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Originally Posted by JSWolf
So what is the publisher listed as? I cannot see most people knowing this and I see them trying to look up the publisher as Smashwords like I tried to do. This whole deal seems like a nightmare gone wrong.
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In my case, Bear Mountain Books is the publisher. Lots of authors use their own name. I know that Mark Coker views this as a "vanity" statement as he's said that when asked why they no longer sell ISBNs so that I can use my own imprint, but the bottom line for me is that I am trying to build my brand. That brand has nothing to do with any one distributor. And Mark is trying to build the smashwords brand and Createspace is trying to build theirs.
IF I had done this the right way I would have purchased 30 ISBNs direct from Bowker years ago, but when I started out, I never foresaw wanting to create a printed version and there was no need for them for ebooks. That changed. Then bowker decided we had to have separate ISBNs for epub versus mobi (a total money grab-its the same book) and raised their prices significantly. Then Apple decided we had to HAVE an ISBN for books listed there. In the early days an ISBN wasn't required. Amazon still doesn't require it for their mobi listing and neither does B&N or Kobo. But Sony and Apple both do.
I completely understand Smash and Amazon wanting to expand awareness and control their brand, but neither really publishes. They distribute and have software that may provide formatting.
It's really not a big deal, but it is a sticking point because in can matter in some cases.
Does a nightmare ever go right????
And to put it in perspective, it isn't as though I ever expect to sell a lot of copies to libraries. It is not a huge money making idea/machine. It's a small step towards making sure my books are easily accessible and creating awareness. Awareness is a huge part of the battle--which is why being shoveled into a dark corner on Overdrive defeats the purpose in being listed there.
Yes. Author Solutions. This was reported over at The Passive Voice:
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Also, when you look at the home page of their little ghetto, Author Solutions titles are promoted front and center, and no mention of Smashwords unless you search for them. Grrrr!
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The blog:
http://www.thepassivevoice.com/06/20...comment-219911