The document summarizes key findings from Smashwords' 2015 survey of ebook sales data. Some of the main findings include:
1) Romance genres dominated sales, accounting for 70% of top sellers and 87% of the top 100.
2) Bestselling authors were more likely to have a website and social media presence.
3) Free ebooks moved 41x more units on average than priced books. Lower price points of $0.99-$2.99 yielded the highest sales.
4) Longer books, series, and those with a free starter book tended to sell better. Preorders accounted for a large portion of top sellers.
The document cautions that
2014 Smashwords Survey - How to Sell More EbooksSmashwords, Inc.
Mark Coker's third annual 2014 Smashwords Survey. Examines quantifiable characteristics of ebooks that give books an incremental advantage in discoverability and desirability. The 2014 survey attempts to answer such questions as: Do readers prefer longer or shorter ebooks?; Do ebooks that start out as preorders sell better?; How should I price my ebook?; Do series books sell better than standalone books?; do series with FREE series starters earn more money than other series; and many more.
How Data-Driven Decisions *Might* Help Indie Ebook Authors Reach More ReadersSmashwords, Inc.
This presentation was given at the RT Booklovers convention in Chicago April 11, 2012. It analyzes a nine-month chunk of Smashwords sales data, aggregated across multiple Smashwords retailers (Apple iBookstore, Sony, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Diesel, Smashwords.com), to determine if there were potential data-driven metrics that might reveal new viral catalysts that authors can put to work to make their books more available, discoverable and enjoyable to readers. By utilizing the right mix of viral catalysts, authors can maximize reader reader word-of-mouth. Some of the findings are eye-opening, and some are simply just fun. Learn more about viral catalysts and ebook publishing best practices by reading Mark Coker's SECRETS TO EBOOK PUBLISHING SUCCESS, available at most major ebook retailers.
Mark Coker's annual Smashwords Survey provides authors and publishers a treasure trove of data about how to make ebooks more accessible, desirable and enjoyable to readers. This sixth annual Survey explores the top fiction and non-fiction categories, the pricing sweet spots to maximize readership and earnings, box sets, series, preorders and the best word counts. If you enjoy this Survey, please share it with a friend! Mark Coker is the founder of Smashwords, the world's largest distributor of self-published ebooks.
Hit the Ebook Bestseller Lists with Preorders: A Guide to Preorder StrategySmashwords, Inc.
This presentation from Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, teaches indie authors how to make their book release more successful by leveraging ebook preorders. Multiple Smashwords authors have hit the top of the charts using preorders. Learn the successful strategies behind preorder timing, promotion and marketing. Learn how some retailers such as Apple iBooks and Kobo give preorder books a merchandizing and discovery advantage. Learn why authors who do preorders have an advantage over those who do not.
How to Reach More Readers with Self-Published EbooksSmashwords, Inc.
This presentation was given by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, at Self Publishing Boot Camp in San Francisco on February 18. The presentation summarizes the best practices of the most successful self-published ebook authors.
How Libraries Can Launch Community Publishing Initiatives with Self-Published...Smashwords, Inc.
Libraries have long provided an essential community service by making books and other information products freely available and accessible to local community patrons. Libraries play a critical role in promoting literacy, a culture of books and the joys of reading.
With the rise of ebooks, public libraries are at a crossroads. Some large traditional publishers, which fear digital lending might cannibalize retail sales of both print books and ebooks, have been hesitant to supply ebooks to libraries at the very time that library patrons are clamoring for access to such products.
This three-part presentation outlines the opportunity for libraries to expand their community role by developing programs that promote a culture of authorship. By holding seminars and classes, and by bringing local authors together with readers and aspiring authors, Libraries are uniquely qualified to orchestrate community resources and talent to help local writers become professional self-publishers. Unlike traditional publishers, self-published authors are pro-library. By developing community publishing initiatives that promote best-practices for professional self-publishing, libraries will help ensure a steady and diverse supply of high-quality books for library patrons and readers worldwide.
This series of three presentations was delivered by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, on March 21, 2013 at the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services symposium held in Lansing, Michigan.The presentations have been combined here for ease of access.
Additional text has been added so viewers will gain contextual background for information that was delivered verbally.
How Libraries Can Launch Community Publishing Initiatives with Self-Published...Smashwords, Inc.
This presentation was given April 11 in San Antonio, TX at the Texas Library Association annual conference. It details how public libraries have an exciting opportunity to launch community publishing initiatives, the goal of which is to marshal local community talent to produce and publish ebooks.
