Location: United States
Member Since: June 07, 2007

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Mark Coker

Publisher info

I'm Mark, founder of Smashwords. Our mission is simple: we want to create the world's single best ebook publishing and distribution platform for our indie authors, publishers, literary agents and retailers.

I'm co-author with my wife of Boob Tube, a novel that explores the wild and wacky world of Hollywood celebrity. I also wrote the Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any book for free), the Smashwords Style Guide (how to format, produce and publish an ebook) and The 10-Minute PR Checklist (helps entrepreneurs and business managers think more strategically about public relations. It's not written for authors, though some authors find it valuable.).

When I'm not writing or working on Smashwords, I enjoy gardening, traveling and hiking tall mountains, the tallest of which has been Mt. Kilimanjaro.

Write me at first initial second initial at you know where dot com (though please direct all support inquires to the "comments/questions" link you'll find on any Smashwords page).

Smashwords Interview

What motivated you to become an indie author?
I never set out to become an "indie" author. I simply wanted to become a published author. Back in 2005, my wife and I co-wrote Boob Tube, a novel that explores the wild and wacky world of daytime television soap operas. My wife is a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly magazine. Our dream was to see our novel on the shelf at Barnes & Noble. Even though we were repped by an excellent agent at one of New York's most respected literary agencies, publishers refused to acquire the book because previous soap opera-themed novels had sold poorly.
Is this what led you to create Smashwords?
Yes. It was our agent who suggested we self-publish back in 2007 (he was ahead of his time!). I liked the idea, and had read Dan Poynter's excellent reference, Dan Poynter's Self Publishing Manual, but I realized without the benefit of print distribution - something only a traditional publisher could offer - our self-published print book would go undiscovered and unread. I began to imagine the hundreds of thousands of other writers facing the same dilemma, where traditional publishers had all the power to crush their dreams of publication simply because they didn't see the commercial potential. I began to realize that publishers in the business of selling books, not publishing books. I don't hold this against them. Of course they need to make money to keep the lights on. Yet the value of books to humanity, in my opinion, cannot be measured by dollars alone. If you want to publish a cookbook of your family recipes for the benefit of your children and grand childen, that book in my mind is every bit as valuable as anything put out by New York. I decided that this focus on perceived commercial merit, and the inherent economic inefficiencies of producing, publishing and distributing print books, was threatening the future of books. I felt there needed to be a better way. I decided ebooks might provide the path toward democratized publishing. I thought it would be really cool if there was an ebook self-publishing platform that would make it fast, free and easy to publish an ebook. This was the genesis behind Smashwords. I wanted to create a global publishing platform that would allow *me* to take a chance on every author, at no cost or risk to the author. I wanted to give every writer in the world the freedom and opportunity to publish, and I wanted to give readers the freedom to decide what was worth reading. I believed that if writers were simply given a chance, that the entire world would be surprised by the amazing talent and knowledge locked between the minds and fingertips of ordinary writers around the globe. We launched Smashwords in 2008, and today we help authors publish and distribute over 200,000 titles.
Read more of this interview.

Where to find Mark Coker online

Website: http://www.smashwords.com
Twitter: @markcoker
Facebook: Facebook profile
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/markcoker
Blog: http://blog.smashwords.com

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Flash Fiction 40 Anthology - July 2009 by
Price: Free! Words: 33,600. Language: English. Published: July 20, 2009 by Mark Coker. Categories: Fiction » Anthologies » Short stories - single author
(5.00 from 1 review)
In May 2009, Editor Unleashed and Smashwords co-sponsored The Flash Fiction 40 Contest. Writers submitted stories of 1,000 words or fewer on the Editor Unleashed forum. Maria Schneider, with the community's input, selected the winners. More than 280 writers took up the challenge and posted a story. Here, for your reading pleasure, are the top 40 stories.

