Past book purchases at Smashwords

crich70 · 07-11-2013, 08:22 PM

This evening I stumbled upon what I guess is the Archive over at Smashwords for books that a person buys. Several books that I've bought in the past are no longer sold there and I couldn't find them in my library. I did discover though that if you go to "account" and click on " View my purchase record" that the books are still accessible that way. Of course I only discovered that after having written a email query to Smashwords about the problem.

cromag · 07-11-2013, 08:51 PM

Yes, I have one book that falls into that category. I only found out when I tried to post a review on an ebook in my "library" that was no longer "published" at Smashwords. The author now shows as not having any books published, but the ebook is still in my library.

I suspect (but don't know) that a person might change their mind about self-publishing and pull their ebooks, but the Smashwords' agreement specifies that if someone buys your ebook they retain access to it.

VydorScope · 07-12-2013, 06:20 AM

Yep. So long as Smash is around you have access to all your purchases.

crich70 · 07-12-2013, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by VydorScope

Yep. So long as Smash is around you have access to all your purchases.

I wish they included a clear statement of that fact in the FAQ. I mean they don't seem to mention that your books are 'in effect' archived under the purchase record. So that even if a book isn't visible under the library tab it is still accessible to you. They have plenty of info. on how to publish books etc. but nothing about the above really popped out at me in the FAQ.

VydorScope · 07-12-2013, 10:30 PM

well it does say..

Quote:

What are the benefits of registering for an account?
When you register for a free account, we create for you a private, permanent online library where you can conveniently access your purchased books in any of the many available ebook formats. An account also allows you to leave reviews and save money with Smashwords coupons (issued by the author/publisher).

crich70 · 07-17-2013, 04:12 AM

Yes but I did a little experiment. I went to my library and downloaded each and every book book that was under "Books you have purchased" that was listed on my personal library page. Then I went into my "Purchase History" page and looked at the links. Those I had downloaded from were purple and those I hadn't yet done so to were blue. Altogether I counted 56 books that weren't yet downloaded. 56! They had been purchased just like the others, but weren't listed on the library page. Most (if not all) had the words This book is no longer published next to the blurb describing the book. I can understand that if they aren't published then people can't buy them any longer but having them missing from the personal library page of past purchasers seems an awful big glitch in the system to me.

Alex Bleach · 07-26-2013, 05:42 AM

I don't know if you know this but some books may disappear if the author unpublishes them. As an author you need to unpublish a book if you want to upload a new edition with a new ISBN. Some of the old editions are archived under the new editions page.

Could that be what caused it? The other reason could be if the book was removed for content violations, but that is unlikely. A glitch as you mention seems highly plausible.

Smashwords · 07-27-2013, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

This evening I stumbled upon what I guess is the Archive over at Smashwords for books that a person buys. Several books that I've bought in the past are no longer sold there and I couldn't find them in my library. I did discover though that if you go to "account" and click on " View my purchase record" that the books are still accessible that way. Of course I only discovered that after having written a email query to Smashwords about the problem.

Hi Crich70, I'll ask our tech team to take a look and consider how we can make this more obvious. At Smashwords, we believe once you purchase a book, it should never be taken away from you. This is one reason we give you access to the original version you purchased, as well as to subsequent updates attached to the book.

Authors unpublish their books for many reasons. Prior to December 2011, the primary reasons were either because they sold their rights to a publisher, or they wanted to take it down and revise it. Today, the number one reason authors remove books is to enroll them in Amazon's KDP Select program, which requires the author to give Amazon at least 3 months of exclusivity. Amazon launched KDP Select in December 2011. I'm not a fan of exclusivity.

Thanks for supporting Smashwords authors!

crich70 · 08-09-2013, 07:15 PM

Ah so it's a problem with Amazon at least in part then. Somehow I'm not surprised at that. Certainly there have been enough threads about Amazon and how they did/are reponsible for x here at MR. One of my peeves is that they own Mobipocket.com but you can't use ebooks bought at that site on your Kindle unless you strip the DRM. Needless to say I haven't bought any books from Mobipocket for a long time now.

