Comments | faustfatale: Smashwords?

faustfatale

Smashwords?

Jul 04, 2011 09:16

I've gotten several requests for my three stories "Cutman" "All About Eden" and "Footjob" to be made available in non-Kindle format. Several readers suggested Smashwords, so I checked it out. Seems simple enough. But as usual, there's one little fiddly bit that doesn't quite make sense ( Read more... )

ebooks, writing

Comments 6

ladyeuthanasia July 4 2011, 16:26:46 UTC

IIRC, I purposely published a separate copy of Samantha Blazes on Nook and ScribD and bypassed Smashwords because of this clause. There were enough ambiguities that I was uncomfortable. Of course, I might have misunderstood something so I'm hoping maybe someone else has some insight.

Yes, you can select the MOBI format at SW if you publish at Amazon ext_697312 July 4 2011, 16:34:12 UTC

You can choose any of the formats you like at Smashwords. Where things get a little tricky is with the distribution channels you select. For example, if you publish directly to Barnes via the PubIt tool, you can still choose the ePub option at Smashwords. You just have to opt out of the Barnes distribution. As far as selecting the MOBI format at Smashwords goes... it's just another format available for sale at Smashwords and one that happens to be playable on Kindles. The Smashwords-Amazon distribution agreement, to my knowledge, hasn't been completed, so there's nothing for you to opt out of if you've published directly to Amazon using KDP.

In other words, select every format possible at Smashwords. Just make sure you're managing your distro channels so that you're not double-publishing.

One more thing... ext_697312 July 4 2011, 16:39:13 UTC

I think the reason Smashwords screams at you to NOT unselect the MOBI format is because the Kindle is the most popular ereading device... which means that the MOBI format is the most popular format at Smashwords. As such, unselecting the MOB is choosing to sell fewer ebooks through Smashwords.

Re: One more thing... ext_697368 July 4 2011, 17:16:03 UTC

I think you are right. You can have mobi format, but not distribution to amazon. I do my own BN and Amazon, and let Smashwords do the rest.

Re: One more thing... ext_697391 July 4 2011, 17:34:22 UTC

I think 52novels is right: they don't want you to eliminate the Kindle publishing format, since it's so prevalent. I was going to directly upload to Amazon, but then decided to give Smashwords a try instead since they put it into multiple formats at once, and that's pretty handy. Especially if they'll put it in the iTunes bookstore (or whatever iMoniker they've dubbed it lately), though you do have to pay extra for an ISBN to do so.

Re: One more thing... ext_697312 July 4 2011, 19:19:21 UTC

You don't need to pay extra for the ISBN. Smashwords offers them for free, but to take advantage of that price, they become the publisher of record. It's a meaningless designation, as they don't have your rights: it's the requirement Bowker applies to allow Smashwords to give them away. If you buy the ISBN through SW, you'll be listed as the publisher of record if that's important to you.

Still, $10 for an ISBN is cheap... Bowker charges $125 if you buy them one-off.