This presentation, intended for book authors, summarizes the major macro trends facing book publishing, then reviews what these changes mean to the future of publishing and the future of indie authorship. It offers seven secrets to successful ebook publishing, and ends with one bonus secret that covers how authors can maximize the virality of their ebooks. This presentation was given at the Self Publishing Book Expo Conference in New York City on October 2, 2010 by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. Smashwords is the leading distributor of indie ebooks.

2. My Background

4. Indie ebooks published at Smashwords 140 6,000 20,700

5. The Ebook Opportunity

6. Ebooks as a percentage of US wholesale trade market Source: Association of American Publishers, publishers.org

7. Reading moving to screens

10. Ebook retailers want indie ebooks Mobile apps

11. FIRST, A BRIEF HISTORY OF PUBLISHING (A Prologue of Sorts)

12. Before there were words, stories were told with pictures

13. … and then Words were invented

14. … and then monastic scribes became the first mass production printing presses

15. … and then Gutenberg created the printing press with moveable type

16. … which allowed commercial publishers to develop large mass market businesses

17. Bookstores made it easy for readers to discover and purchase books

18. PUBLISHERS WERE HAPPY BECAUSE THEY CONTROLLED THE PRINTING PRESSES AND DISTRIBUTION TO BOOKSTORES

20. PUBLISHERS AND RETAILERS ENJOYED THIS CLUBBY, CLOSED SYSTEM $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $

21. BUT THEN THE INTERNET HAPPENED

22. … AND THE RULES CHANGED FOREVER

23. THREE BIG TRENDS RESHAPING PUBLISHING

24. TREND ONE: Bookselling moving to the Web

26. Percentage of book purchases made online vs B&M, P- and E- Brick & Mortar Web Today?

27. TREND TWO: Ebooks to overtake print

28. Ebooks to overtake print Print books Ebooks Today?

29. TREND THREE: Authors Become Publishers

31. Number of books published indie vs. traditional Indie books Today? New trad. books

32. Publishers Reacting Inappropriately to Change ooh, pretty!

33. Change is Difficult for Traditional Publishers

34. … their expenses are too high

37. When publishers act less like publishers, authors start questioning why they need a publisher

38. The future of publishing belongs to indie authors

40. The Seven Secrets to Indie Ebook Publishing Success

41. Secret #1

43. Would You Buy This Book?

44. Secret Two

46. Secret Three

48. Secret Four

50. Secret Five

52. Secret Six

54. Secret Seven

56. BONUS Secret Eight

58. The Viral Dream First reader Readers

59. Viral Decay, The Reality First reader Readers

60. Negative Virality First reader This book sucks!!!! Last reader

63. Thank you for listening! Q&A Where to find Mark Coker: Web: www.smashwords.com Blog: blog.smashwords.com HuffPo: huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker Twitter: @ markcoker Email: first initial second initial at smashwords.com