Smashwords signs distribution deal for iPad iBookstore

anurag · 03-28-2010, 08:21 PM

Good news for self-published Smashwords authors:

http://digital.venturebeat.com/2010/...o-apples-ipad/

Quote:

Big publishers are flocking to publish electronic versions of their bestselling books on Apple’s iPad, which launches on April 3. But small publishers and self-published books will make it to the iPad as well.

Smashwords, a site that lets writers self-publish their eBooks, said today it has signed a distribution deal with Apple to put its books into the iPad iBookstore. Mark Coker, chief executive of Smashwords, said in an email to authors that his company was working on signing the deal ever since the iPad was announced. And, yes, this means that unpublished authors can sell their work on the Apple iPad for virtually no cost.

To get books on the Apple store by launch day, Smashwords authors have to have their works submitted to Smashwords’ premium catalog by March 31. The book has to be in the EPUB format and have a big cover image.

...

fugazied · 03-28-2010, 09:37 PM

Great news.

"Apple's requirement is that all e-book prices end in .99, so you can sell at 99 cents, $1.99 etc. The price must also be less than the print counterpart. The distribution cost to get the book on the iPad is free"

Price must be less than print is also a nice clause!

stustaff · 03-29-2010, 03:26 AM

This seems like really good news and a nice set up by Apple and smashwords.

I bet it doesnt get much acknowlegment or notice as teh scare mongering stories about ibooks!

neilmarr · 03-29-2010, 07:20 AM

Mark Coker and his team at Smashwords have worked hard to pull off this deal so quickly. Kudos to them. Neil

Graham · 03-29-2010, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fugazied

Price must be less than print is also a nice clause!

That's going to be fun in Europe where the electronic form has to include up to about 20% sales tax while the print version doesn't...

Graham

kennyc · 03-29-2010, 08:05 AM

Very interesting. Thanks for the info!

rcuadro · 03-29-2010, 08:51 AM

This is good news to all new authors. Wow!

davidhburton · 03-29-2010, 09:36 AM

This is brilliant! Can't wait!

Logseman · 03-29-2010, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham

That's going to be fun in Europe where the electronic form has to include up to about 20% sales tax while the print version doesn't...

Graham

Time for some legal reform IMO.

Scott Nicholson · 03-29-2010, 10:55 AM

Yes, this is very exciting. I still don't think the iPad will get more than 10 percent of the book market, but it's a market, and more people reading. And who knows what innovations await down the road?

Scott

GeoffC · 03-29-2010, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Graham

That's going to be fun in Europe where the electronic form has to include up to about 20% sales tax while the print version doesn't...

Graham

That's without including the European price of the iPad itself ...

kevindorsey · 03-29-2010, 03:27 PM

Good signing by Apple.

nbvanyoos · 03-29-2010, 07:21 PM

I just added their FREE ISBNs to my eBooks to make them available for both the Sony and Apple bookstores. It was really easy and a great benefit for publishing with them. Note, the ISBNs are designated specifically for the Epub versions of the eBook, but they are talking about offering ISBNs for the other formats in the future. I didn't know this, but the ISBN agencies request one ISBN per eBook format.

I have been very pleased with Smashword's services and recommend them to any author who wishes to self-publish their eBooks.

Cheers!

K-Thom · 03-29-2010, 08:35 PM

Quote:

I have been very pleased with Smashword's services and recommend them to any author who wishes to self-publish their eBooks.

It's even a great opportunity for small eBook publisher internationally who would like to offer their titles to every market the iBooks store covers. Made some initial contact to Mark Coker a while back, so I think this is the right time and ask him about their iPad deal.

nbvanyoos, thanks for this info about the ISBNs.

Quote:

I didn't know this, but the ISBN agencies request one ISBN per eBook format.

Yup, it's a pain in the ..., especially if you want to offer multiple formats with identical content. Same in Germany.

llreader · 03-30-2010, 12:10 PM

This is nice. Smashwords is really starting to look like one-stop-shopping for the self-publisher. I think I remember reading that the author gets 60% of the sale price from the Apple book store (so they take 10%, which seems very reasonable). Does anyone know if Smashwords made a new deal with Amazon based on their 30%/70% offer to authors? I haven't seen anything, but I haven't been looking, either.

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03-28-2010, 09:37 PM	#2
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	Great news. "Apple's requirement is that all e-book prices end in .99, so you can sell at 99 cents, $1.99 etc. The price must also be less than the print counterpart. The distribution cost to get the book on the iPad is free" Price must be less than print is also a nice clause!

03-29-2010, 03:26 AM	#3
stustaff Wizard Posts: 1,055 Karma: 2110 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Derbyshire UK Device: sony reader PRS505 and 600	This seems like really good news and a nice set up by Apple and smashwords. I bet it doesnt get much acknowlegment or notice as teh scare mongering stories about ibooks!

03-29-2010, 07:20 AM	#4
neilmarr neilmarr Posts: 7,215 Karma: 6000059 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Monaco-Menton, France Device: sony	Mark Coker and his team at Smashwords have worked hard to pull off this deal so quickly. Kudos to them. Neil

03-29-2010, 08:05 AM	#6
kennyc The Dank Side of the Moon Posts: 35,891 Karma: 119230421 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Denver, CO Device: Kindle2; Kindle Fire	Very interesting. Thanks for the info!

03-29-2010, 08:51 AM	#7
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	This is good news to all new authors. Wow!

03-29-2010, 09:36 AM	#8
davidhburton Addict Posts: 211 Karma: 100001 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Toronto Device: none	This is brilliant! Can't wait!

03-29-2010, 10:55 AM	#10
Scott Nicholson Scott Nicholson, author Posts: 363 Karma: 2029337 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Boone NC Device: Kindle	Yes, this is very exciting. I still don't think the iPad will get more than 10 percent of the book market, but it's a market, and more people reading. And who knows what innovations await down the road? Scott

03-29-2010, 03:27 PM	#12
kevindorsey Evangelist Posts: 488 Karma: 258 Join Date: Mar 2009 Device: kindle	Good signing by Apple.

03-29-2010, 07:21 PM	#13
nbvanyoos NB VanYoos Posts: 31 Karma: 668 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Colorado Springs, CO Device: Kindle 2	I just added their FREE ISBNs to my eBooks to make them available for both the Sony and Apple bookstores. It was really easy and a great benefit for publishing with them. Note, the ISBNs are designated specifically for the Epub versions of the eBook, but they are talking about offering ISBNs for the other formats in the future. I didn't know this, but the ISBN agencies request one ISBN per eBook format. I have been very pleased with Smashword's services and recommend them to any author who wishes to self-publish their eBooks. Cheers!

03-30-2010, 12:10 PM	#15
llreader Mesmerist Posts: 331 Karma: 506558 Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Spain Device: PRS-600 Silver. Much nicer than I expected.	This is nice. Smashwords is really starting to look like one-stop-shopping for the self-publisher. I think I remember reading that the author gets 60% of the sale price from the Apple book store (so they take 10%, which seems very reasonable). Does anyone know if Smashwords made a new deal with Amazon based on their 30%/70% offer to authors? I haven't seen anything, but I haven't been looking, either.

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