Series

Smashwords Style Guide Translations by
Smashwords Style Guide
Price: Free!
Smashwords Formateringsguide
Price: Free!
Guida allo Stile Smashwords
Price: Free!
Guía de Estilo de Smashwords
Price: Free!
Der Smashwords Formatierungs- Leitfaden
Price: Free!
De Smashwords Stijlgids
Price: Free!
Smashwords Guides by
Learn how to publish ebooks with pride, professionalism and success! These free guides have been downloaded over 700,000 times, making them an indispensable resources for authors looking to learn the best practices of the most successful ebook authors.
Smashwords Style Guide
Price: Free!
Smashwords Book Marketing Guide
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The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success
Price: Free!

Books

Guia de estilo do Smashwords by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 29,210. Language: Portuguese. Published: August 17, 2015. Categories: Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing, Nonfiction » Reference » Writing skills
O guia de estilo do Smashwords tem ajudado milhares de autores produzir e publicar ebooks de alta qualidade. Este guia grátis oferece instruções simples, passo-a-passo para criar, formatar e publicar um ebook. É leitura obrigatória para qualquer autor que quer distribuir seus livros através do Smashwords às varejistas grandes como Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, Oyster, e Kobo.
Guía de Smashwords para la Mercadotecnia de Libros by
Price: Free! Words: 18,980. Language: Spanish. Published: September 28, 2013. Categories: Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Marketing
Este popular manual de mercadotecnia comparte consejos de primera mano que resultan fáciles de implementar para promover y comercializar libros en Smashwords y en las tiendas en línea más importantes. Comienza con un panorama sobre cómo Smashwords ayuda a los autores en la promoción de sus libros electrónicos y después provee 41 sencillos consejos de mercadotecnia.
Smashwords Rachanashaili Nirdeshika (Smashwords Style Guide Bengali) by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 21,490. Language: Bengali. Published: April 22, 2012. Categories: Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing, Nonfiction » Reference » Publishing & books
রচনাশৈলী নির্দেশিকার সাহায্যে হাজার হাজার লেখক উন্নত মানের ইবুক নির্মান ও প্রকাশ করেছেন৷ এই বিনামূল্যে লভ্য নির্দেশিকায় সহজ সরল পদক্ষেপে ইবুক সৃষ্টি, বিন্যাস ও প্রকাশনের কলা আলোচিত হয়েছে৷ স্ম্যাশওয়ার্ডস্ দ্বারা অ্যাপ্‌ল্ আইবুকস্টোর, বার্নস্ অ্যান্ড নোব্‌ল্, সনি, কোবো, ডিজেল প্রভৃতি প্রধান ইবুক বিপণিতে পুস্তক পরিবেশনের জন্য যে কোনও লেখকেরই এটা পড়া আবশ্যক৷ সংস্করণ: ০২ আগস্ট ২০১১
Smashwords Formateringsguide by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 23,280. Language: Danish. Published: March 31, 2012. Categories: Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing, Nonfiction » Reference » Publishing & books
(5.00 from 3 reviews)
Smashwords Formateringsguide har hjulpet tusindvis af forfattere med at producere og udgive ebøger af høj kvalitet. Denne gratis guide giver dig simple trinvise instruktioner til, hvordan du skaber, formaterer og udgiver en eBog. Det er nødvendig læsning for enhver forfatter, der gerne vil have distribueret deres bog via Smashwords til større forhandlere af ebøger, såsom Apple iBookstore og Kobo
The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success by
Series: Smashwords Guides. Price: Free! Words: 41,550. Language: English. Published: March 26, 2012. Categories: Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing, Nonfiction » Reference » Publishing & books
(4.76 from 121 reviews)
Learn the 30 best practices of the bestselling self-published ebook authors. This updated January 2014 edition of the The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success has already helped tens of thousands of self-published ebook authors publish more professionally. This ebook is a must-read for every writer, author, publisher and literary agent.
Guida all’Ebook Marketing Smashwords by
Price: Free! Words: 13,280. Language: Italian. Published: December 23, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Marketing, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
(5.00 from 4 reviews)
Questa Guida vuole aiutare autori ed editori a promuovere e vendere i propri ebook su Smashwords ma anche su tutti gli altri negozi virtuali. La Guida, partendo da come Smashwords aiuta gli autori a promuovere l'ebook, dà 30 utilissimi suggerimenti per costruire autonomamente e gratuitamente un ottimo ebook marketing.
Guía de Estilo de Smashwords by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 26,450. Language: Spanish. Published: December 22, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Publishing business, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
(5.00 from 2 reviews)
La Guía de estilo de Smashwords ha permitido que miles de autores publiquen libros electrónicos de gran calidad. Esta guía gratuita enseña, paso a paso, cómo crear, formatear y publicar un libro electrónico, y su lectura es imprescindible para distribuir vía Smashwords a las tiendas en línea más importantes, como la iBooks de Apple, Barnes & Noble, OverDrive, Scribd, Oyster y Kobo.