2014 Smashwords Survey - How to Sell More EbooksSmashwords, Inc.
Mark Coker's third annual 2014 Smashwords Survey. Examines quantifiable characteristics of ebooks that give books an incremental advantage in discoverability and desirability. The 2014 survey attempts to answer such questions as: Do readers prefer longer or shorter ebooks?; Do ebooks that start out as preorders sell better?; How should I price my ebook?; Do series books sell better than standalone books?; do series with FREE series starters earn more money than other series; and many more.
How Data-Driven Decisions *Might* Help Indie Ebook Authors Reach More ReadersSmashwords, Inc.
This presentation was given at the RT Booklovers convention in Chicago April 11, 2012. It analyzes a nine-month chunk of Smashwords sales data, aggregated across multiple Smashwords retailers (Apple iBookstore, Sony, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Diesel, Smashwords.com), to determine if there were potential data-driven metrics that might reveal new viral catalysts that authors can put to work to make their books more available, discoverable and enjoyable to readers. By utilizing the right mix of viral catalysts, authors can maximize reader reader word-of-mouth. Some of the findings are eye-opening, and some are simply just fun. Learn more about viral catalysts and ebook publishing best practices by reading Mark Coker's SECRETS TO EBOOK PUBLISHING SUCCESS, available at most major ebook retailers.
Mark Coker's annual Smashwords Survey provides authors and publishers a treasure trove of data about how to make ebooks more accessible, desirable and enjoyable to readers. This sixth annual Survey explores the top fiction and non-fiction categories, the pricing sweet spots to maximize readership and earnings, box sets, series, preorders and the best word counts. If you enjoy this Survey, please share it with a friend! Mark Coker is the founder of Smashwords, the world's largest distributor of self-published ebooks.
Hit the Ebook Bestseller Lists with Preorders: A Guide to Preorder StrategySmashwords, Inc.
This presentation from Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, teaches indie authors how to make their book release more successful by leveraging ebook preorders. Multiple Smashwords authors have hit the top of the charts using preorders. Learn the successful strategies behind preorder timing, promotion and marketing. Learn how some retailers such as Apple iBooks and Kobo give preorder books a merchandizing and discovery advantage. Learn why authors who do preorders have an advantage over those who do not.
How to Reach More Readers with Self-Published EbooksSmashwords, Inc.
This presentation was given by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, at Self Publishing Boot Camp in San Francisco on February 18. The presentation summarizes the best practices of the most successful self-published ebook authors.
How Libraries Can Launch Community Publishing Initiatives with Self-Published...Smashwords, Inc.
Libraries have long provided an essential community service by making books and other information products freely available and accessible to local community patrons. Libraries play a critical role in promoting literacy, a culture of books and the joys of reading.
With the rise of ebooks, public libraries are at a crossroads. Some large traditional publishers, which fear digital lending might cannibalize retail sales of both print books and ebooks, have been hesitant to supply ebooks to libraries at the very time that library patrons are clamoring for access to such products.
This three-part presentation outlines the opportunity for libraries to expand their community role by developing programs that promote a culture of authorship. By holding seminars and classes, and by bringing local authors together with readers and aspiring authors, Libraries are uniquely qualified to orchestrate community resources and talent to help local writers become professional self-publishers. Unlike traditional publishers, self-published authors are pro-library. By developing community publishing initiatives that promote best-practices for professional self-publishing, libraries will help ensure a steady and diverse supply of high-quality books for library patrons and readers worldwide.
This series of three presentations was delivered by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, on March 21, 2013 at the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services symposium held in Lansing, Michigan.The presentations have been combined here for ease of access.
Additional text has been added so viewers will gain contextual background for information that was delivered verbally.
How Libraries Can Launch Community Publishing Initiatives with Self-Published...Smashwords, Inc.
This presentation was given April 11 in San Antonio, TX at the Texas Library Association annual conference. It details how public libraries have an exciting opportunity to launch community publishing initiatives, the goal of which is to marshal local community talent to produce and publish ebooks.
Authors: Learn to reach more readers with your books. Mark Coker's fifth annual 2016 Smashwords Survey. Reveals quantifiable ebook sales data to help authors reach more readers. The 2016 survey answers such questions as: Do readers prefer longer or shorter ebooks?; Do ebooks that start out as preorders sell better?; How do I price box sets?; what are the sweet spots for ebook pricing?; Do series books sell better than standalone books?; which ebook genres are most popular?; do series with FREE series starters earn more money than other series; and much more. For historical context, check out the prior three years of Smashwords Surveys, all here at Slideshare.
Five Big Trends that Will Rock the Future of PublishingSmashwords, Inc.
