When the free ebook distribution platform Smashwords was created, critics claimed that it was nothing more than a portal for lousy ebooks to flood the market while supporters countered that it was the first genuine concept in stripping away the artificial barriers to publication. The founder, Mark Coker, stated quite freely that if a horrible ebook--horrible in terms of the … [Read more...] about A Little Competition for Smashwords?
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Amazon Owns Goodreads… What Now?
So far, the official press releases and arranged interviews about Amazon's purchase of Goodreads have had a chance to make their way to the news front. An equal number of readers, if not more, have taken to social media to share their concerns and criticisms. But one surprising response has come from industry insider Mark Coker, the CEO and founder of Smashwords. Coker … [Read more...] about Amazon Owns Goodreads… What Now?
Smashwords/Douglas County Deal Required a Lot of Work
Previously we reported on Douglas County acquiring 10,000 self-published ebooks from Smashwords. Now, an article in The Digital Shift outlines how much work was required to complete the deal as the parties had to weed, filter, and tweak a list of indie titles to develop the optimal collection for library patrons. “It was a lot more complicated for us than we expected,” said … [Read more...] about Smashwords/Douglas County Deal Required a Lot of Work
Self-Published eBooks Reach Amazon UK Top 100 Bestseller List
If there was still any doubt about the potential for success and recognition for self-published authors, a recent press release issued by Amazon UK has very nearly put it to rest. The announcement, made yesterday out of Amazon's Luxembourg office, stated that fifteen of the top 100 bestselling books on Amazon UK last year were self-published using the company's Kindle Direct … [Read more...] about Self-Published eBooks Reach Amazon UK Top 100 Bestseller List
Douglas County Libraries Acquire 10K eBooks from Smashwords
Once again Smashwords is showing up the mainstream publishers. According to ALA TechSource, the Douglas County Libraries acquired 10,000 titles of self-published ebooks from Smashwords. This means that DCL will now own a total of 21,000 ebooks. The titles purchased from Smashwords include fiction, romance, mystery, and science fiction. Rather than leasing ebooks from … [Read more...] about Douglas County Libraries Acquire 10K eBooks from Smashwords
2012 Was the Year of the Indie…What Now?
It took long enough, but several sources have finally declared 2012 to have been the year of the Indie Author. From their declarations, what set 2012 apart seems to have been the reduced stigma in being a self-published author, the volume of high-quality works that are being brought to market without the efforts of the traditional publishing industry, and the banding together … [Read more...] about 2012 Was the Year of the Indie…What Now?
Smashwords Direct Offers ePub Uploads for Indie Authors
Smashwords has just unveiled a new system that finally allows authors to upload their ebooks in ePub format. This new capability allows publishers or authors to upload their own professionally formatted ePub files for sale at the Smashwords store, and for distribution to the Smashwords retail distribution network.When you upload your own ePub book it is important to note … [Read more...] about Smashwords Direct Offers ePub Uploads for Indie Authors
Smashwords iBookstore Sales Skyrocket over Christmas
This is great news for the self-publishing company! According to the Smashwords blog, sales the day after Christmas were 76% higher from the same day a week earlier and sales for December 27 increased 65% over the same period a year ago. These figures were aggregated over the 125,000 Smashwords titles available in the iBookstore.Even more encouraging is the chart above, … [Read more...] about Smashwords iBookstore Sales Skyrocket over Christmas
Smashwords’ CEO Mark Coker on the Tsunami of Self-Publishing
Mark Coker published his own predictions for publishing in 2013 on the Smashwords' blog earlier last week, and it is quite a comprehensive list. With over twenty-one separate items that will have an effect on publishing and book selling in the next twelve months. GoodeReader spoke with Coker about some of the specific observations he made about where the industry may be … [Read more...] about Smashwords’ CEO Mark Coker on the Tsunami of Self-Publishing
Self-Publishing Gains Ground, Acceptance
Publisher’s Weekly posted a recap article of the recent Miami Book Fair, and went to great lengths to expand on the importance that was placed on self-publishing at this year’s event. As one of the most respected book events in the country and celebrating almost thirty years of books and authors, featuring information sessions on a publication process that was once relegated to … [Read more...] about Self-Publishing Gains Ground, Acceptance
New Bowker Study on eBooks Shows Self-Publishing Growth
Bowker, the ProQuest group that supplies book information to publishers, libraries, and booksellers and is the official US agency for identifying ISBN numbers, released the results today of its most recent study on self-published books, both print and digital. According to the release on the study, available self-published books now total more than 235,000, nearly a triple … [Read more...] about New Bowker Study on eBooks Shows Self-Publishing Growth
Ebook Seller Zola to Launch with Exclusive Content
In a climate in which internet start ups come and go every day, how can a brand-new ebook seller plan to compete with the likes of established retailers like Amazon or Barnes & Noble, or even with smaller-but-popular sites like Smashwords?The best way is to not compete at all.Zola Books, which formed in September of last year and will launch on October 10th, is … [Read more...] about Ebook Seller Zola to Launch with Exclusive Content
eBook Lending an International Problem
In the US, libraries and their patrons have felt the frustration stemming from the artificial barriers to ebook lending that some publishers have put in place. While those barriers are meant to protect the interests of the authors and publishers until a better solution presents itself, it is the budget-constricted libraries and readers who are feeling the sting.Platforms … [Read more...] about eBook Lending an International Problem