De Smashwords Stijlgids by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 24,090. Language: Dutch. Published: December 21, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Computers & Internet » Digital publishing, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Publishing business
(5.00 from 3 reviews)
De Smashwords Stijlgids heeft duizenden schrijvers geholpen bij het produceren en publiceren van hoge kwaliteit eboeken. Deze gratis gids biedt eenvoudige stap-voor-stap instructies om eboeken te creëren, opmaken en publiceren. Het is verplicht leesvoer voor elke schrijver die een boek via Smashwords wil distribueren naar de grote eboek verkopers zoals de Apple iBookstore, Sony, B&N en anderen
Guida allo Stile Smashwords by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 23,120. Language: Italian. Published: November 26, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Reference » Publishing & books, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
(4.00 from 3 reviews)
La "Guida allo stile Smashwords" ha aiutato migliaia di autori ed editori a pubblicare ebook di alta qualità. Questa Guida gratuita offre semplici consigli passo-dopo-passo per creare, formattare e pubblicare un ebook. La Guida deve essere preventivamente letta da ogni autore che voglia distribuire la sua opera, attraverso Smashwords. Traduzione italiana a cura di Giuseppe Meligrana.
Der Smashwords Formatierungs- Leitfaden by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 13,190. Language: German. Published: November 5, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Reference » Publishing & books, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
Der Smashwords Formatierungsleitfaden hat Tausenden von Autorinnen und Autoren geholfen, qualitativ hochstehende E-Books zu produzieren und zu veröffentlichen. Dieser kostenlose Leitfaden bietet einfach gehaltene Schritt-für-Schritt-Anweisungen, um ein E-Book zu erstellen, zu formatieren und zu veröffentlichen. Er ist eine für jeden Autor unabdingbare Lektüre.
Guide des Styles Smashwords by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations. Price: Free! Words: 25,730. Language: French. Published: October 11, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Computers & Internet » Digital publishing, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
Le Guide des Styles Smashwords a permis à des milliers d'auteurs de produire et de publier des livres numériques de haute qualité. Ce guide vous explique, étape par étape, de manière simple et astucieuse, comment créer et formater un livre électronique. Pour tous les auteurs qui souhaitent que leurs livres soient distribués via Smashwords, par les principaux diffuseurs.
The 10-Minute PR Checklist - Earn the Publicity You Deserve by
Price: $7.99 USD. Words: 7,900. Language: English. Published: May 7, 2011. Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Public relations, Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Marketing
(4.89 from 9 reviews)
This brainstorming checklist helps entrepreneurs and business managers leverage the power of public relations to earn better press coverage. Learn how to plan and implement a more effective public relations strategy.
Smashwords Book Marketing Guide by
Series: Smashwords Guides. Price: Free! Words: 41,790. Language: English. Published: December 22, 2008. Categories: Nonfiction » Business & Economics » Marketing, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
(4.85 from 171 reviews)
2020 Edition! Learn how to make your ebooks more discoverable and more desirable to readers. This book introduces authors and publishers to important book marketing concepts, details the free ebook marketing tools at Smashwords, presents 66 book marketing ideas. Includes a Deep Dives bonus sections on social media, working with beta readers and how to earn free press coverage.
Smashwords Style Guide by
Series: Smashwords Style Guide Translations · Smashwords Guides. Price: Free! Words: 28,300. Language: English. Published: May 5, 2008. Categories: Nonfiction » Computers & Internet » Digital publishing, Nonfiction » Publishing » Self-publishing
(4.63 from 356 reviews)
The Smashwords Style Guide has helped thousands of authors produce and publish high-quality ebooks. This free guide offers simple step-by-step instructions to create, format and publish an ebook. It's required reading for any author who wants to distribute their book via Smashwords to major ebook retailers such as Apple iBooks, Barnes & Noble, Scribd, & Kobo. Revised September 24, 2014.
Boob Tube (A Soap Opera Novel) by &
Price: $3.99 USD. Words: 86,630. Language: American English. Published: March 7, 2008. Categories: Fiction » Women's fiction » Chick lit, Fiction » Women's fiction » General
(4.71 from 14 reviews)
Actress Gina Martin lands a role on a top daytime television soap opera, and days later her predecessor is found dead in the Hollywood hills. Will Gina be next? Boob Tube offers readers a fast-paced read filled with intrigue and humor, and a surprise ending that will leave you breathless. Co-written by Lesleyann Coker, a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly Magazine.