This presentation examines five big trends impacting the future of book publishing. It explores how technology is disrupting the book publishing industry, how Big Publishers are threatening the future of books, and how indie authors + ebooks have the power to expand book consumption and promote cross-cultural understanding for the good of all humanity. Keynote address presented by Mark Coker of Smashwords at the 27th Annual Central Coast Writers' Conference held in Morro Bay, CA. Presented September 17, 2011
This presentation was given by Mark Coker to the Published Authors Network (PAN) group at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) 2012 annual conference in Anaheim. It explores the major trends facing authors and book publishers.
This presentation was given by Mark Coker at the Edinburgh Publishing Conference held June 12, 2013 at the University of Edinburgh business school in Scotland. The conference examined the innovation, disruption and new business models that are helping to shape the future of publishing. In this presentation, Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords (a global ebook distributor serving over 60,000 indie authors and small publishers), examined ten trends that are shaping the future of publishing.
10 Trends Driving the Future of Authorship (Smashwords tutorial series, #4) Smashwords, Inc.
Learn the 10 publishing industry trends that will most impact the future for book authors. Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, examines how the simultaneous rise of ebooks, self-publishing and democratized access to retailers will forever transform the publishing landscape. Learn how the power center in the publishing industry is shifting from publishers to writers, and how self-published authors now how the tools to out-sell and out-compete the big publishers. Learn why the former stigma of self-publishing has been replaced with growing pride as indie authors scale all the international bestseller lists. Meanwhile, the stigma of traditional publishing is increasing as publisher missteps cause authors to lose faith in big publishers. View the companion video of this presentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbT7r-DUa6M
How to Reach Readers at Apple iBooks - Merchandising Secrets for Indie Author...Smashwords, Inc.
This comprehensive online workshop, The Alliance of Independent Authors, teaches authors how to reach more readers at the Apple iBooks Store. Mark Coker of Smashwords teaches authors how to maximize merchandising opportunities and sales at the world's second largest ebook store. This was part II of a two-part ALLi series featuring Mark Coker. View part I at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3quE1... Learn more about ALLi at http://allianceindependentauthors.org/
119 Book Marketing Ideas That Can Help Authors Increase SalesBookBub
There’s a wide array of tactics you can use to amplify a book's exposure & reach more readers. Check out these 119 book marketing ideas for inspiration! See the full post here: http://insights.bookbub.com/book-marketing-ideas
Smashwords Survey Helps Authors Sell more eBooks (Smashwords tutorial series,...Smashwords, Inc.
Writers will learn how to make their books more appealing to readers in this comprehensive (and unconventional) tutorial presented by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. Have you ever wondered if readers prefer longer or shorter books? How about pricing? Will you sell more books at a lower price or a higher price? Which price yields you the greatest overall earnings? Which price helps you grow your readership the fastest? How and why might your book sales fluctuate over time? Do books with shorter titles appeal more to readers than long titles? These and many other questions are answered in the annual Smashwords Survey. This video examines the results of the 2013 Smashwords Survey, first published in May 2013. Smashwords analyzed over $12 million in book sales covering over 120,000 books over an 11-month period, and then posed useful (and some not-so-useful) questions at the data, all with the goal of identifying tips and tricks that could help authors make their books more desirable to readers. Some of the results are insightful and other results were just plain silly. Enjoy! View the video of this presentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rrl4NExo3Y
7 Core Elements to Building a Powerful and Engaged Audience for Your BookKimberley Grabas
A powerful marketing step is to build an engaged community of supporters for you and your work. Learn the 7 core elements to building a thriving and passionate audience for your book – plus tips to help you take action immediately.
How Publish in the New Millennium: Journals to Best Sellers
This PPT is from a workshop on demystifying the processes of getting published—from peer reviewed journals to blogs to books. Various ways to get started and what to avoid will be covered, with many examples and real-world practical tips and advice.
Learning Objectives
1. Attendees will learn about the best ways to approach submitting a manuscript for scientific publication in peer reviewed journals.
2. Attendees will learn about the mechanics of book contracting—how to submit an idea; what publishers are looking for; how to evaluate (and negotiate) a contract; royalties, advances and copyright; why to NEVER first submit a manuscript to a publisher; differences in publishers; when an author needs an agent (and when one does not), along with a myriad of additional considerations and advice.
3. Attendees will learn about eBooks, Print-On-Demand, Amazon’s CreateSpace and Kindle, and other non-traditional approaches to publishing.
4. Attendees will learn about marketing, media kits, Amazon’s Author Pages, book signings, library talks and other promotional aspects.
