Hi, I'm Mark from Smashwords. We launched our public beta last week and are starting to build our collection of digitally self-published works by independent authors.

All of the books are available DRM-free and in multiple formats. Several of the books are free.

If you're an ebook author, I invite you to publish with us. Simply upload your finished manuscript in Microsoft Word .doc format, and we convert it into multiple ebook formats. Authors set the price and sampling privileges, and receive 85% of the net sales proceeds from their works. Our publishing agreement is non-exclusive, so authors are free to publish elsewhere if they like.

Since we're in public beta, I invite folks to visit the site and provide suggestions for how we can better serve authors and readers.

Thanks,
Mark

I've had a look at the site and the site is not bad at all.

However, I do have a few suggestions. You have in the formats of eBooks offered, Kindle format. You don't mention anything about Mobipocket format which I'm guessing is what Kindle format is. You should list Mobipocket format for people who don't know it's the same as Kindle format. There are people with iLiads and Gen3s which read Mobipocket format. Also, I see no mention of LRF format for Sony Readers (500/505). That would be a good idea to have. It's not difficult to convert using Calibre or Book Designer. If the HTML is set up properly, you could do a simple html2lrf. But overall the site is good. Just need (IMHO) to sort out Mobipocket and LRF.

Thank you Jon! We'll definitely clarify it's a .mobi file. Until a few hours ago, it actually was labeled mobipocket though we had a customer, a new Kindle user, who was confused about which format to use so we renamed it, but forgot to include the .mobi label as well.

We'll investigate LRF conversion and hope to add it soon.

Thanks again,
Mark

Dear Mark.

I have visited the site.
I have registered and downloaded some of the free books.

I have a few suggestions for the design/organization of the site.
I would prefer to see the price next to the name of the book. I will not bother to click on a book with $20 pricetag.

I have registered and stated during registration that I am over 18 years old.
I have logged in - so the system does know that I am over 18 years old.
Yet, when I click on a book I am prompted if I am over 18 years old. And with the next book I am prompted again, and again and AGAIN. It gets quite annoying.

I felt that I have to click too many times to see things on the site.

I wish you a good luck with your publishing.

Kacir,

Thanks for the feedback. Good suggestion on listing the price up front. We'll look to do that in the next few days.

Re: the pesky "are you 18" thing, I'm guessing a couple possibilities may have occurred. 1. It's possible you completed your registration but hadn't yet received the confirmation email, which you need to click to complete the registration. 2. It's possible you may have accidentally clicked you were under 18 (I doubt this is the case because I don't see any recent under 18 registrations) or 3. it's possible you logged out after you registered. If these don't help, please email me at first initial second initial at smashwords dot you know what and I'll try to help you.

The over 18 thing can be a pain, but when authors publish we give them the ability to specify if their book is suitable for children or not.

Thanks,
Mark

How about a "pay what you think it's worth" option that authors can chose as their price. Someone who publishes free books can still get paid for them if the readers chose to. A combination of radio buttons with pre-defined prices like $1, $2, $5, $10 etc as well as a box for those who want to enter their own price (including $0) could work well. Alternately you could forgo the $0 option yet still have the "pay what you want" option with a minimum price.

This pricing model worked for radiohead and Trent Reznor so why not ebooks? Personally if a book is listed for $2 but I feel that the author is well deserving, I don't mind giving a little more.

Hi Tectonic,

Actually, we have that option already. It's the pricing I chose for my book, for example:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/3

Mark

Mark,

I read a lot, but I really don't have time to plow through twenty self-published books to find one I like. This may not be the case in reality, but I'm afraid its the case in my perception. So, I'm trying to think through some useful advice for you. I guess I'm trying to figure out how to get the 'editor' into the mix, but I understand its not your business model.

The thought the comes to mind is some sort of agent/broker/affiliate model. Let's say that I find out that John Doe has taste that I trust. John reads new submissions and chooses ones that he recommends. I can go to John's site or to John's section of your site and see his reviews. This gives me an independent view of the quality of a book. John gets a commission for everything that is sold through his web site. Now if John is really good at this he may even take on an editor role. And if he is that good, the authors may listen in order to get listed on John's site.

I would guess that it would even be possible that there might eventually be multiple versions of the same book. The broker GI John might pick up "Perils in Panama" and edit it into a macho, gun-slinging adventure. Meanwhile the broker Torrid Terry might pick up "Perils in Panama" and cut a few of the action scenes while pumping up the emotional angst to deliver a tear jerking heart-throbber.

On the front page of your web site you would give considerable space to active brokers. Rather than plow through an endless set of books, I might search for a broker who has similar taste to mine, and then go to that broker to see recommended books. Aha, John liked both Heinlein and David Weber? He sounds like a guy whose recommendations I would follow.

This does have room for abuse, but I see a model that would give brokers ratings and that would show the volumes of books sold through each broker. This would give top-rated brokers the ability to build a business.