AnemicOak · 08-09-2013, 07:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

Needless to say I haven't bought any books from Mobipocket for a long time now.

That makes sense as they haven't sold books for a long time now.

crich70 · 08-09-2013, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AnemicOak

That makes sense as they haven't sold books for a long time now.

Well I haven't been to the site for quite a long time.

crich70 · 09-25-2013, 10:52 PM

I was over at Smashwords this evening and noticed they have made a nice change in personal library settings. If someone bought a book that is no longer sold there is a box below the title that says:

Quote:

Book (title) is unpublished . You can see it because you own it.

I think it's a very nice change. If they are only under Account History it's easy to miss a book that you bought before it was withdrawn, but with the box you don't have to worry about that.

07-11-2013, 08:22 PM	#1
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Past book purchases at Smashwords This evening I stumbled upon what I guess is the Archive over at Smashwords for books that a person buys. Several books that I've bought in the past are no longer sold there and I couldn't find them in my library. I did discover though that if you go to "account" and click on " View my purchase record" that the books are still accessible that way. Of course I only discovered that after having written a email query to Smashwords about the problem.

07-17-2013, 04:12 AM	#6
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Yes but I did a little experiment. I went to my library and downloaded each and every book book that was under "Books you have purchased" that was listed on my personal library page. Then I went into my "Purchase History" page and looked at the links. Those I had downloaded from were purple and those I hadn't yet done so to were blue. Altogether I counted 56 books that weren't yet downloaded. 56! They had been purchased just like the others, but weren't listed on the library page. Most (if not all) had the words This book is no longer published next to the blurb describing the book. I can understand that if they aren't published then people can't buy them any longer but having them missing from the personal library page of past purchasers seems an awful big glitch in the system to me. Last edited by crich70; 07-17-2013 at 04:36 AM.

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Question about Kobo book purchases	RareBird	Kobo Reader	2	12-27-2011 07:36 PM
A way around restrictions to book purchases with nook	ereaderwanabe	Which one should I buy?	5	07-20-2010 05:41 PM
Any luck with the Fictionwise problem dowloadin past purchases?	ficbot	General Discussions	10	05-10-2010 02:10 AM
Does marketing influence your book purchases?	Moejoe	Lounge	40	09-09-2009 11:31 PM
Trying to find a book from the past...	Steve Brodeur	Reading Recommendations	3	08-15-2009 10:13 PM

07-11-2013, 08:51 PM	#2
cromag Surfin the alpha waves ~~ Posts: 24,279 Karma: 459220161 Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: New Jersey Device: Jetbook Lite & Mini, Nook STR, Kobo, Hanvon N516, Kindle 2, Androids	Yes, I have one book that falls into that category. I only found out when I tried to post a review on an ebook in my "library" that was no longer "published" at Smashwords. The author now shows as not having any books published, but the ebook is still in my library. I suspect (but don't know) that a person might change their mind about self-publishing and pull their ebooks, but the Smashwords' agreement specifies that if someone buys your ebook they retain access to it.

07-12-2013, 06:20 AM	#3
VydorScope Wizard Posts: 3,418 Karma: 35207650 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: iPad	Yep. So long as Smash is around you have access to all your purchases.

07-26-2013, 05:42 AM	#7
Alex Bleach Enthusiast Posts: 39 Karma: 532396 Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: UK Device: PC - PDF & Kindle Desktop	I don't know if you know this but some books may disappear if the author unpublishes them. As an author you need to unpublish a book if you want to upload a new edition with a new ISBN. Some of the old editions are archived under the new editions page. Could that be what caused it? The other reason could be if the book was removed for content violations, but that is unlikely. A glitch as you mention seems highly plausible.

08-09-2013, 07:15 PM	#9
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,305 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	Ah so it's a problem with Amazon at least in part then. Somehow I'm not surprised at that. Certainly there have been enough threads about Amazon and how they did/are reponsible for x here at MR. One of my peeves is that they own Mobipocket.com but you can't use ebooks bought at that site on your Kindle unless you strip the DRM. Needless to say I haven't bought any books from Mobipocket for a long time now.