Self-publishing vs Traditional Publishing, and the Options in BetweenRicardo Fayet
If you've written a book and are unsure whether to self-publish it or seek a publisher, this presentation is for you! I go over the main benefits and drawbacks of self-publishing and traditional publishing. I also explain how to make the most of each route, and go over a few alternative and hybrid options.
Made by https://reedsy.com
BookFuel presentation at AuthorU conference: Finding your SuperfansBill Van Orsdel Jr.
How can an author find and market their books to their "Superfans". A quick marketing guide for authors with actions they can take to identify, connect with and recruit Superfans for their author brand.
How to Make a Book: The Pressbooks Guide to Self-PublishingHugh McGuire
How do you turn your manuscript into a real, published book?
This guide from Pressbooks.com, gives you a digestible overview of the process of getting your book into (online) bookstores, and into the hands of readers: writing, editing, producing your book and cover files for publication, how and where to sell your book, and some ideas on marketing.
We go over in detail how Pressbooks.com can help anyone easily make beautiful PDF "interior files" for print-on-demand, and ebook files for all the different ebook stores. All without having to know anything about book design or ebook development.
Visit Pressbooks.com for more information.
How ebooks Have Changed the Print Book Marketplace
Jonathan Nowell heads Nielsen Book. Their Bookscan service tracks sales of books and ebooks in the US, the UK, and other markets around the world.
In this presentation, Nowell will look back over a decade or more of Nielsen book sales data to tell us how the print world has changed. It is accepted fact now that ebooks work commercially for narrative books, but not so well for reference and illustrated books. What that means by category is the focus of Nowell's presentation. He will tell us both how the proportion of print and ebook sales break down in various categories, but also will show how the share of printed books has changed across categories as ebooks have taken hold in the marketplace. The data from Nowell will indicate to us what bookstores might look like in the future as the mainstay sales of bestselling authors move increasingly to digital.
The Difference Between Indie and Traditionally Published Authors by @ErocZ of...Eric Z
The Publishing world is changing, Independent authors OWN the genres Romance and Science Fiction, however the old guard argues that traditionally published authors enjoy more benefits. Let's take a look!
Authors: Learn to reach more readers with your books. Mark Coker's fifth annual 2016 Smashwords Survey. Reveals quantifiable ebook sales data to help authors reach more readers. The 2016 survey answers such questions as: Do readers prefer longer or shorter ebooks?; Do ebooks that start out as preorders sell better?; How do I price box sets?; what are the sweet spots for ebook pricing?; Do series books sell better than standalone books?; which ebook genres are most popular?; do series with FREE series starters earn more money than other series; and much more. For historical context, check out the prior three years of Smashwords Surveys, all here at Slideshare.
Five Big Trends that Will Rock the Future of PublishingSmashwords, Inc.
This presentation examines five big trends impacting the future of book publishing. It explores how technology is disrupting the book publishing industry, how Big Publishers are threatening the future of books, and how indie authors + ebooks have the power to expand book consumption and promote cross-cultural understanding for the good of all humanity. Keynote address presented by Mark Coker of Smashwords at the 27th Annual Central Coast Writers' Conference held in Morro Bay, CA. Presented September 17, 2011
This presentation was given by Mark Coker to the Published Authors Network (PAN) group at the Romance Writers of America (RWA) 2012 annual conference in Anaheim. It explores the major trends facing authors and book publishers.
This presentation was given by Mark Coker at the Edinburgh Publishing Conference held June 12, 2013 at the University of Edinburgh business school in Scotland. The conference examined the innovation, disruption and new business models that are helping to shape the future of publishing. In this presentation, Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords (a global ebook distributor serving over 60,000 indie authors and small publishers), examined ten trends that are shaping the future of publishing.
10 Trends Driving the Future of Authorship (Smashwords tutorial series, #4) Smashwords, Inc.
Learn the 10 publishing industry trends that will most impact the future for book authors. Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, examines how the simultaneous rise of ebooks, self-publishing and democratized access to retailers will forever transform the publishing landscape. Learn how the power center in the publishing industry is shifting from publishers to writers, and how self-published authors now how the tools to out-sell and out-compete the big publishers. Learn why the former stigma of self-publishing has been replaced with growing pride as indie authors scale all the international bestseller lists. Meanwhile, the stigma of traditional publishing is increasing as publisher missteps cause authors to lose faith in big publishers. View the companion video of this presentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbT7r-DUa6M
How to Reach Readers at Apple iBooks - Merchandising Secrets for Indie Author...Smashwords, Inc.
