Do Books Sites Free Include Novels From Major Publishers?

As someone who frequently scours the internet for free reading material, I've noticed that book sites offering free novels from major publishers are a bit of a mixed bag. Major publishers like Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Macmillan typically don’t release their full catalogs for free because they rely on sales to sustain their business. However, they do occasionally offer limited-time promotions, free chapters, or sampler editions to hook readers. For example, Tor Books, a major sci-fi and fantasy publisher, sometimes gives away free e-books as part of marketing campaigns for new releases. Sites like Project Gutenberg, on the other hand, host out-of-copyright classics from authors like Jane Austen and Charles Dickens, which technically count as major publisher works but are now in the public domain.

Some platforms, like Amazon’s Kindle Store, feature free or heavily discounted books from indie authors or smaller imprints, but you’ll rarely find current bestsellers from big-name publishers up for grabs. Subscription services like Scribd or Kindle Unlimited include titles from major publishers, but they’re not entirely free—you pay a monthly fee for access. Libraries also partner with apps like Libby or OverDrive to lend e-books legally, which is the closest you’ll get to free major-publisher novels without piracy. It’s worth noting that fan translations or unofficial uploads of popular novels often circulate on shady sites, but those are ethically dubious and often of poor quality. If you’re looking for legit free reads, your best bets are library partnerships, publisher promotions, or public domain archives.