5 Reasons For You To Self-Publish Your New Ebook On Smashwords

Some independent ebook authors might believe that the time it takes to publish on Smashwords is not worth the extra effort.

When it comes time to publish an ebook, Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) is always the first choice for authors and publishers.

It is relatively easy, and the Kindle Store is the biggest ebook seller on the planet.

But there are some excellent reasons to publish with Smashwords that are worth noting.

How to publish on Smashwords

Sure, it takes a little bit of work to publish your ebook on a different platform.

You also need to wait for your ebook to be reviewed and approved for premium distribution.

But the benefits in the long term are numerous for authors.

Smashwords is now part of Draft2Digital, but it remains pretty much the same with the benefits it offers.

Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords, is now the CSO of the combined companies.

If you used Smashwords in the past, you will notice that little has changed.

But with many new features promised by Draft2Digital, the benefits of publishing with Smashwords can only get better.

One significant improvement in the works is the Smashwords Bookstore.

You can expect more improvements and new tools as the merger progresses.

But here are five very good reasons why you might want to consider publishing your ebooks on Smashwords.

1. Much wider distribution channels

Once approved for the Premium distribution platform, your Smashwords ebooks will be available on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, Page Foundry, Baker & Taylor, Gardners, Blio, txtr, Library Direct, Baker-Taylor, Axis360, OverDrive, Scribd, Bibliotheca CloudLibrary, and Odilo.

It also has its own ebook store that is popular with many avid readers.

Sure, you probably won’t sell a bundle of ebooks, except perhaps with Apple iBooks and B&N.

But the exposure from each retailer will boost your title’s exposure and SEO. (Search Engine Optimisation)

2. Search engine exposure

While on SEO, you will have a link on your publisher’s dashboard for every ebook, with a list of SEO entries for each title and author.

You will get your book and author name indexed on search engines by publishing your ebook.

Again, it is more exposure, which is good book marketing for indie authors.

3. Access to your ebooks to distribute for free

Have you ever wanted to send a copy of your free book to a book blogger, beta reader, or reviewer?

It can be a hassle for you when they ask for a particular format such as mobi, epub, or pdf.

For Smashwords authors, it is very easy.

You can download copies of your ebook in any one of nine different file formats, or book formats, at any time. You can also download a 10% preview read.

It is very convenient if you want to offer a free download of your ebook on your WordPress blog or website.

All you need to do is log in to your account. Then go to your Dashboard, and click on your book title.

It will take you to your Store page.

The download links are in a box just under your book cover image.

Another bonus is that even if you withdraw your ebook from sale on Smashwords so you can enroll exclusively in KDP Select, your ebook remains available for you to download.

If I didn’t sell one ebook on Smashwords, this feature alone would make book publishing there worthwhile.

4. Coupons

Another feature I like is Coupons.

If you are doing an email promotion, you can give potential buyers a discount code to get your ebook at a lower price.

You can also use coupons on social media to give your ebook a kick along.

5. Affiliates

The last hidden feature on your Dashboard is Affiliate Settings.

I can’t say that I have used this.

But why not encourage affiliate marketers to sell your ebook?

With the number of affiliate marketers around, it might be worth a try.

Wrap Up

Even if you don’t sell a single copy via Smashwords, there are some beneficial reasons to publish there.

But with your ebook distributed to B&N, Apple, and Kobo, you should pick up sales.

Mark Coker and Smashwords have supported indie authors for a very long time to help self-publishing authors sell ebooks.

Smashwords is now the largest distributor of ebooks to libraries.

It also helps you sell more books on ebook retailers besides Amazon.

Because of this fact, it is always worth giving consideration to publish on Smashwords in addition to Amazon.

Are there any alternatives?

Yes.

Draft2Digital (D2D) offers a very similar service. One big difference is that you can publish and list your ebook on Amazon.

I can’t say I have tried to publish from D2D to Amazon.

For new authors, it might be a good option.

But if you have been publishing for a while, you might want to stay with publishing directly with KDP.

You can use D2D’s distribution platform to sell your ebooks on Amazon, Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Google Play Books, Kobo (including Kobo Plus), Tolino, OverDrive, Bibliotheca, Scribd, 24Symbols, Playster, and Baker & Taylor.

As far as pricing is concerned, there are many options.

You can list your ebooks for free on all retailers apart from Amazon.

It’s possible to set different prices for different counties and currencies.

Also, you can set a promotional price for a defined period of time.

Another feature is a Refer a Friend affiliate program.

If you plan to publish in paperback, D2D can prepare a free pdf version of your book ready to upload to any print-on-demand publisher.

It’s a nice little bonus for new authors.

Related Reading: Our comparison of Draft2Digital, Smashwords, and Amazon KDP Select?

Updates to this article

Update Note. It came as a surprise to many authors, but Draft2digital is to acquire Smashwords. You can read more details in the announcement notice.