World's largest indie ebook distributor
80,000+ titles published by 30,000+ authors and publishers
85% net back to the author/publisher/agent
Distribution to Apple (31 countries), Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo, Diesel, others
Consolidated sales reporting
Centralized metadata management
FREE ISBNs
FREE ebook conversion to nine formats
FREE unlimited updates to book and metadata
FREE exclusive marketing and selling tools such as our Smashwords Coupon Manager!

Getting Started is Easy as 1-2-3:

Sign up for your free account. Your confirmation email will summarize your next steps.
Format your manuscript as a Microsoft Word .doc file per the guidelines in the Smashwords Style Guide, or, if you don't have the time or patience to do it yourself, send an email to list@smashwords.com to request "Mark's List" of low-cost Smashwords ebook formatters and cover designers.
Click Publish and follow the simple steps to upload your book and cover image.

Ebook Distribution Made Fast, FREE and Easy

We invite you to join our 30,000+ authors and publishers from every corner of the globe who publish and distribute over 80,000 original ebooks with Smashwords!

Smashwords makes it fast, free and easy to publish, distribute and sell your ebooks to a worldwide audience at the largest ebook retailers. At Smashwords, there are no setup fees, no packages to buy, and no cost to update or revise your book. We also provide free ISBNs.

Smashwords is an authorized ebook distributor for most major online ebook retailers, including the Apple iPad iBookstore (Smashwords is a certified Global Apple Aggregator distributing to iBookstores in 31 countries), Barnes & Noble, Sony, Kobo (our books also go to Borders and Samsung, powered by Kobo), the Diesel eBook Store and EbookEros (Romance & erotica only, operated by Diesel). Our books are also distributed into the native catalogs of top mobile e-reading apps such as Stanza on the iPhone and iPad (used by 4 million+ people) and Aldiko (over 2 million users) and Word-Player on Android devices. Your book is also available for immediate sale at Smashwords.com, our retail operation. Smashwords books are also promoted via a growing network of Smashwords affiliates.

To publish at Smashwords, you must be the original author or the exclusive digital publisher, distributor or literary agent. Smashwords does not publish public domain or Private Label Rights books.

Smashwords for Authors

Smashwords is the world's leading ebook distributor for indie authors. Our free service helps you publish, distribute and sell your masterpiece at major ebook retailers such as the Apple iBookstore (now reaching 31 countries!), Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony and the Diesel eBook Store. Because we produce multi-format conversions, your book is readable on any e-reading device, including the Amazon Kindle, the Apple iPhone/iPod Touch/iPad, the Sony Reader, the Barnes & Noble nook, your personal computer, Android devices, 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), and 60% of the list price for all sales through our major retailers.

Click here to learn the best practices of the most successful Smashwords authors: The Seven Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success.

Smashwords for Publishers

If you're the exclusive publisher of two or more different authors, and you want to list and control 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. Publishers receive 85 percent or more 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 Smashwords 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.

Smashwords for Literary Agents

The next chapter of the indie ebook revolution will be written by literary agents. Literary agents are trusted business advisors to the world's most commercially successful authors. As a business advisor and author advocate, the agent's role is to help the author maximize the commercial potential of their work. Indie ebook publishing via Smashwords represents an exciting complement and/or alternative to traditional publishing. Agents can help authors bring their reverted-rights works back to life as ebooks, or can publish an author's unsold works. Literary agents receive the same powerful publishing features as Publishers yet have their books appear as "Written by AuthorName, agented as AgencyName." Click here for the documentation on how to upgrade to a Agent account. Our consolidated sales reports simplify multi-channel sales reporting by title, author and retailer.

View The Literary Agent's Indie Ebook Roadmap presentation, which explores how literary agents can assist their client's ebook publishing efforts.

Smashwords for Retailers: Co-Branded Publishing Portal Service

If you operate a Smashwords-authorized ebook retailer, and you want to provide indie authors and small publishers a fast, free and easy onramp to list their ebooks at your store, contact Smashwords to inquire about our co-branded Publishing Portal service. As a retailer, you want to serve your customers by providing them the greatest possible selection and diversity of ebook content. Yet, as you know, it's time-consuming and cost-prohibitive to enter into contractual relationships with every individual author or small publisher. This is where Smashwords can help. We're the leading independent ebook publishing and distribution platform. At no cost to you, and no cost to authors and publishers, we can create for you a co-branded publishing portal, similar to what we created for Sony and the Diesel eBook Store. Our co-branded Publishing Portal makes it easy for you to accomodate the titles of indie authors and publishers, while at the same time gaining permanent brand recognition at Smashwords. The co-branded Publishing Portal requires an ebook distribution agreement with Smashwords.

These Resources Make Ebook Publishing Faster and Easier

1. Read our Frequently Asked Questions (a must read! Includes a NEW glossary of ebook terms)

2. Read the blog post, How to Self-Publish an Ebook with Smashwords, where 31 veteran Smashwords authors share their time-saving tips for new Smashwords authors and publishers.

3. Read the Smashwords Style Guide for important ebook formatting requirements

4. View our special checklist, how to publish iPad ebooks at the Apple iBookstore

5. Learn how fast track your titles for inclusion in the Smashwords Premium Catalog, which earns your book distribution to mainstream ebook retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Apple, Kobo and Sony.

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

7. Read the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide for 30+ free book marketing tips.

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

9. Read the buzz about Smashwords in our press room

10. Visit the official Smashwords Facebook page to network with fellow Smashwords authors, publishers and readers.