With both camps still divided on the self-publishing front, the same tired arguments for and against the concept are still being levied: "self-published books are notoriously bad" versus "every book has the right to be published." These same two ideas, both for and against self-publishing, have been uttered since the recent wave of indie author revolution began, to the point … [Read more...] about Self-Publishing: How Good Is Good Enough?
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Mark Coker’s Indie Author Manifesto
To say that self-publishing has unleashed something profound around the world is an understatement. Whether it's through the launch of ebooks and print-on-demand books or just a blogging or social media platform, digital publishing has made it possible for individuals to put their ideas in front of a broader audience. It cannot be a coincidence that the global spread of ideas … [Read more...] about Mark Coker’s Indie Author Manifesto
Smashwords Authors Get a One Year Free Subscription to Scribd
Smashwords signed a distribution agreement with eBook subscription service Scribd last December. Indie authors who elect to include their titles in the Scribd catalog are now getting extra benefits, a free one year subscription to Scribd. The one year free subscription to Scribd is only available to authors who have included their books in that distribution platform. Your … [Read more...] about Smashwords Authors Get a One Year Free Subscription to Scribd
Smashwords Reveals Number of Bestselling Authors Overwhelmingly Female
Over on the Smashwords blog, CEO and founder Mark Coker posted some interesting information about the demographics of the bestselling authors on the site. According to the Smashwords bestseller list, published each month by Publisher's Weekly, the top twenty-five bestselling titles on Smashwords for the last many months have all been written by women. All of them. Coker … [Read more...] about Smashwords Reveals Number of Bestselling Authors Overwhelmingly Female
Ellen Hopkins, eBooks, and the Fight Against Censorship
Young adult author Ellen Hopkins is no stranger to controversy. Her teen books--which deal with very difficult yet realistic subject matter such as drug addiction, suicide, and self-harm--are often found hovering near the top of the lists of books that have been banned in schools or libraries. But an event this week shed new light on an age-old problem: censorship. Hopkins … [Read more...] about Ellen Hopkins, eBooks, and the Fight Against Censorship
Smashwords Announces Author Promo for Read an eBook Week
Pioneering self-publishing and ebook distribution site Smashwords made an announcement for all of its member authors and publishers today that tomorrow kicks off a week-long promotional event for books. Dubbed Read and eBook Week, a campaign that runs from March 2nd through 8th, the event offers authors the opportunity to reach out to readers with promotional pricing on their … [Read more...] about Smashwords Announces Author Promo for Read an eBook Week
German eBook Distributor XinXii Rolls Out New Author Tools
One of Europe's leading ebook distribution sites, XinXii, has quietly been making indie authors' works available in markets that very few e-retailers are reaching, quickly growing to be one of the major forces in self-publishing across a variety of languages and borders. In an effort to continue to make the platform available to authors throughout the EU, the platform unveiled … [Read more...] about German eBook Distributor XinXii Rolls Out New Author Tools
Smashwords Once Again Named to Forbes’ List
The quiet underdog in the ebook publishing and distribution arena has long been Smashwords, a site known for its ease of use and welcome of nearly every genre. But the site that so many readers--and even self-published authors--are not all that familiar with is actually accumulating impressive numbers, with over 80,000 authors and publishers launching more than 230,000 ebooks, … [Read more...] about Smashwords Once Again Named to Forbes’ List
Smashwords, Wattpad See Increase in Use
In the past year, open reading platform and forum Wattpad saw an exponential increase in user traffic, evidenced by the more than 41 billion minutes that its members spent reading online in 2013, more than double the use of the year before. Coincidentally, in a year spent collaborating with other platforms to form new connections and new opportunities for authors, ebook … [Read more...] about Smashwords, Wattpad See Increase in Use
Smashwords’ Predictions for Publishing in 2014
This time of year brings with it a host of predictions from various entities, all of whom can lay claim to professional insight behind their ideas. In the many centuries' old book industry, the past that used to shape the present has been ripped away by disruption and technological shift, meaning even well thought out predictions may prove to be far off base. Smashwords, an … [Read more...] about Smashwords’ Predictions for Publishing in 2014
New Startups Focus on Tracking eBook Reading Data
How long does it take for someone to complete a book? When reading a steamy erotica, are you lingering over the sex scenes? Do readers ever finish the books they start, or skip right to the end? New startups are seeking to address these questions with new software and they intend on opening it up to writers, indie authors and publishers. New startups such as Oyster are … [Read more...] about New Startups Focus on Tracking eBook Reading Data
Scribd, Smashwords Partner to Put Indie Authors’ Work in Subscription Service
This might be a biased statement given the amount of news that crosses the Good e-Reader desk concerning ebook distribution and self-publishing platform Smashwords, but it's a pretty safe bet that Smashwords has done more to further the cause of self-publishing than any other platform available to authors. Certainly companies like Amazon, Barnes and Noble's Nook Press, and … [Read more...] about Scribd, Smashwords Partner to Put Indie Authors’ Work in Subscription Service
Vellum Self-Publishing App for Mac Aims to Do It All…
A new self-publishing app for Mac by software veterans Brad Andalman and Brad West, both of whom are former Pixar designers, is trying to make the self-publishing process for ebooks even easier and more streamlined than it already is, at least on the surface. The app, Vellum, is supposed to make the entire formatting and distributing process even easier and more … [Read more...] about Vellum Self-Publishing App for Mac Aims to Do It All…
Smashwords Unveils New Website, New Features
It's a testament to the company model that self-publishing platform and ebook distribution company Smashwords hasn't changed its website since it launched in 2008. Rather than throw around flashy landing pages that don't really do anything, the site has spent the last several years sticking with its tried-and-true site while it focused on more important factors, such as ease of … [Read more...] about Smashwords Unveils New Website, New Features