For readers
Discover indie authors, one first chapter at a time.
Every book here was listed by the person who wrote it. Try the opening, keep the ones you like, and tell the author what you thought.
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Try the first chapter free
Read the opening in a clean reader before you buy. If it hooks you, the author's store links are right there.
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Browse by genre and trope
Enemies to lovers, found family, locked-room mysteries: every trope has its own page. Set a spice limit and leave out content you'd rather not read.
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Keep a reading list
Mark books you want to read, the ones you've read, and the ones you didn't finish (and say why, if you like). It's yours; authors only ever see counts.
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Read it before it's out
Authors give out free advance copies here. Ask for a place and read in your browser. A review is welcome, never required.
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Talk to the authors
Every book has its own thread in the forum, with the author in it. Follow the authors you like and hear when they have something new.
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Ranked by readers
"Most finished" sorts books by how many readers finish the free first chapter. Nobody can pay to be there.
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Free and cheap this month
Books the authors have put on a free or cut-price deal, plus advance copies and new free chapters, on one page.
Join free and pick your genres: you can get a weekly email of new books and advance copies in them, only if you want it.
Guides for readers
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How to become an ARC reader: free books before they're out
What an advance review copy is, what authors hope for in return, where to find them free, and how to become the reader authors say yes to.
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Where to read free indie books (legally)
Free first chapters, free advance copies, free days on Kindle, deal emails, your library and web serials: where to read indie fiction without paying.
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How to find new authors you'll love (not just the ones everyone's reading)
Bestseller lists and algorithms keep showing you the same few names. How to find the authors you haven't heard of yet, and tell quickly if they're for you.
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Book tropes explained: a reader's guide to finding stories you'll love
What a trope is, why it isn't a cliché, and the common ones explained, from enemies to lovers to locked-room mysteries, with a page of books for each.
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DNF: is it OK not to finish a book?
What DNF means, why stopping a book isn't a failure, how to decide when to give up, and how telling the author why can help them.
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How to keep a reading list you'll actually read
How to keep a to-be-read list that helps rather than nags: what to add, when to cut, how to choose what's next, and a place to keep it all.
Written a book? Bervet for authors.