Los Gatos, Calif.-based Smashwords, a publisher and distributor of multiformat e-books, has entered into an e-book distribution agreement with Sony Electronics. Smashwords offers a free e-book publishing platform to authors and publishers that gives them control over pricing, sampling and distribution of their works.
As a result of the agreement, self-published authors and independent publishers can visit the Sony Publisher Portal and click on Smashwords to sign up for a free Smashwords publishing account. Authors upload a Microsoft Word file, choose their distribution via Smashwords' retail partners, and then their book is made available for immediate online sale at Smashwords.com. Authors who opt in to Sony will have their e-books appear in Sony's eBook Store within days of uploading. Existing Smashwords authors also can gain distribution via The eBook Store within the next few months.
"We're thrilled to help power the new Sony Publisher Portal," says Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. "Smashwords makes it free and easy for self-published authors and independent publishers to distribute their e-books via multiple distribution channels, including online retailers and mobile app providers. Authors and publishers simply upload their manuscript to Smashwords …, select the price, and then we handle the conversion and retail distribution."
Smashwords first launched its e-book publishing and distribution platform 16 months ago. According to the company, it has experienced rapid growth in recent months, as publishers from around the globe take advantage of its free e-book publishing, conversion and distribution services.
Sony is the third major online e-book retailer to distribute Smashwords e-books. In January, Smashwords announced a distribution agreement with Lexcycle, now owned by Amazon, in which Smashwords e-books are listed in the e-book catalog of the Stanza e-reading mobile application. Earlier this month, Smashwords announced a distribution agreement with Barnes & Noble, which now distributes Smashwords e-books to multiple B&N properties including BarnesandNoble.com, Fictionwise and the eReader app.
- People:
- Mark Coker
- Places:
- Los Gatos, Calif.