Three Reasons to Not Publish Through Smashwords

Once a fanboy of Smashwords (I still think they provide the easiest to use most responsive Web interface), I've encountered recent difficulties with the company that have caused me to reconsider publishing through Smashwords to eBook retailers. The following are some things you might want to consider before choosing this self-publishing option.

1) Amazon and Barnes & Nobel Support Direct Publishing

Right off the bat, you're confronted by the fact that the two most popular eBook retailers, Amazon and Barnes & Nobel, provide their own self-publishing interfaces; namely, KDP and PubIt respectively. Since these two interfaces provide monthly royalty payments instead of Smashwords' quarterly payments, you should publish through these two interfaces directly and skip the Smashwords distribution option for Amazon and Barnes & Nobel.

Note that we've been waiting (well, not exactly waiting) forever for the Amazon distribution interface to become available on Smashwords. The fact that you can't distribute to Amazon makes it essential that you use KDP to directly publish there. After all, this is the biggest eBook retailer on the planet. While you're at it, you may as well learn how to use PubIt as well to get to the second biggest eBook seller on the planet. Trust me, it's easy.

Note also that using KDP and PubIt to publish directly to Amazon and Barnes and Nobel will cause your new books to appear sooner and price changes to be reflected faster.

Strike #1: There's no reason to use Smashwords to publish to the two biggest eBook retailers, Amazon and Barnes & Nobel (and besides, they don't support Amazon, the biggest retailer).

2) Sony, Kobo, and Price Increases on Amazon (Warning)

Here's the dilemma: To get 70% royalties on books published via KDP on Amazon, you need to promise that your books will not be published at a lesser price at any other eBook retailer.

The problem is that eBook price changes take a week to be reflected on Sony via Smashwords and at least a month or more to be reflected on Kobo (I don't really know how long Kobo takes since I've been waiting a month and I'm still waiting). The Amazon Reviewers will reject any price increase if there's an eBook retailer out there who is offering the book at a lesser price. The result: it takes a month-forever to increase the price of a book on Amazon if you've published that book through Smashwords on Kobo.

Strike #2: Don't distribute to Sony or Kobo from Smashwords if you want to be able to increase book prices on Amazon KDP and still get your 70% royalty. Another option is to distribute to Sony and Kobo but set your price at Smashwords so high that it doesn't hinder your ability to set your price on KDP. I know: this is a pretty stupid workaround.

3) Lack of Customer Support

Somewhere along the way, Smashwords stopped responding to customer support questions. We have no possibility of resolving the above issue because Smashwords no longer responds to support emails.

Strike #3: This is simply bad business.

Update: Exciting new development: Smashwords responded to my support email from last week.  Could there be hope?

So why deal with Smashwords at all? There is still one reason to publish on Smashwords.

A) Offer Free Book Coupons

Publish on Smashwords so that you can offer customer free book coupons to be redeemed at the site. Don't use Smashwords to distribute books to Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, Sony, or Kobo.

As far as Apple, Diesel, and Scrollmotion distribution via Smashwords goes: who cares. Apple and Diesel sales are generally dismal and Scrollmotion still hasn't sold anything.