Comments on: Q&A: Mark Coker of Smashwords http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/ Writing, Publishing, Social Media and Community Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:51:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: DeborahB http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1694 DeborahB Wed, 06 May 2009 13:38:17 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1694 Very interesting concepts here. I'm so in the dark ages when it comes to E-publishing, so thank you. DeborahB Very interesting concepts here. I’m so in the dark ages when it comes to E-publishing, so thank you.
DeborahB

]]> By: Something For The Weekend, April 3rd, 2009 | The Casual Optimist http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1462 Something For The Weekend, April 3rd, 2009 | The Casual Optimist Fri, 03 Apr 2009 21:25:44 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1462 [...] Atomized — Mark Coker, CEO of e-publishing service Smashwords, talks about e-books and iPhones with Maria Schneider at  Editor Unleashed. [...] [...] Atomized — Mark Coker, CEO of e-publishing service Smashwords, talks about e-books and iPhones with Maria Schneider at  Editor Unleashed. [...]

]]> By: Tumblemoose http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1434 Tumblemoose Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:54:40 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1434 Hi Mark, Thanks for the response. Ok, I'm sold. I'll hopefully have the ebook done in the next few days, but I'll head on over and sign up today. Thanks for everything! George Hi Mark,

Thanks for the response.

Ok, I’m sold.

I’ll hopefully have the ebook done in the next few days, but I’ll head on over and sign up today.

Thanks for everything!

George

]]> By: Mark Coker http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1433 Mark Coker Wed, 01 Apr 2009 16:44:19 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1433 Hi Tumblemoose! Good question on registration. Yes, before we accept payment from customers, we require they sign up as a member. This allows us to create for them a permanent personal online archive of their books, and allows them to fully benefit from all our free features. It's really a much better experience than just emailing them seven ebook files and wishing them good luck. :) We've toyed with the idea of not requiring registration, so that's a possible future feature we'll consider if we receive sufficient demand. Hi Tumblemoose! Good question on registration. Yes, before we accept payment from customers, we require they sign up as a member. This allows us to create for them a permanent personal online archive of their books, and allows them to fully benefit from all our free features. It’s really a much better experience than just emailing them seven ebook files and wishing them good luck. :) We’ve toyed with the idea of not requiring registration, so that’s a possible future feature we’ll consider if we receive sufficient demand.

]]> By: Tumblemoose http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1431 Tumblemoose Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:31:54 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1431 Very timely post for me, Maria and Mark. I'm about two chapters from finishing my ebook and have been wondering how and where I would market the darned thing. Mark, I went over the Smashwords and I'm about 99% inclined to market it there. It appears to be a good place with a minimum amount of fuss. I do have a quick question: In order for folks to purchase an ebook, do they have to register or sign up as a reader? If so do you think this affects a purchase decision? Also, I love the concept and I spent quite a bit of time poking around the site. Thanks for making it easy on us (especially first time!) ebook authors. Cheers! George Very timely post for me, Maria and Mark.

I’m about two chapters from finishing my ebook and have been wondering how and where I would market the darned thing.

Mark, I went over the Smashwords and I’m about 99% inclined to market it there. It appears to be a good place with a minimum amount of fuss.

I do have a quick question: In order for folks to purchase an ebook, do they have to register or sign up as a reader? If so do you think this affects a purchase decision?

Also, I love the concept and I spent quite a bit of time poking around the site. Thanks for making it easy on us (especially first time!) ebook authors.

Cheers!

George

]]> By: J. M. Strother http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1429 J. M. Strother Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:47:59 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1429 Thanks for the follow up, Mark. Nearly as illuminating at the original post. I appreciate it. ~jon Thanks for the follow up, Mark. Nearly as illuminating at the original post. I appreciate it.
~jon

]]> By: Kristan http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1428 Kristan Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:45:29 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1428 (Just fyi, I'm here via the Cincinnati Fiction Writers group, which I recently joined. A fellow member recommended your site.) Personally I love physical books and I thought I'd never enjoy reading on a screen -- I tried out a few of Paulo Coelho's novels online through Harper Collins "peek inside" feature -- but then I got an iPod Touch and heard about Stanza and found a few free books to download, and bam, I love it. It's just so convenient! As a reader, I don't know if I want eBooks to "defeat" printed books, but I'd be very happy with peaceful coexistence. As a writer, I'm just trying to stay on top of everything that's going on so I can be best prepared for my own publications. :) (Just fyi, I’m here via the Cincinnati Fiction Writers group, which I recently joined. A fellow member recommended your site.)

Personally I love physical books and I thought I’d never enjoy reading on a screen — I tried out a few of Paulo Coelho’s novels online through Harper Collins “peek inside” feature — but then I got an iPod Touch and heard about Stanza and found a few free books to download, and bam, I love it. It’s just so convenient!

As a reader, I don’t know if I want eBooks to “defeat” printed books, but I’d be very happy with peaceful coexistence.

