September seventeen, 2012 - We've got a superb job interview now over within the Smashwords web site with NY Periods bestselling writer, Lyla Sinclair. One of many factors I love about these interviews is how Just about every and Each one of our interview subjects has added new depth and knowing to ideal techniques. As an example, from the Strategies to E book Publishing Accomplishment, I compose at length about the value of cover photographs. Each reader of Web-site Updates understands that (you are classified as the Smashwords ability authors!). Study Lyla's cogent and insightful opinions on addresses, and you may realize this most effective techniques nugget on a further degree.
August 24, 2016 - Smashwords these days declared Smashwords Alerts, a new attribute that quickly notifies readers when their favored authors release a different e-book. Total aspects around within the Smashwords Site.  To observe an author they love, audience simply just click on on the author's profile site at Smashwords and click the button to subscribe to writer alerts.
December 23, 2011 - We launched a whole new beta characteristic tonight - gifting. The feature means that you can obtain any e-book which has a price tag and give it as a gift. Check out any Smashwords e-book website page and below the shopping cart icon you will see the "Give as a gift" button. Enter the recipient's identify and e mail address and purchase like usual. The receiver will receive an email using a hyperlink which allows them to say the reward.
June 14, 2012 - Heads up, eyes open up. New address graphic demands are coming! Setting up in August, Apple will require that the include impression be at the least 1400 pixels large. Apple Formerly expected a bare minimum peak of 600 pixels. Considering that Smashwords needs vertical rectangle (height increased than width) photos, remember to get started scheduling appropriately. A whole new recommended e book deal with is likely to be about 1600 pixels extensive by 2400 pixels tall, which means your peak is about 50% much more than your width. Pull out a ruler and evaluate pretty much any print reserve and you'll get a ratio near to that. A handful of months back, I seen Amazon begun recommending greater covers way too. They endorse a one.six width/top ratio (top sixty% much more than your width), and their encouraged top is 2,500 pixels. Some of That is personalized preference. For those who goal for the height to become 30 to sixty% greater than your width, it really should appear fantastic. Do what you think seems to be greatest, but purpose for your width for being bigger than 1400 pixes.  Why Apple's alter? We can easily only speculate, but it surely's most likely Secure to believe we are able to be expecting iPad, iPhone and Mac screens will continue on to love larger and better resolutions in the future.  Because we predict the Apple and Amazon tips are fair (they help visitors with next-technology screens delight in your handles in all their glory), we are going to adopt Apple's necessities as our new minimal criteria for canopy visuals. What happens subsequent? Apple's new need relates to new guides, and new go over updates. When your e-book is already during the Apple iBookstore using a smaller deal with impression, you might be grandfathered in, Unless of course you try to update your address picture in the future, by which situation they will reject it.
Smashwords accepts uploads 24X7, but Remember the fact that we way too will be focusing on minimized holiday schedules with a lot less staff members coverage amongst December 22 and January 1, and we also assume another 10 days will be especially active as authors and publishers scramble to add issues early.
June 28, 2012 - Products: one. Yesterday we introduced a whole new distribution relationship with Page Foundry, a developer of ebookstore applications for Android products. The writer/publisher inform I despatched out final night time has whole information. See screen shots of the e-looking through application in action about for the Smashwords web site. 2. Library patrons and guide-purchasing. According to my flash survey past 7 days, 82% of Smashwords authors and publishers think that by exposing their books at libraries, they'll offer extra textbooks overall. twelve% of you responded that you choose to experienced no feeling, or ended up over the fence. four.seven% of you answered you thought libraries would cannibalize your In general gross sales. My particular viewpoint is the fact that libraries depict a huge untapped opportunty for all authors and publishers. For those who disagree or are Uncertain, I fully regard your feeling, since the real truth is, none of us know of course. We're going to all position our bets as organization people (indies are company people today!) and after that the winners will become acknowledged in the the months and several years in advance. It can help to have details, and many of it is actually beginning to trickle out. The Pew Investigation Center introduced an interesting analyze final week that examined e-book obtaining patterns of library patrons. Several of the essential findings: A. Library patrons go through a lot more textbooks than bookbuyers who You should not use libraries. B. Library patrons are only as more likely to have ordered their most a short while ago go through guide as audience who Do not use libraries.
