, but I think they need to be there. I'm a member of LibraryThing, which is similar to OnlineBookClub in some ways, and they also give out free books for reviews. One time, the Hachette publishing group put up a number of their offerings as free-for-review, and the difference between them and the self-published books was glaring: yes, the trad-pub books were better edited and had fancier covers and so on, but the self-pub books had a much, much wider set of themes and subjects. I'll wade through some dross to discover fresh, exciting work.

[Thimble]

Well, certainly the quality (or lack thereof) is a very serious issue, but I think they need to be there. I'm a member of LibraryThing, which is similar to OnlineBookClub in some ways, and they also give out free books for reviews. One time, the Hachette publishing group put up a number of their offerings as free-for-review, and the difference between them and the self-published books was glaring: yes, the trad-pub books were better edited and had fancier covers and so on, but the self-pub books had a much, much wider set of themes and subjects. I'll wade through some dross to discover fresh, exciting work.

You definitely have a point there. I'm also definitely supportive of self-pub books since I might want to do that myself someday.

[Imautumnirock]

I agree with a lot of the other posts. As a reader, I have an eye for grammar and nothing annoys me more than to see someone's work in its fully published state and full of obvious mistakes.

[dmoradi]

Some of the free books are "meh". It is true that some of them are just recycling the same information over and over. However, I have read a lot of good books that were "free". As for the series, yes I must admit I got hooked on a couple, but that is more kudos to the author, for having the presence of mind to "sample".