This comprehensive online workshop, The Alliance of Independent Authors, teaches authors how to reach more readers at the Apple iBooks Store. Mark Coker of Smashwords teaches authors how to maximize merchandising opportunities and sales at the world's second largest ebook store. This was part II of a two-part ALLi series featuring Mark Coker. View part I at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3quE1... Learn more about ALLi at http://allianceindependentauthors.org/
119 Book Marketing Ideas That Can Help Authors Increase SalesBookBub
There’s a wide array of tactics you can use to amplify a book's exposure & reach more readers. Check out these 119 book marketing ideas for inspiration! See the full post here: http://insights.bookbub.com/book-marketing-ideas
Smashwords Survey Helps Authors Sell more eBooks (Smashwords tutorial series,...Smashwords, Inc.
Writers will learn how to make their books more appealing to readers in this comprehensive (and unconventional) tutorial presented by Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. Have you ever wondered if readers prefer longer or shorter books? How about pricing? Will you sell more books at a lower price or a higher price? Which price yields you the greatest overall earnings? Which price helps you grow your readership the fastest? How and why might your book sales fluctuate over time? Do books with shorter titles appeal more to readers than long titles? These and many other questions are answered in the annual Smashwords Survey. This video examines the results of the 2013 Smashwords Survey, first published in May 2013. Smashwords analyzed over $12 million in book sales covering over 120,000 books over an 11-month period, and then posed useful (and some not-so-useful) questions at the data, all with the goal of identifying tips and tricks that could help authors make their books more desirable to readers. Some of the results are insightful and other results were just plain silly. Enjoy! View the video of this presentation at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2rrl4NExo3Y
7 Core Elements to Building a Powerful and Engaged Audience for Your BookKimberley Grabas
A powerful marketing step is to build an engaged community of supporters for you and your work. Learn the 7 core elements to building a thriving and passionate audience for your book – plus tips to help you take action immediately.
How Publish in the New Millennium: Journals to Best Sellers
This PPT is from a workshop on demystifying the processes of getting published—from peer reviewed journals to blogs to books. Various ways to get started and what to avoid will be covered, with many examples and real-world practical tips and advice.
Learning Objectives
1. Attendees will learn about the best ways to approach submitting a manuscript for scientific publication in peer reviewed journals.
2. Attendees will learn about the mechanics of book contracting—how to submit an idea; what publishers are looking for; how to evaluate (and negotiate) a contract; royalties, advances and copyright; why to NEVER first submit a manuscript to a publisher; differences in publishers; when an author needs an agent (and when one does not), along with a myriad of additional considerations and advice.
3. Attendees will learn about eBooks, Print-On-Demand, Amazon’s CreateSpace and Kindle, and other non-traditional approaches to publishing.
4. Attendees will learn about marketing, media kits, Amazon’s Author Pages, book signings, library talks and other promotional aspects.
Self-publishing vs Traditional Publishing, and the Options in BetweenRicardo Fayet
If you've written a book and are unsure whether to self-publish it or seek a publisher, this presentation is for you! I go over the main benefits and drawbacks of self-publishing and traditional publishing. I also explain how to make the most of each route, and go over a few alternative and hybrid options.
Made by https://reedsy.com
BookFuel presentation at AuthorU conference: Finding your SuperfansBill Van Orsdel Jr.
How can an author find and market their books to their "Superfans". A quick marketing guide for authors with actions they can take to identify, connect with and recruit Superfans for their author brand.
How to Make a Book: The Pressbooks Guide to Self-PublishingHugh McGuire
How do you turn your manuscript into a real, published book?
This guide from Pressbooks.com, gives you a digestible overview of the process of getting your book into (online) bookstores, and into the hands of readers: writing, editing, producing your book and cover files for publication, how and where to sell your book, and some ideas on marketing.
We go over in detail how Pressbooks.com can help anyone easily make beautiful PDF "interior files" for print-on-demand, and ebook files for all the different ebook stores. All without having to know anything about book design or ebook development.
Visit Pressbooks.com for more information.
How ebooks Have Changed the Print Book Marketplace
Jonathan Nowell heads Nielsen Book. Their Bookscan service tracks sales of books and ebooks in the US, the UK, and other markets around the world.
In this presentation, Nowell will look back over a decade or more of Nielsen book sales data to tell us how the print world has changed. It is accepted fact now that ebooks work commercially for narrative books, but not so well for reference and illustrated books. What that means by category is the focus of Nowell's presentation. He will tell us both how the proportion of print and ebook sales break down in various categories, but also will show how the share of printed books has changed across categories as ebooks have taken hold in the marketplace. The data from Nowell will indicate to us what bookstores might look like in the future as the mainstay sales of bestselling authors move increasingly to digital.
