How do I host a free book and send it to readers?

When Author's Toolbox hosts your reader magnet, readers sign up on your page and receive an email with a private link to download the book. The email is sent from your own connected email account.

Before you start

• Add the book to your Book Library.
• Connect an email account for the pen name in Settings. The delivery email is sent through your own Gmail or email (SMTP) connection.

1. Create the reader magnet

1. In the left sidebar, click Reader Magnets, then + Add Book.
2. Choose the Book, the Pen name and the Type, and keep Platform set to Author's Toolbox.
3. Choose Make a new sign-up page, or pick a form you already made. If that form is currently published, you'll be asked to confirm, and it will be unpublished until you publish the reader magnet. If it has no email field, one is added.
4. Click Add Book. The reader magnet's page opens on the File Delivery tab.

2. Add your files

• Click Upload a file to add an EPUB, PDF, MOBI or AZW3 file, up to 200 MB each. Uploaded files are also saved in Storage, in a "Reader Magnets" folder, so you can reuse them.
• Or click Choose from Storage to use a file you've already uploaded.

You can add more than one file, for example an EPUB and a PDF. Change the label readers see next to each file if you like. Readers get a link to every file.

3. Set up the email readers get

1. Choose the pen name to Send as.
2. Pick one of the 10 email designs.
3. Optionally write a Subject and an Intro line. You can use placeholders such as {{firstName}}, {{penName}} and {{bookTitle}}.
4. Click Preview to see it.
5. Click Save changes, then Send me a test. The test goes to the address in Send the test to. The button only works once your changes are saved and an email account is connected.

4. Choose your protection settings

See "How do I protect my reader magnet from being shared?" for the confirmation, link expiry, download limit and stamping options. Click Save changes when you're done.

5. Optional: add readers to your mailing list

Under Add readers to my mailing list, tick Offer readers a tick box to join my mailing list, choose Which list (from the lists you've connected in Newsletter Analytics), and optionally a Tag. Click Save list connection, then Test with my email to check it works. Your encryption key must be unlocked, and your list key must be allowed to add subscribers. The tick box is never pre-ticked for readers.

6. Publish and share

Click Publish. If something is still missing, a yellow note lists what to fix first, such as adding a file, adding an email field, or sending yourself a test email.

Once it's live, click Copy link, or open the Sign-up page tab to get a short link and QR code.

What readers experience

1. They fill in your sign-up page.
2. They get your email with their own download link. If you require confirmation, they confirm their email first.
3. The download page shows their files, how long the link works, and tips for reading on Kindle, Apple Books, Kobo, Android or as a PDF.
4. If they haven't downloaded after an hour, they get one reminder email.

If a reader signs up again with the same email, they get a fresh link. Their old link keeps working and their download count carries over.