Michael

Re: the pesky "are you 18" thing, I'm guessing a couple possibilities may have occurred. 1. It's possible you completed your registration but hadn't yet received the confirmation email, which you need to click to complete the registration.
I have received the email and entered the confirmation link int toe browser.
Afterwards the site displayed
"welcome MyRegistrationName@MyEmailAddress.com" (I have replaced my real addres with an example here)
in the top right corner.
I am using Firefox browser ver. 2.0.0.14 on a FreeBSD 6.3 (PC-BSD 1.5.1) with some plugins, like adblock.
For debuging purposes you can just boot the PC-BSD live CD and start browser and try to connect to the www.smashwords.com

2. It's possible you may have accidentally clicked you were under 18 (I doubt this is the case because I don't see any recent under 18 registrations)
I do not think I have registered as under 18.
I am not able to check. I went to see my profile and it does not display if I registered as over or under 18. This is another suggestion - my profile should enable me to correct my data I have entered during registration. I might want to change my email address, or age :D for example.
or 3. it's possible you logged out after you registered. If these don't help, please email me at first initial second initial at smashwords dot you know what and I'll try to help you.


My suggestions were not criticism I just want to help you to make the best possible site. It might take a while until you can match the choice of the big e-book publishers ;-) , but I see every effort in this direction as extremely important.

A few days ago I have discovered (through a message on this forum) this self-published author:
James Galloway at http://www.sennadar.com/
and at the moment I am in the middle of the second volume of his 8 volume saga ala The Wheel Of Time. Really great stuff. The first books picks up pace slowly, starting like a generic pulp fantasy, but when you get to the first third of the book you will not be able to put it down.
You might want to contact Mr. Galloway

Michael, wow, that's some great thinking. I like that you're envisioning how Smashwords could become an ecosystem made up of multiple participants, each with their own opportunities to add value and gain from their participation. It fits with our plan.

Here's some of what we have planned (though albeit, not as sophisticated as your agent/broker/affiliate model): Our roadmap calls for the creation of a service provider section, where value-adders could advertise their services and then be subject to a reputation system driven by client reviews and ratings. We'll also do an affiliate program where anyone - could be an independent off-site blogger who loves ebooks or even the author of said words - can provide a link to the book page of Smashwords and receive a generous cut of any sale.

Thanks, I'm going to continue to noodle on this.

Mark

Hi Kacir,

I take it from your response that the "Are you 18?" problem is persisting? It's quite possible you found a bug. We will try to replicate. Don't worry, I don't take any this as criticism. If there are any bugs remaining, I want to find them and stamp 'em out.

For the profile, click on "Profile" then click on edit account information (https://www.smashwords.com/account/edit) and you can toggle the over/under 18 field (but not yet the email address). Again, though, that would help only if you mis-entered, but you didn't because no kids joined the last couple days.

Any chance you have the contact information for Mr. Galloway? I'm not finding it on his site.

Thanks again,
Mark

Hi Kacir,

I take it from your response that the "Are you 18?" problem is persisting? It's quite possible you found a bug. We will try to replicate. Don't worry, I don't take any this as criticism. If there are any bugs remaining, I want to find them and stamp 'em out.

For the profile, click on "Profile" then click on edit account information (https://www.smashwords.com/account/edit) and you can toggle the over/under 18 field (but not yet the email address). Again, though, that would help only if you mis-entered, but you didn't because no kids joined the last couple days.
When I enter page
https://www.smashwords.com/account/edit
I can see my profile and I can see that I really *am* over 18
and yet, when I go to
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/72
I am presented with:

Adult Content

The author of this book tells Smashwords this work may contain language or adult situations not suitable for children under 18.

* I am 18 or over, continue to the book.
* I am 18 or over, and I don’t want to see this warning again.
* No thanks, go back.

So I click on the second link
* I am 18 or over, and I don’t want to see this warning again.
and now I have no probem anymore.
Thank you.

I have another suggestion.
If you want to upset a teenager, you just need to tell him/her that he is child under 18. :D
Perhaps using "young reader under 18" instead "child under 18" might be a better choice of words.


Any chance you have the contact information for Mr. Galloway? I'm not finding it on his site.

At the bottom of the page there is link to
http://forums.sennadar.com/
From what I have gathered so far Mr. Galloway has a nick Fel and he has quite a strong fan base. He is posting new chapters of his books as he is writing them and he discusses with his readers.
I am not member of his forum yet, but I think I will start visiting his pages much more often.

Any chance you have the contact information for Mr. Galloway? I'm not finding it on his site.

http://wiki.sennadar.plebian.net/index.php?title=About_James_Galloway

Quote:

Who?

James Galloway (aka Fel) is the author of the Sennadar series of books. Fel has also penned many other stories.
Contact Info

_E_m_a_i_l_: faalken A_T hotmail D_O_T com


Se also
http://wiki.sennadar.plebian.net/index.php?title=Sennadar_In_Print

Quote:
Availability of Sennadar Books (in print)

At the present time, James Galloway has not given permission for the printing or publishing of the Sennadar books.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm a publisher/editor, and I want to publish one or more of the Sennadar Books

As of writing this page, The Author has not given permission for the publication of his books.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
If you'd like to contact the author directly, please see About James Galloway.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
What can I do with these books, for my own personal use?

Please Note: The books themselves are Copyright © James Galloway, so you're not allowed to sell or publish them without explicit permission.

Kacir, thanks good suggestion on the "readers under 18." We'll make that change soon.

I emailed James but so far haven't heard from him.

Thanks,
Mark