For readers · Guide
Why does a trailer show up while you’re reading?
Free reading online usually means banner ads, pop-ups and trackers following you from site to site. LocalBooks keeps whole books free a different way: now and then, a 10-second trailer for another book.
Short, rare, and about books
After about 15 minutes of reading (or about 4,500 words), at the next page turn, pause or chapter, a 10-second trailer plays for another book on LocalBooks, often by a local or independent author. When there’s no trailer to show, it may be a short note from LocalBooks instead.
Picked from what you’re reading, not from you
Trailers are matched to the genres and places of the book you’re reading. Children’s books only show children’s trailers, and nothing is more explicit than the book in front of you. There are no ad networks and no trackers.
Ten seconds, then back to your book
A trailer has no close button: that short moment is what keeps reading free and helps authors get found. It pauses if you switch tabs, and “Continue reading” unlocks when it ends.
Like the look of it? “Save to my bookshelf” keeps the book for later. See your Bookshelf.
Where trailers never play
Never in free samples, and never for an author reading their own book.
Prefer no trailers at all? Soon some authors will sell their ebooks here, and readers who buy will read without trailers.
What it costs
The trailers are what keep whole books free for you, and they cost readers nothing.
Questions
How often will I see one?
About once every 15 minutes of reading, or about every 4,500 words, whichever comes first.
Why can’t I skip it?
It’s only 10 seconds, and it’s what keeps whole books free.
Does the author know I watched their trailer?
Authors see totals only, never who watched or saved.
Why did the trailer come back when I reloaded?
Reloading doesn’t skip it: it plays again until it’s done.
Why does a trailer show up while you’re reading?