Smashwords

[gerald.parson]

Can someone, preferably with experience using it, explain to me what Smashwords is exactly. I have read a couple of articles, and from what I have gathered its like a central selling site and eBook format application ( or something like that). Is that accurate? I also read that it does a bad job at formatting, is that true?
What are the pro's and con's with using Smashwords?

 

[Telcontar]

eBook Store and Distributor.

It is designed to offer a central point from where author's can manage their sales, uploads, versions, etc. They sell eBooks directly, and they also distribute the books on their 'Premium Catalog' to other eBook stores (Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, etc). So instead of going to the effort of uploading to all those stores yourself, you upload to Smashwords only, and it tracks all sales/payment in itself and the other stores. Saves a lot of clerical work on the part of the author.

Formatting: It is not perfect yet, but I have not seen that it is poor. Of course, I am only submitting simple, straight-form fiction. No pictures or anything to worry about. By and large it does just fine on this.

Pros: Saves time in managing your books. You don't need to keep a separate version for all these stores, you just use Smashwords. Their formatting is fairly simple, and as I mentioned I am satisfied with their results so far. High royalty structure.

Cons: Delay in reporting sales from liasons. Not a lot of traffic yet at the Smashwords store itself.

All in all, I thinks the pros outweigh the cons, and I intend to continue using Smashwords.

 

[TWErvin2]

Smashwords is just one venue. One can publish with them, with Kindle and with Nook (B&N) etc. (but eventually most titles published on Smashwords become available on the Nook, as Telcontar indicated).

As Telcontar indicated, traffic there is not great. Sales of my novels (ebook versions) there don't do nearly as well as the do through Kindle. But a reader is a reader and I'd never look to turn my nose up at even one. Several authors with Gryphonwood sell very well through Smashwords, although they still do better via Kindle, and Nook.

 

[gerald.parson]

So can you publish on Kindle, and smashwords also? like at the same time? i guess what I am asking, is smashwords a store that sells and supports all these formats of eBooks?

 

[Telcontar]

Yes. I sell through two channels: Amazon (KDP) and Smashwords. Smashwords still has the 'option' to distribute to Amazon, but they have no agreement for doing that and likely never will, what with Amazon's history of anti-competitiveness.

 

[Steerpike]

I was publishing through Smashwords, Google Books, B&N, and Amazon. Virtually every single sale came through Amazon, so I joined the program at Amazon where you publish exclusively through them.

 

[Telcontar]

I was publishing through Smashwords, Google Books, B&N, and Amazon. Virtually every single sale came through Amazon, so I joined the program at Amazon where you publish exclusively through them.

Part of me wants to give that a try, but more of me rebels at giving Amazon exclusivity. Have you noticed an increase in your success by using the Select program?

 

[Steerpike]

The sales did go up ( a little bit) after I joined Select. But I can't say it whether it was due to that or not. I wasn't selling hardly any copies through the other sites, so I thought there was no reason not to give Select a try. If I want to drop out of the program, I can.