Smashwords Offers eBook Distribution for Apple's iBookstore
Indie Authors and Publishers Now Have Fast, Free Onramp to iBookstore
Los Gatos, Calif., April 5, 2010 -- Smashwords, a leading publisher and distributor of ebooks, now offers independent authors access to the new iBookstore through a distribution agreement with Apple.
“The iPad is a true second generation e-reading device, which I believe will introduce millions of new readers to the joys of ebooks,” said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. “Our agreement makes it fast, free and easy for independent authors and publishers around the world to make their ebooks available on the iPad.”
Smashwords currently publishes nearly 10,000 original ebooks from over 4,000 authors and 150 small independent publishers. Smashwords publishes over 1,000 new ebooks each month. Many Smashwords authors are professional authors previously published by large publishers.
The Smashwords service is free to authors and publishers. To publish with Smashwords, authors and publishers simply register for a free account, format their manuscript to the specifications of the Smashwords Style Guide, and then upload the file as a Microsoft Word .doc document.
Smashwords automatically converts the book into multiple ebook formats - readable on any e-reading device - and then makes the book available for sale to a worldwide audience. Books that meet certain mechanical requirements, as outlined at http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_ipad_ebooks gain inclusion in the Smashwords Premium Catalog. Smashwords distributes its Premium Catalog to multiple ebook retailers including the Apple iBookstore.
Ebooks represent the fastest growing segment of the book publishing industry today. According the International Digital Publishing Forum, wholesale ebook sales in the United States for the month of January, 2010 grew 261 percent over the same month a year earlier.
Thousands of independent authors around the world are contributing to the rise of ebooks by using ebook publishing platforms such as Smashwords to bypass traditional publishers and instantly publish and sell their works to a global audience.
About Smashwords, Inc.
Launched in 2008, Smashwords operates the leading ebook publishing and distribution platform serving authors, publishers, readers and retailers. Smashwords makes it free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to instantly publish and distribute a multi-format ebook. Smashwords puts authors and publishers in full control over the pricing, sampling and distribution of their works. Authors and publishers receive up to 85 percent of the net proceeds from sales of their works. Smashwords has distribution relationships with leading online retailers such as Apple, Barnes & Noble, Sony and Amazon, and leading mobile e-reading apps such as Stanza, Kobo, Aldiko, FBReader and Word-Player, spanning all major mobile platforms including Android, Blackberry and iPhone. Smashwords is based in Los Gatos, California, and can be reached on the web at http://www.smashwords.com/. Visit the official Smashwords blog at http://blog.smashwords.com/.
Apple, iPad and iBookstore are all registered trademarks of Apple, Inc.