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BookBaby vs Smashwords
Last updated: October 21, 2023
BookBaby and Smashwords are two popular self-publishing platforms that offer authors the opportunity to publish and distribute their books, but they have notable differences in their services, distribution networks, and pricing models.
BookBaby is a comprehensive self-publishing platform that provides a range of services for authors, including editing, formatting, cover design, printing, and distribution. BookBaby offers a wide distribution network, allowing authors to reach major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books. It also offers services for print-on-demand and audiobook publishing. BookBaby operates on a fee-based model, where authors pay upfront for the publishing and distribution services they require. While BookBaby offers a range of services, it comes at a higher cost compared to some other self-publishing platforms.
On the other hand, Smashwords is a self-publishing platform that focuses on e-book distribution. It provides authors with tools and resources to format and publish their e-books, and it offers a wide distribution network that includes major retailers such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Smashwords also distributes to libraries through its partnership with OverDrive. Smashwords operates on a revenue-sharing model, where authors earn royalties based on the sales of their books. It offers authors a higher royalty percentage for sales made directly through the Smashwords store.
Another key difference lies in their pricing models and royalties. BookBaby operates on a fee-based model, where authors pay upfront for the publishing and distribution services. The pricing varies depending on the specific services authors require. Smashwords, on the other hand, operates on a revenue-sharing model. Authors earn royalties based on the sales of their books, with different royalty rates depending on where the book is sold. Smashwords offers authors a higher royalty percentage for direct sales made through the Smashwords store, incentivizing authors to drive traffic to their Smashwords book pages.
BookBaby is a comprehensive self-publishing platform that provides a range of services for authors, including editing, formatting, cover design, printing, and distribution. BookBaby offers a wide distribution network, allowing authors to reach major online retailers such as Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Apple Books. It also offers services for print-on-demand and audiobook publishing. BookBaby operates on a fee-based model, where authors pay upfront for the publishing and distribution services they require. While BookBaby offers a range of services, it comes at a higher cost compared to some other self-publishing platforms.
On the other hand, Smashwords is a self-publishing platform that focuses on e-book distribution. It provides authors with tools and resources to format and publish their e-books, and it offers a wide distribution network that includes major retailers such as Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, and Kobo. Smashwords also distributes to libraries through its partnership with OverDrive. Smashwords operates on a revenue-sharing model, where authors earn royalties based on the sales of their books. It offers authors a higher royalty percentage for sales made directly through the Smashwords store.
Another key difference lies in their pricing models and royalties. BookBaby operates on a fee-based model, where authors pay upfront for the publishing and distribution services. The pricing varies depending on the specific services authors require. Smashwords, on the other hand, operates on a revenue-sharing model. Authors earn royalties based on the sales of their books, with different royalty rates depending on where the book is sold. Smashwords offers authors a higher royalty percentage for direct sales made through the Smashwords store, incentivizing authors to drive traffic to their Smashwords book pages.
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BookBaby makes self-publishing easy: from cover design, book printing, eBook conversions, distribution, website creation, and more. BookBaby offers you the largest eBook distribution network, including Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Sony, and many other popular retailers in over 170 countries around the globe. It’s now possible for you to reach a worldwide audience, keep 100% of your book’s net earnings, retain the rights to your work, and maintain total creative control. BookBaby provides everything you need to professionally publish and distribute your book, without ever having to sell-out to ‘big publishing.’
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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.
BookBaby 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.
2016. BookBaby launched e-Book editing service
BookBaby has recently introduced a new editing service specifically designed for self-published authors. With this service, they offer copy editing for a 60,000-word eBook at a price below $1,200, which is a remarkable 50% lower compared to other premium options available in the market. For debut or first-time authors, finding a reliable e-book editor can be a challenging task. Many individuals often resort to searching online for affordable options, but may end up encountering companies like Author Solutions, who employ aggressive up-selling tactics. According to BookBaby President Steven Spatz, "Editing is an essential requirement for every book, and we understand this reality. Our aim was to deliver a cost-effective solution that meets the needs of self-publishing authors, without compromising on the quality they expect and deserve."
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.
2014. BookBaby allows authors to sell books directly to users
BookBaby, a self-publishing provider, is introducing a new service called BookShop, enabling authors to sell their eBooks directly to readers through their own customized BookShop e-commerce pages. This initiative offers authors the opportunity to earn a higher percentage per sale and receive faster payment compared to other platforms. BookBaby authors can sell both ePub and .mobi versions of their eBooks directly to readers, earning 85% of the gross selling price. Additionally, authors can provide links to their eBooks on popular retail sites like iBooks, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and more. Unlike other distributors and retailers, BookBaby ensures prompt payment to authors within one week of each sale, eliminating lengthy waiting periods for their earnings. BookShop is available free of charge to all BookBaby authors, including those taking advantage of the company's new FREE eBook publishing package. Authors can easily upload ePub files directly to BookBaby for global distribution without any upfront costs.