The Difference Between Indie and Traditionally Published Authors by @ErocZ of...Eric Z
The Publishing world is changing, Independent authors OWN the genres Romance and Science Fiction, however the old guard argues that traditionally published authors enjoy more benefits. Let's take a look!
Como publicar os ebooks - um seminário sobre a publicação dos ebooks por Mark...Smashwords, Inc.
Aprender como publicar um ebook como um profissional.
Esta apresentação empacota quatro apresentações sobre a publicação dos ebooks em só uma. Aprender como autopublicar um ebook com orgulho, profissionalismo, e o sucesso.
Estas apresentações derivam dum série de seis seminários que foram apresentadas por Mark Coker na conferência de Autores do Noroeste do Pacífico de 2015 (PNWA no verão de 2015) em Seattle.
As quatro apresentações incluem:
1. Introdução à publicação dos ebooks
2. As melhores práticas da publicação (16 segredos para o sucesso)
3. Vender mais livros na loja Apple iBooks (como funciona o merchandising no iBooks)
4. Como atingir as listas de bestsellers com as pré-encomendas
A publicação dos ebooks é fácil. Atingindo os leitores é difícil. Esta apresentação ensinará os autores como atingir mais leitores.
My presentation and exercises on Leading Change for an Executive Education program. The presentation includes an exercise in which the participants work in groups on a live change project within their organization during a period of three months. Please let me know if you have any questions.
This is a collection of poetry. Many of the works have appeared in prior publications, but the copyright has reverted to the author. This is a copyrighted work.
This hands-on workshop explored the "whys" of visual literacy and offered participants an opportunity to tinker and play with everything from metaphorical icons to photos, gifs, and video.
***please note that videos in this slide deck are not enabled
Feel free to join the open G+ community here: https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/113762614515763343967
Global State of the Industry: A Review of the Top Tea Trends and Markets Arou...Euromonitor International
This morning, Euromonitor International’s Senior Beverages Analyst Howard Telford presented to World Tea Expo in Long Beach, California on a ‘Global State of the Industry: A Review of the Top Tea Trends and Markets Around the World’. The presentation focused on the largest and fastest growing tea markets on a global basis and offered insights into the top trends that are driving sales from Istanbul to Brazil using Euromonitor’s latest Passport beverages data. The presentation discussed the latest drivers for consumer demand across the globe and what it means for producers and distributors in the upcoming year.
Ebook Publishing Primer for Consultants (Bay Area Consultants Network January...Smashwords, Inc.
This presentation explains how consultants can leverage ebooks to grow their consulting businesses. Consultants will learn how to: Distribute and sell an ebook; package their expertise and knowledge into a scalable, sellable ebook product; leverage ebooks to attract consulting clients and drive scalable revenue; and learn best practices of the most commercially successful ebook authors. Presented by Mark Coker of Smashwords at the January 27 2012 meeting of the Bay Area Consultants Network in San Rafael, CA.
BEA 2015 Demystifying Subject Codes and KeywordsBowker
This was originally presented at BEA 2015. This presentation covers tips for generating keywords and for using them throughout your book metadata, things to consider when creating your internal subject schema, and overviews of several industry schemes.
As a member of the first-ever US publishing mission to Cuba, I had the opportunity to attend at speak at the Havana Book Fair. I talked about what the digital transformation has looked like in the U.S. and what that has meant for our industry. Particularly relevant for the Cuban industry right now are what I called the 5 major outcomes of ebooks.
Publish to profits: Supercharge your business with a bookJacqui Pretty
Writing a book is often marketed as the holy grail in business - the one thing that will solve all your business problems and create the success you crave. Unfortunately, it isn't as simple as that. You need to write the right book, publish it in the right way, and then leverage it to grow your business. This presentation shows you how.
Encore Webinar: Steal from the Best: Subject Line Secrets from the Top 3,000 ...Return Path
According to stats compiled by Impact Branding & Design, 33% of email recipients open their email based on the subject line alone. View the presentation to learn how to unlock the secrets from the Top 3,000 retailers.
Crafting marketing plans based on a few simple frameworks.
Examples and student feedback on outreach pitches.
Week 2 assignment: Writing a marketing plan
This workshop takes an unbiased and unvarnished look at a modern writer’s publishing options, from “Big 5” traditional publishers to small presses to self publishing (with or without the support of service companies) to “hybrid” and other emerging models. Taught by a publishing professional who appreciates both sides of the fence, this class gets past the hype and examines pros and cons of each choice, realistic costs and income potential, as well as scams and pitfalls to avoid. Most importantly, it helps writers seeking publication understand their own goals, strengths, and how to make a decision that's best for them.
