Smashwords for iPhone

If you're one of the 10 million or so iPhone and iPod Touch users out there, you know it's sometimes a pain to visit web sites on the Safari browser that aren't optimized for the iPhone's screen size and slow download rates.

We feel your pain, which is why we're excited to announce today that we've optimized the Smashwords web site for iPhone users.Simply visit the site and we'll automatically recognize you're an iPhone or iPod Touch user, and then we'll serve you pages optimized for your device.iPhone and iPod Touch users can now easily browse our small but growing catalog of independently published ebook authors.

All of our books are available DRM-free and multi-format, including the increasingly popular epub format used by Stanza, the leading ereader app for the iPhone.And speaking of Stanza, Stanza fans are in for a real treat.We also today introduced full integration with the Stanza ebook reader (see image below). Stanza users can now easily access the complete Smashwords catalog on their iPhone or iPod Touch, download book samples and free books, access their personal Smashwords library, and even download full books they've purchased online at Smashwords.com.Visit the Smashwords.com website by entering the URL "smashwords.com" in the Safari browser. You can add all Smashwords books available in ePub format to Stanza's online catalog by tapping the "Stanza" link at the top of any page, and following the instructions there.To purchase Smashwords books, tap "Join" to sign up for a free account, or tap "Login" if you already have an account. Find the book you wish to purchase, or just tap the link at the end of the sample copy right inside Stanza to launch Safari, and click "Add to Cart". You can pay with a PayPal account or credit card, all right on your iPhone.To load the books you've purchased into Stanza, tap the "Library" button at the top of any page on the Smashwords website.

A list of books you've purchased will appear. Tap the book's title, and tap the "Download to Stanza" link on the page that appears. Stanza will launch, download the book, and you may begin reading instantly.Alternatively, you can also access your entire personal Smashwords library directly within Stanza, by adding it as an Online Catalog. From the Library or Stanza pages on Smashwords.com, tap "Access your Library in Stanza." Stanza will launch and add your library as a new menu item under "Online Catalog." Be sure to name your catalog, otherwise Stanza will give it a default name of "www.smashwords.com". Any books you purchase or add to your Library -- whether on your PC or Mac, or while browsing Smashwords.com on your iPhone -- will appear there automatically.If you're an indie author, there's never been a better time to publish your books on Smashwords. And if you're a fan of indie ebooks, there's never been a better time to start enjoying our small but growing catalog of books.

Labels: smashwords iphone ipod touch stanza epub ebooks

Download ebooks on http://www.frenchtheory.com/ - See that post with different algorithms in metabole - See the journal French Metablog with today different posts -

PHONEREADER Library - - Jean-Philippe Pastor

Mark Coker tells us about Smashwords

Over the last few years as Smashwords gestated in my head, I spent a lot of time contemplating the furious changes to come as digital books make their way to the Internet.

In physical form, a book has characteristics that cause most of us to apply value to it - we may appreciate the cover art, its display is crisp and sharp, it's durable, it's portable, it has weight and substance in our hands, it looks sharp in our library, it tends to smell better with age, and simply reading it in public is form of self-expression.Simply by transforming a book to digital form, we strip away the physical and have a product that is more ethereal. We also change the perceived value of the book in the eyes of the consumer.
Now in digital form, a book is little more than words and images that must compete with all the other forms of information dissemination, knowledge sharing and entertainment, most of which can be had for essentially FREE on the Internet.So what does this mean for authors and the future of writing? Are digital books moving toward free?

Considering the Smashwords business model is predicated on taking a 15% cut of sales, I certainly hope we don't go all free. And as an author who put several hundred hours of work into my own novel, I admit I desire some form of monetary compensation.Over the weekend, I posed this question to authors over at LinkedIn, asking if we need to broaden our definition of author compensation, and the responses are quite interesting (check them out). Most authors answered they want compensation in cold hard cash. The idea of alternate measures of compensation, such as fame or enhanced credibility, is anathema to most authors who have responded so far. Several have pledged to stop writing without compensation.The debate is fascinating to me because for years, traditional print publishing - the ideal most authors aspire to as the sign of success - has failed to offer adequate compensation to all but a few authors.What do you think?