August six, 2011 - Two goods. 1. The new Grownup filter is Are living and operational. 1st time guests to the internet site will be routinely opted out of content labeled "Adult" by the writer/publisher. Site visitors can easily opt-in by clicking the ON/OFF toggle url during the higher proper corner of the website page. This replaces the past "Prude Filter."  For the numerous tens of A huge number of registered buyers of Smashwords, The brand new filter will not affect their previous filter settings. I posted in regards to the new Grownup Filter with the Smashwords Website. two. Internet marketing possibility. Do you use LinkedIn? If so, log in for your LinkedIn account, click on "Profile," then click "Edit Profile," after which you can see selection for "Publications" which lets you increase listings and hyperlinks for your Smashwords ebooks.
June 19, 2018 - Just about every week we are introducing new updates towards the Smashwords System. A pair interesting updates from just the last 7 days: 1. When prospects from the Smashwords Keep click to take a look at, when they're buying a series e-book they'll be introduced with an index of other visit the site textbooks in exactly the same collection to allow them to conveniently incorporate these other titles to their cart by using a simply click. For authors who want to reap the benefits of this attribute, all You will need to do is be certain your collection guides are connected up in your Dashboard's Sequence Supervisor Software.  two.
December 2, 2014 - (up-to-date) On January one, new VAT (Worth Additional Tax) regulations go into influence in the eu Union. In past times, retailers ended up in the position to Identify their European headquarters in Luxembourg, plus the VAT imposed on ebooks was dependant on the VAT amount for your place wherein the retailer was centered. In Luxembourg, the VAT was only three%, a charge which was pretty much negligible. Effective Together with the new EU procedures that start out January one, VAT is charged dependant on The client's geographic location. Therefore efficient January one, myriad tax rates will probably be placed on your ebooks when marketed at Smashwords shops including Apple iBooks, B&N, Txtr and Kobo. What Smashwords authors ought to do to arrange: At present, almost nothing. Smashwords has constantly distributed guides by way of our global merchants in a VAT-inclusive price. This means that VAT for European profits was deducted within the sales selling price, and only then did the retailer choose their Slice before sending the remaining proceeds to Smashwords. Together with the new VAT guidelines, the VAT tax will vary from fifteen% to 25%. The typical across the many nations is twenty%. The united kingdom, a substantial market for ebooks, is 20%, While the VAT amount for printed textbooks is 0% (Certainly, ZERO). As a person Smashwords retailer told me not too long ago, "we're all having hit With all the identical stick.
March 5, 2014 - No person understands the longer term, nonetheless it's entertaining to guess. Set on your pundit hat and head on more than to the Smashwords blog site to obtain my spreadsheet that will assist you to forecast the future of indie ebook publishing.
April four, 2011 - Several items. 1. IndieBookLounge is a whole new company that provides indie authors totally free directory listings for his or her textbooks. You may add covers, e-book descriptions, bios and incorporate direct order back links to the textbooks at Smashwords, B&N and somewhere else. Absolutely free expert services such as this make your books more discoverable, so demonstrate 'em some Smashwords enjoy and listing your titles.  2. Our Pal Greg, the proprietor of Ereader Information Now, invites Smashwords authors to send him confined-time coupon codes for Smashwords textbooks. Due to the fact he concentrates on books for the Kindle, make sure you have your MOBI activated at Smashwords.
