# Smashwords For First-Time Independent Author



## VanClash (Oct 24, 2012)

Hello, 
I have currently finished a novel and I am looking to put it up on Smashwords and I was wondering if anyone else has published their books on Smashwords. Would you suggest Smashwords for first time an independent author, or is there and better site for what I am looking for?  

Thanks, 
VanClash


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## Kevin O. McLaughlin (Oct 25, 2012)

Minimally, you want Smashwords and Kindle Direct Publishing, since Smashwords does not distribute to Amazon.

Ideally, you probably want KDP, Pubit, Kobo, and Smashwords (using Smashwords to distribute to retailers other than the "big three" of Amazon, B&N, and Kobo).

Edit: saw afterward you're from Australia, which means Pubit is probably not going to work for you. They don't generally do non-US writers. So use Smashwords to distribute to B&N, too.


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## morfiction (Oct 25, 2012)

Yes I would.


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## Arranah (Oct 29, 2012)

I know of people who have used Smashword, but they still haven't made any money, even though they really checked it out, did research and followed it's advice. To be successful publishing one's own books, one has to do a lot of research on how to make it work.  There are myriad steps and it requires follow through ad infinitum.


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## Leif Notae (Oct 30, 2012)

There is one thing to be wary with on Smashwords: If you sell the piece through them, you are accepting they are your "publishing house" if you don't have your own ISBN. Make sure you investigate this first, since this might limit what you can work with.


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## Kevin O. McLaughlin (Oct 30, 2012)

Leif Notae said:


> There is one thing to be wary with on Smashwords: If you sell the piece through them, you are accepting they are your "publishing house" if you don't have your own ISBN. Make sure you investigate this first, since this might limit what you can work with.



Do you know of a single way in which using their ISBN impacts *any* element of publishing your ebooks? Because I've been doing this for a while now, and as far as I know there is no functional difference. ISBN ownership is purely cosmetic, at the indie ebook level.


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