As a writer, I’m just trying to stay on top of everything that’s going on so I can be best prepared for my own publications. :)

]]> By: Norman Savage http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1427 Norman Savage Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:48:28 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1427 When I decided to publish my memoir, JUNK SICK: CONFESSIONS OF AN UNCONTROLLED DIABETIC, on Smashwords there were many things that factored in: being diabetic for fifty years--and counting--I knew that there was a dearth of writing that concerned itself with the emotional aspects of living with the disease and there are approximately 20-24 million diabetics in this country alone; there are at least that many million drunks/junkies in this country as well who bounce back and forth between the black and white avenues of addiction; and so many more who just gravitate toward a "new" voice and "good" read; and I was sick and tired of letting those "marketing" voices who are given the power to tell us what to buy and how to buy it. Also I knew that what this country and world is currently going through is a "correction" of sorts; the dead skin is loosening and the dinosaurs will die to be replaced with a beast more easily adaptable to what can be argued as a better or not landscape. I also knew that I myself is dying. The diabetes and lifestyle has taken a toll and I wanted to leave behind my own particular stain. Not unlike any artist that picks up a pen, brush, or plays with the notes. The rest, is not for me to say. My experiences with Mark and Smashwords have been gratifying from the start. I would expect, in the very near future, to publish other works of mine and rely on their merit and my own particular eccentricities to have them read, and, most importantly, remembered long after I'm not. When I decided to publish my memoir, JUNK SICK: CONFESSIONS OF AN UNCONTROLLED DIABETIC, on Smashwords there were many things that factored in: being diabetic for fifty years–and counting–I knew that there was a dearth of writing that concerned itself with the emotional aspects of living with the disease and there are approximately 20-24 million diabetics in this country alone; there are at least that many million drunks/junkies in this country as well who bounce back and forth between the black and white avenues of addiction; and so many more who just gravitate toward a “new” voice and “good” read; and I was sick and tired of letting those “marketing” voices who are given the power to tell us what to buy and how to buy it. Also I knew that what this country and world is currently going through is a “correction” of sorts; the dead skin is loosening and the dinosaurs will die to be replaced with a beast more easily adaptable to what can be argued as a better or not landscape.
I also knew that I myself is dying. The diabetes and lifestyle has taken a toll and I wanted to leave behind my own particular stain. Not unlike any artist that picks up a pen, brush, or plays with the notes. The rest, is not for me to say.
My experiences with Mark and Smashwords have been gratifying from the start. I would expect, in the very near future, to publish other works of mine and rely on their merit and my own particular eccentricities to have them read, and, most importantly, remembered long after I’m not.

]]> By: Mark Coker http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1425 Mark Coker Tue, 31 Mar 2009 04:18:59 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1425 @Mary - I hope I didn't somehow dissuade you from buying an ereader! The Kindle and the Sony Reader offer a great reading experience today, and E-Ink has other great improvements in store over the next couple years. @Gerald - Although few indie authors are "successful" by commercial standards today (and many would argue most commercial authors aren't successful either), I think we'll see more successes in the near future and a growing number of these will opt to stay indie, or will parcel out rights much as some of the more successful indie bands can do now. When authors or artists can pocket 85% of the net, it fundamentally changes the economics. I think it's also inevitable that some commercially successful authors go indie for future projects, at least for some of their work. Interesting times ahead! @jon - interesting question, fiction vs. non-fiction. I just now checked. Of our top 15 best selling titles over the last 30 days, all but two of them are fiction, though our #2 best-seller (and #1 in dollar sales) is Dan Poynter's new Self Publishing Manual Volume 2, which he published first on Smashwords. AT $7.97, Dan's is also one of our more expensive books (most of our fiction is priced under $5.00. Our best selling books are those that are heavily promoted by the authors on their personal web sites, blogs, newsletters and social networks. Several authors have found that limited time coupons work well to juice sales and build urgency. @Mary – I hope I didn’t somehow dissuade you from buying an ereader! The Kindle and the Sony Reader offer a great reading experience today, and E-Ink has other great improvements in store over the next couple years.

@Gerald – Although few indie authors are “successful” by commercial standards today (and many would argue most commercial authors aren’t successful either), I think we’ll see more successes in the near future and a growing number of these will opt to stay indie, or will parcel out rights much as some of the more successful indie bands can do now. When authors or artists can pocket 85% of the net, it fundamentally changes the economics. I think it’s also inevitable that some commercially successful authors go indie for future projects, at least for some of their work. Interesting times ahead!

@jon – interesting question, fiction vs. non-fiction. I just now checked. Of our top 15 best selling titles over the last 30 days, all but two of them are fiction, though our #2 best-seller (and #1 in dollar sales) is Dan Poynter’s new Self Publishing Manual Volume 2, which he published first on Smashwords. AT $7.97, Dan’s is also one of our more expensive books (most of our fiction is priced under $5.00. Our best selling books are those that are heavily promoted by the authors on their personal web sites, blogs, newsletters and social networks. Several authors have found that limited time coupons work well to juice sales and build urgency.

]]> By: J.C. Towler http://editorunleashed.com/2009/03/30/qa-mark-coker-of-smashwords/comment-page-1/#comment-1424 J.C. Towler Tue, 31 Mar 2009 02:50:06 +0000 http://editorunleashed.com/?p=1544#comment-1424 I am inspired. I'm going to start my own E-book company and call it Osmosis. It will be beyond e-books. It will finally achieve the holy grail of reading, long sought after by every 9th grade high school student sweating an upcoming algebra test. You will simply but Osmosis under your pillow and the book's contents will be transmitted into your brain while you sleep. Batteries not included. --John I am inspired. I’m going to start my own E-book company and call it Osmosis. It will be beyond e-books. It will finally achieve the holy grail of reading, long sought after by every 9th grade high school student sweating an upcoming algebra test. You will simply but Osmosis under your pillow and the book’s contents will be transmitted into your brain while you sleep.

Batteries not included.

–John

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