How to Publish on Smashwords!

It's quick, easy and FREE!

Smashwords makes it easy for authors and publishers to publish, distribute and sell their ebooks online to a worldwide audience.

If you are the original author or exclusive digital publisher or distributor for your work(s), we want to work with you!

Our ebooks are available for sale in the Smashwords.com bookstore, and are also distributed via multiple online channels, including major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo (formerly Shortcovers) and Sony, and the native catalogs of top mobile e-reading apps (Stanza on the iPhone used by 2.5 million+ people; eReader on the iPhone, BlackBerry, Windows Mobile Smartphone, Palm Treo and Centro, Symbian Mobile Phones; Aldiko and Word-Player on Android phones). Smashwords books are also promoted via a growing network of Smashwords affiliates.

We make it easy for your customers to discover, sample, purchase and enjoy your titles.

Smashwords for Authors

Smashwords is a free service that helps you publish, promote, distribute and sell your masterpiece as a multi-format ebook, ready for immediate sale online at a price you determine. Because we publish your book in multiple ebook formats, your book is readable on any e-reading device, including the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch, the Sony Reader and others. As a Smashwords author, you gain access to free, do-it-yourself sales and marketing tools to help you promote your book. You receive 85 percent of the net sales proceeds from your titles (70.5% for affiliate sales).

Smashwords for Agents and Publishers

If you're the exclusive agent or publisher of two or more different authors, and you want to list and control their your authors' titles on Smashwords, then upgrade your account for free to Publisher status. This allows you to list and publish all your authors and their titles as multi-format, DRM-free ebooks. Each publisher is provided a custom-branded online bookstore, and the ability to list an unlimited number of ebook titles from an unlimited number of authors. Agents and publishers receive 85 percent of the net sales proceeds from their titles (70.5% for affiliate sales), and gain access to numerous free promotion and selling tools offered by Smashwords, including our popular Coupon Generator which makes it easy to run custom coupon promotions across online social networks, blogs and web sites. Before upgrading your account, please read this documentation about the Publisher account. If you don't publish two or more authors, there's no reason to upgrade your account.

Getting Started

Publishing on Smashwords is as easy as 1-2-3:

Step 1: Carefully format your manuscript as a Microsoft Word .doc file per the guidelines in the Smashwords Style Guide and, if you desire mainstream distribution via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony and other retailers, study the guidelines for inclusion in the Smashwords Premium Catalog

Step 2: Click Publish on the home page and follow the simple steps to publish your book instantly

Step 3: Read the free Smashwords Book Marketing Guide for valuable book marketing tips!

Learn More About Publishing on Smashwords

1. Read the Q&A with Q&A with Mark Coker, our founder

2. Read the Smashwords Style Guide for important ebook formatting tips

3. Learn how you can gain inclusion for your titles in the Smashwords Premium Catalog, which is distributed to mainstream ebook retailers such as Barnes & Noble.

4. Read the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide for an overview of what we offer authors and publishers.

5. Visit the Smashwords Support Page for frequently asked questions.

6. Read our terms of service (our publishing contract with you)

7. Read the buzz about Smashwords in our press room