Learn how to quickly and easily skyrocket your book onto the Amazon bestseller lists for maximum exposure! Uncover the real secrets to getting people to review your book, and why reviews can make or break your book before you even get started!
And much, much more is in the description of that success blueprint!
How to become a successful authorpreneur with AI and entrepreneurshipKinga Jentetics
Writers can leverage new technologies and knowledge to become more successful authorpreneurs with their much smarter publishing process. In this presentation there are some tips and tricks what you can improve in your publishing process with the help of AI.
An unbiased view of traditional publishing, self publishing, and emerging hybrid publishing options for fiction and nonfiction writers. Presented at BARN (Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network), June 17, 2017
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2015 Smashwords Survey - How to Sell More Ebooks
1. Annual Smashwords Survey 2015
MONEY MONEY MONEY:
Facts & Figures for Financial Payoff
Slideshare Edition December 2015
Originally presented in Dallas
May 13, 2015
Mark Coker
Founder, Smashwords
2. Introduction to
Smashwords Survey 2015
For each of the last four years, Smashwords released the
annual Smashwords Survey at the RT Booklovers convention.
This survey is based on over $25 million of actual verified
retail ebook sales data aggregated across the Smashwords
Distribution network, and covers a 12 month time period
between April 2014 and March 2015.
This is the Slideshare edition of the data presented May 13,
2015 in Dallas.
This Slideshare edition, uploaded December 3, 2015, adds
minor supplemental textual analysis and updates to capture
some of the information conveyed verbally during the live
presentation. To maintain historical integrity, this includes all
the original data as it was presented May 15.
An appendix of indie author resources is added at the end
3. Welcome
• What you’ll learn
• Today we debut the annual Smashwords
Survey results
• New metrics to enable more informed writing,
publishing and promotion.
• Who this presentation is for
• All authors, publishers and book marketers
• No technical experience required!
5. The Smashwords Backstory
• It was a fortuitous accident
• My background is tech marketing, and
founder of a couple Internet startups (UC
Berkeley Haas business school)
• About 12 years ago, along with my wife I co-
wrote Boob Tube, a novel about daytime soap
operas (my wife is a former reporter for Soap
Opera Weekly Magazine).
Repped by top NY lit agency
• Book rejected by all NY publishers (twice)
• Previous soap opera-themed novels had performed
poorly, so pubs were reluctant to take a chance
6. My Epiphany
• Publishers unable, unwilling and
disinterested to take a risk on every
author
• Publishers…
• Judge books based on perceived commercial merit
• Guess what readers want to buy
• Throw spaghetti against the wall
7. The Three Essential Legs of the
Professional Publishing Stool
- 1 -
Printing
Press
- 3 -
Retail
Distribution
- 2 -
Best practices
knowledge
8. My solution: I founded
Smashwords to help all writers
• Launched 2008
• FREE eBook Publishing Platform
Free ebook printing press (creation,
publication)
Free best practices knowledge - to help
writers publish like professionals
Distribution to major ebook retailers and
libraries
9. How Smashwords Works
1. UPLOAD
• Upload a Microsoft Word file, formatted to
our Smashwords Style Guide
• Ready for immediate sale online
1. DISTRIBUTE
• Distribution to major retailers
1. GET PAID
• Author receives 85% of net (60% list at
major retailers, up to 80% list at
Smashwords Store)
10. Smashwords Distribution Network
Upload once, reach multiple outlets
* Limited distribution to AMAZON, see http://smashwords.com/distribution for instructions
13. Welcome to the Fourth Annual
Smashwords Survey
2015!
An RT Booklovers Exclusive
MONEY MONEY MONEY
14. Last year’s study has been
viewed over 45,000 times
• Access the prior study at Slideshare
http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/2014-
smashwords-survey-how-to-sell-more-ebooks
17. ? ? ?
We asked questions of the data
We looked at 12 months of sales data (April
2014 – March 2015) for over 250,000 titles,
aggregated across the Smashwords
distribution network, representing over $25
million in global retail sales
Some findings are useful, some not. Some
of the data provides hints to the most
19. The Power
Curve and
Best Practices
The Power Curve describes a common phenomena where most sales of any
product are concentrated among a small subset of bestsellers (the left side of the
curve on the next page). For each incremental increase in sales rank, you can get
a significant increase in sales. Your opportunity is to leverage multiple best
practices for multiple small incremental advantages that can shift you to the left
of the power curve. This Survey seeks to identify some of these best practices.