Mark Coker's tag cloud

anthology    autoedicion    book marketing    book promotion    book publicity    catalogo premium    celebrity    commercial womens fiction    consejos de formateo    discoverability    distribuzione    drugs    eating disorders    ebger    eboeken    eboekopmaak    ebogsudgivelse    ebook formatting    ebook marketing    ebook promotion    ebook promozione    ebook publishing best practices    ebooks    edicion    edicion electronica    editor unleashed    epublicatie    epublishing    flash fiction 40    formateo de libros electronicos    formateo para smashwords    formateringsguide    formateringstips    formatieren    formattare    formatting    formatting tips    giuseppe meligrana    gossip    guia de estilo    hollywood    libro pubblicita    libros electronicos    livre lectronique    marketing    media relations    mercadotecnia de libro    metadata    nederlands gratis    opmaaktips    pr    premium catalog    preorders    promocin de libros    promotion    promozione    promozione libro    pubblicita    public relations    publiceren    publicity    publishing    roman a clef    self publishing    selvudgivelse    smashwords    smashwords formatering    smashwords formatting    smashwords opmaak    soap opera    soap operas    social media    stijlgids    strategic communications    style guide    technology marketing    television    udgivelse    writing    zelfpublicatie   

Mark Coker's favorite authors on Smashwords

David Brin
Latest book: Existence.
Published January 23, 2023.
Follow them on Twitter: @DavidBrin
Visit their website
View their blog
DHJohnson45
Latest book: THE CHRISTMAS CLOSET.
Published September 23, 2008. (5.00 from 1 review)
Gary K. Wolf
Latest book: A Generation Removed.
Published December 18, 2019.
Visit their website
JD Nixon
Latest book: Blood Tears.
Published October 31, 2014. (4.83 from 6 reviews)
Richard F. West
Latest book: A Mixed Bag.
Published September 20, 2008.
Visit their website
Ron Gruner
Latest book: Anatomy of a Lawsuit: A Client's Perspective of a Multi-Million Dollar Federal Lawsuit.
Published May 2, 2008.

Smashwords book reviews by Mark Coker

  • World Voyagers on March 10, 2012

    I'm not a sailor and I admit some of the sailing lingo flew over my head, but it didn't prevent me from enjoying this little page turner about one couple's death-defying nautical circumnavigation.