Kobo Writing Life vs Smashwords

Last updated: October 21, 2023
Kobo Writing Life and Smashwords are both popular platforms that allow authors to self-publish their books in digital formats. However, there are several key differences between the two platforms. Firstly, one significant difference lies in their distribution networks. Kobo Writing Life is directly linked to the Kobo eReader and e-bookstore, which has a global reach and a wide customer base. This integration means that authors using Kobo Writing Life have the potential to reach millions of readers worldwide through Kobo's distribution channels. On the other hand, Smashwords distributes e-books to multiple online retailers and libraries, including Kobo, but also extends its reach to other major platforms like Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble Nook, and Apple Books. This broader distribution network gives authors using Smashwords the opportunity to reach a wider audience across various e-reading platforms.

Another notable difference between the two platforms is their approach to formatting and publishing requirements. Kobo Writing Life has a more streamlined process, allowing authors to upload their manuscripts in popular file formats like EPUB, MOBI, and PDF without strict formatting guidelines. Kobo takes care of the conversion and formatting to ensure compatibility with their e-reader devices and apps. In contrast, Smashwords has a more detailed formatting and style guide that authors must follow to ensure proper conversion and compatibility across multiple platforms. While this may require additional effort and attention to detail from authors, it gives them greater control over the appearance and formatting of their e-books across different reading devices.

Lastly, there is a difference in the royalty structures and pricing options between Kobo Writing Life and Smashwords. Kobo Writing Life offers a competitive royalty rate for authors, typically ranging from 45% to 70% depending on the book's price and sales territories. The platform also provides flexible pricing options, allowing authors to set promotional prices or participate in discount campaigns. Smashwords, on the other hand, offers authors a standard royalty rate of 60% for books sold through their retail partners and 85% for sales made directly through the Smashwords store. Additionally, Smashwords allows authors to set their own pricing, including the option to offer their books for free or to implement reader-friendly pricing strategies like pay-what-you-want or pre-order discounts.
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Kobo Writing Life
Do you have a story to tell? Are you an author with a bestseller just waiting to be discovered? Want to reach out to millions of readers in over 190 countries? Do you own the digital rights to your work? Then have we got the tool for you! Kobo Writing Life is the one-stop, do-it-yourself publishing portal.
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Smashwords
Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of indie ebooks. We make it fast, free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to publish and distribute ebooks to the major retailers. We provide free tools for marketing, distribution, metadata management and sales reporting. At Smashwords, our authors and publishers have complete control over the sampling, pricing and marketing of their written works.
Kobo Writing Life vs Smashwords in our news:

2022. Self-Publishing service Draft2Digital to acquire competitor Smashwords



Draft2Digital, a pioneer in the field of ebook self-publishing, is set to acquire its competitor, Smashwords. This acquisition will enable authors who use Draft2Digital to gain access to the Smashwords Store, as well as its exclusive book marketing tools, such as Smashwords Coupons, self-serve merchandising, Author Interviews, and the patent-pending Smashwords Presales tool for book launches. Meanwhile, authors who use Smashwords will benefit from new tools that simplify both print and digital publishing, leading to greater success. These tools include D2D Print, Draft2Digital's Print on Demand service for paperbacks, improved metadata management tools for better book discoverability at retailers, automated end-matter for series books, payment splitting for co-authors and collaborations, and more payment options, including direct bank deposits. Retailers and libraries served by both companies can expect a wider selection of titles and improved merchandising recommendations. Customers of the Smashwords Store can also look forward to an improved store experience and an increased selection of books from the many great authors and publishers distributed by Draft2Digital.


2019. Kobo Writing Life now accepts Audiobook submissions



Writing Life serves as the self-publishing division of Kobo, enabling authors to submit their ebooks for distribution across various markets where Kobo offers digital content, spanning a significant portion of the globe. Independent authors now have a convenient platform through the user-friendly dashboard to effortlessly upload, promote, and sell their audiobooks. They can also customize pricing and select the countries in which they wish to make their audiobooks available. While the roll-out of this feature is currently undergoing beta testing, it will soon be accessible to all users. Initially, audiobook capabilities are accessible for English language titles, with plans to expand availability to additional languages by the end of 2019. Kobo Writing Life competes with other self-publishing platforms such as Audible, Findaway Voices, Draft2digital, and several others in the market.


2015. Smashwords allows authors to offer preorders without final ebook files



Popular self-publishing platform Smashwords has introduced a new feature that allows authors to initiate preorders for their titles up to one year in advance, even before uploading the final assets such as the finished manuscript and cover image. While Smashwords has offered preorder capabilities for over two years, it was limited to titles with ready and finalized files. Interestingly, Smashwords reports that 67% of its top 200 best-selling titles initially began as preorders on their platform. However, only a small fraction of Smashwords' extensive community of over 100,000 authors and indie publishers have utilized preorders, mainly due to the unavailability of final files until just before the official release. This recent change aims to enable more Smashwords users to generate revenue from their titles at an earlier stage. The company considers this new feature to be their most ambitious enhancement to date.


2014. Smashwords partners with Overdrive to bring more self-published books to libraries



Self-publishing platform Smashwords has expanded its reach by entering into a partnership with Overdrive, the largest digital library distributor in the country. This collaboration enables Overdrive's extensive network of library clients, which includes approximately 28,000 libraries and schools worldwide, to procure and lend out around 200,000 ebooks authored by 88,000 writers from Smashwords. The significance of this partnership lies in the fact that Overdrive works with numerous libraries and supports Kindle e-readers, setting the stage for broader global exposure for titles by Smashwords authors. As a result, these authors have the opportunity to reach a larger audience of readers through this expansive distribution network.