Posted by Mark Coker
Labels: author compensation, digital books, ebooks

Download ebooks on http://www.frenchtheory.com/ - See that post with different algorithms in metabole - See the journal French Metablog with today different posts -

PHONEREADER Library - - Jean-Philippe Pastor

Smashwords Interview with Mark Coker

Joe Wikert : Tell us about Smashwords.

Mark Coker: Smashwords is a digital self-publishing site, kind of a hybrid publisher/online bookstore. We allow anyone anywhere to become a published ebook author simply by uploading their finished manuscript in Microsoft Word format, and then we automatically convert it into multiple DRM-free ebook formats.

JW: What was the impetus behind you founding the site?

MC: The idea grew out my own experience as an author. My wife and I co-wrote a novel a few years back, and despite being repped by one of the most respected literary agencies in Manhattan, no publisher would take the book. I found it frustrating that a publisher could stand between an author and their potential audience, especially in today's age where print on demand and the Internet are such forces for disintermediation.

JW: There are quite a few self-publishing outfits that handle the print side. Smashwords looks like a great approach for self-publishing in the e-book world. Is that how you've positioned the service?

MC: Yes, digital self publishing is our focus. We provide a platform for authors and even traditional publishers to publish and promote their books in digital form.

JW: What if someone wants to do both types of self-publishing, print and e-book? Are the rights set up so that authors can easily do both?

MC: Our publishing contract is non-exclusive, so we leave it to the author or the rights-holder to determine how and where they publish their book. I think in the future, most authors will become more independent-minded, and will begin to insist on controlling more and more of the rights for their works. This trend presents both a threat and an opportunity to publishers. Publishers who serve their authors the best will flourish.

JW: What's the financial model for an author considering Smashwords?

MC: I think most people agree that the traditional print publishing model fails to adequately compensate many authors. I blogged about this the other day. With Smashwords, we re trying to take a more author-centric approach. We give authors or publishers 85% of the net proceeds from each sale.
So the formula for the author's share = (sales price - transaction fee) * .85. By offering authors and content owners a bigger slice of the pie, we allow them to price their product lower yet still make higher per-unit margins than through print publishing. Lower prices increase consumer demand, and higher demand plus higher per-unit profits create a wonderfully disruptive win-win situation for consumers and content owners alike. The biggest challenge facing digital publishers is how to increase adoption rates for digital books. I'm confident digital books are destined to go mainstream with multi-billion dollar sales levels, yet clearly this is several years off.

JW: When an author publishes with Smashwords their content will be available in a variety of formats, including Amazon's Kindle. What are all the formats you offer and are authors able to pick and choose from this list, limiting their content to certain formats?

MC: Currently we offer Mobipocket, Palm PDB, .rtf, .txt, PDF, and two different online readers (HTML and Javascript). Authors decide which formats they want. PDF and .rtf are good if enjoyment of the book requires rigid adherence to a strict page layout. The other formats are best for straight form narrative. Our Smashwords Style Guide helps authors prep their work for optimal conversion.

JW: Authors can set their own pricing as well as determine how much of the content is freely readable before a customer has to pay. What's the upper limit on that free access feature?

MC: The upper limit for free access is 100% free, which we support. From a sampling perspective, the author or rights holder can set their sampling rate from 0% to 99%. If they set it at 60%, for example, as I did with my own book, the first 60% of the book's content is available for free online viewing through our online readers. Sampling is a critically important marketing technique, yet few authors or publishers take proper advantage of it in the digital realm. The thought process here is that we as authors or publishers are competing for the time and attention of our readers. If we earn their time and attention, the revenue will come. If a reader invests several hours to read the first 60% of your 300 page novel, odds are they'll want to buy the book to finish it.