August 7, 2011 - Two far more promoting you can try this out Thoughts, both of those of which I will likely insert to a long run edition on the Smashwords E book Marketing and advertising Guidebook. 1. Yesterday, I mentioned how LinkedIn allows you add inbound links on your ebooks inside your LinkedIn profile beneath "Publications." I forgot to mention that Google+, Google's very hot new social community, also permits you to list publications in your profile, although they do not contact it this kind of. In case you are on Google+, click to your profile, then click to edit your "About" page and it'll Enable you to develop such a listing. Here's how I did it for my Google+ profile:    Independently, they've a "Personalized One-way links" attribute where you can add links towards your other online presences, so I included my immediate inbound links for Twitter, Fb, LinkedIn, the Smashwords Web site and my Smashwords author page. Every one of these links make you and your textbooks additional available and discoverable. 2. Are you currently accustomed to SlideShare.net? I really like Slideshare. They're considerably much like Smashwords, but for Powerpoint displays as well as other paperwork. I commenced making use of them two yrs back to publicly share the PowerPoints through the talks and workshops I do at conferences. I have also used them occassionally for PowerPoints created for the only real purpose of sharing on SlideShare and also to embed during the Smashwords Website. You are able to accessibility the entire library of my Smashwords shows about the Smashwords SlideShare webpage. One of many great matters about Slideshare is that don't just does the internet site by itself get a fair amount of traffic, it's got a amazing embed function which allows your folks and lovers to embed your presentation on their Internet sites and weblogs (Considerably in the same way folks can embed YouTube films). Here is my concept on how Smashwords authors and publishers can take advantage of SlideShare: Think about generating numerous PowerPoint decks which offer fans and probable readers supplemental Perception into you and your books. Visualize you might be performing a presentation about you and your publications at your local library, then produce that presentation and place it up. At the end of Each individual of my shows, I insert hyperlinks to in which viewers can learn more about Smashwords, or link with me by way of the varied social networking sites, or e mail me immediate. Naturally, I'm to choose from selling ebooks, e-book instruction and Smashwords, however, you can endorse you as well as your guides. Or, share Whatever you've discovered about e-publishing and share it together with your fellow writers. Perhaps develop a presentation on e book formatting ideas, or the way to structure an excellent include, or share your own personal ebook advertising guidelines. The point is, just get by yourself around in as a lot of places as feasible. Share your smarts. E-book buyers (or whomever you would like to access or enable) consume all varieties of media.
July eleven, 2013 - What a wild week it's been with the budding e book earth. A few days ago, B&N's CEO abruptly resigned. Naturally, the punditry are fast to print untimely epitaphs, which happens to be unfortunate mainly because it'll rattle shoppers' cages and make them ponder if they ought to continue to keep their wagons hitched to B&N's horse. Without a doubt, B&N faces worries, however it's too quickly to rely them out. Despite the described problems in B&N's Nook division as well as their announcement that they're ceasing improvement of tablets in favor of specializing in devoted e-ink e-visitors, Smashwords revenue by B&N continue being sturdy and we stay delighted with our long term partnership. In other large e book information, decide Cote yesterday ruled from Apple inside the DoJ's selling price-correcting scenario. Boggles my thoughts. I carry on to consider Apple did nothing Incorrect. They released a outstanding e book pricing and marketing product (Company pricing the place the writer/publisher sets the price), they did a very good career of advertising it to the massive NY publishers, and the massive NY publishers jumped at it, desperate for Apple to play the white evening counterbalance versus their feared Amazon boogeyman. The Big apple Occasions did a front webpage story on how the DoJ earn hands competitive gain to Amazon. I'm quoted in it, talking about how the DoJ case will hasten field consolidation. Study the Tale in this article. I have observed some authors celebrating Apple's reduction, and I do not get it. Apple brought much-essential Competitors on the e book world.
November 21, 2016 - Suggestion of your working day - Now's a good time to take a look at your calendar for 2017 and obtain all of your prepared 2017 releases up on assetless preorder today. With the assetless preorder, you establish the preorder listing with out a manuscript. You won't this contact form have to provide the final manuscript to Smashwords until eventually ten times right before release, and when you must change your release date before or later on, it is possible to constantly try this self-provide from the Dashboard.