Download ebooks on http://www.frenchtheory.com/ - See that post with different algorithms in metabole - See the journal French Metablog with today different posts -

PHONEREADER Library - - Jean-Philippe Pastor

What is Smashwords?

Smashwords is a digital self-publishing platform for independent ebook authors.

Authors retain full control over how their works are published, sampled, priced and sold. If an author wants to charge one dollar or ten thousand dollars, or give it away for free, they have that freedom.

What does Smashwords offer readers? Smashwords is a virtual playground for those who love the written word. Readers can sample most works for free (and in many cases, read over 50% of the book before they commit to a purchase decision); create digital libraries of purchased and sampled works; publish reviews (including YouTube video book reviews); and “favorite” their favorite authors and works.

What marketing tools does Smashwords offer authors and publishers?

Smashwords offers multiple marketing tools to help authors and publishers connect with readers. We offer the industry’s broadest range of sampling options; author pages with bios, headshots and lists of works; embedded YouTube videos for video book trailers and virtual author events; reviews from readers; ebook downloads in multiple ebook formats; and dozens of additional tools in the works.

What is an ebook, and how do I read these books?

Ebooks are digital books. The ebooks on Smashwords can be read online using our online readers, or they can be downloaded to other reading devices such as the the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader or IRex Iliad, or to smart phones such as the iPhone or Treo. Once purchased, Smashwords books can be downloaded and printed on your PC or viewed offline. Smashwords offers generous sampling options so readers can try before they buy. For many books that are for sale on the site, you can read over 50% of it online, for free.

Download ebooks on http://www.frenchtheory.com/ - See that post with different algorithms in metabole - See the journal French Metablog with today different posts -

PHONEREADER Library - - Jean-Philippe Pastor

What is a publisher?

The traditional model for print publishing is broken.

The system is clogged with expensive intermediaries - literary agents, editors, publishers, printers, distributors and bookstores - that stand between the author and their prospective reader. The cost problem is further exacerbated because publishers have no way to predict demand, so they often print twice as many books as they can sell. The high costs mean that published book authors seldom earn more than their advance, and most publishers lose money on the vast majority of the titles they publish.

Many authors see self-publishing as a more viable method.

Download ebooks on http://www.frenchtheory.com/ - See that post with different algorithms in metabole - See the journal French Metablog with today different posts -
PHONEREADER Library - - Jean-Philippe Pastor

From Ebooks to print now

At a time when most publishers are trying to anticipate the benefits of turning their backlists into e-books, two publishers have joined forces to buck the trend.

Humanities Ebooks LLP has enlisted the services of print publisher Troubador to do exactly the reverse. Through Troubador, the e-publishing company plans to make its backlist of academic titles available in print.

Whilst the ebooks are still available to buy and download from the Humanities Ebooks site (www.humanities-ebooks.co.uk) print versions of some of the titles are now available to buy, under the Humanities imprint, direct from Troubador, with many more titles to follow.
Troubador will eventually convert HEB's backlist of over 50 titles.

Managing Director of HEB, Dr Richard Gravil said:
"We've teamed up with Troubador because we want to provide our customers with maximum choice. The books produced by Troubador will complement what we already offer and allow us to reach a larger readership."
Jeremy Thompson, Managing Director of Troubador Publishing, said: "This collaboration has allowed both companies to maintain their focus on their respective areas of expertise whilst, at the same time, allowing us both to branch out into an exciting new area. I look forward to seeing how the relationship develops."

The Humanities Ebooks titles are available to buy in print from Troubador's website at www.troubador.co.uk/shop.asp

If you would like more information please contact Julia Fuller at Troubador Publishing, by email at julia_fuller@troubador.co.uk or by phone on 07870 864779

http://www.troubador.co.uk/shop_booklist.asp?category=Humanities%20Ebooks

Download ebooks on http://www.frenchtheory.com/ - See that post with different algorithms in metabole - See the journal French Metablog with today different posts -

PHONEREADER Library - - Jean-Philippe Pastor