20. The Power Curve – Sales at Each
Sales Rank
Best practices yield incremental
advantage in sales rank, exponential
advantage in sales
Sales rank
Sales
22. What’s a Best Practice?
• A best practice is anything that makes your book more
accessible, discoverable, desirable and enjoyable to readers.
A best practice acts as a viral catalyst to drive word of
mouth.
• Read the free Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success to
learn how viral catalysts spur word-of-mouth
25. Data can inform but it can also
muddle
• Averages are only averages
• Big variances in a small sample can skew
results
• Median = midpoint of numbers in a
range when arranged from lowest to
highest. Often a more “typical” result.
• Your book is unique. Data alone
cannot fully explain what separates
bestsellers from poor sellers
• Your results may vary from the norm
26. The Sales Rank Power Curve (a
few massive bestsellers can
skew data)
30. Smashwords Catalog is Fiction-
Heavy
• 89% of sales are fiction
• Romance (incl YA romance) is
~50% of sales (45% excluding)
• Erotica is 11% of sales
• Non-fiction ~11% of sales
31. Fiction Dominates
Top Fiction Categories
1. Romance
2. Erotica
3. Young adult or
teen
4. Fantasy
5. Mystery &
detective
6. Gay & lesbian
fiction
7. Science fiction
8. Historical
9. Thriller &
suspense
10. Adventure
11. Horror
12. Literary
32. Top Non-Fiction Categories
1. Biography
2. Health, wellbeing, &
medicine
3. Business & Economics
4. Self-improvement
5. Religion and Spirituality
6. Relationships and Family
7. Sports & outdoor
recreation
8. Education and Study
Guides
9. New Age
10. Computers and Internet
11. Cooking, Food, Wine,
Spirits
12. Entertainment
13. History
14. Home and Garden
15. Sex and Relationships
37. Romance Dominates across
Smashwords network
• Romance accounts for
• 70% of top 10 bestsellers
• 87% of top 100 (up from 70% 2014)
• Smartest authors in the business
• Most organized
• Most professional
• Most sophisticated
• Most experimental
41. Bestselling Authors More Likely
to Have a Website
The bottom axis here and in other slides often groups authors or books into sales rank bands,
such as the top 1000 highest earning authors you see above.
45. Book description word counts,
top 1,000 bestsellers
Is the word count of your book’s description a factor in sales? Probably not,
though it’s interesting that our top 50 bestsellers had shorter word counts.
46. Book description word counts,
top 10,000 bestsellers
From a high level, no visible correlation.
47. Do Shorter book titles sell better?
(top 1,000 bestsellers)
Indicates a slight advantage to having a shorter title. Makes sense. A shorter title requires less cognitive effort
to read and process.
48. Do shorter book titles sell better?
(top 10,000 bestsellers)
Indicates shorter titles may be a contributing factor. But bottom line, choose a
title that works for your unique book. Don’t shorten your title based on this
data alone.
49. Do Prices Changes Impact Sales?
Here, we’re wondering if frequent price changes (which may be a proxy for more active or more frequent proactive
promotions) are a factor in sales. This data sample looking at our top 1,000 bestsellers is inconclusive
50. Do Prices Changes Impact Sales?
But looking at a broader data set, we do see some correlation. However, correlation does not mean causation. My guess is
that for many better-selling authors, price changes are often part of special proactive promotions or ad buys.
54. FREE
• FREE moves ebooks
• 41X more downloads on average compared to
priced titles (last 12 months)
• Was 39X in 2014 Smashwords Survey, but 100+ in years
past
• Data surprised me. I expected the impact of free to
decline, consistent with prior surveys. Instead, we
found that despite widespread adoption of free, it’s still
an incredibly powerful sales driver (at least at iBooks).
• Powerful platform builder
• Powerful sales catalyst for series or deep backlists
55. Which Price Points Get the Most
Downloads
Compared to prior SW Surveys, data is
remarkably consistent with prior surveys
60. Traditionally Published
Ebook Authors are
Disadvantaged
When we consider both the unit sales advantage and earnings
advantage of lower prices, we understand why indie ebook authors
have such a strong competitive advantage over traditionally
published ebook authors. At $3.99, indies earn about the same as
they would earn at $9.99+ prices, yet get 3-4 times the readership
which means they have platform-building incentive to price lower
yet still earn more or the same. Combine this with the fact that
indies earn royalties of 60-80% list on ebook sales while
traditionally published authors earn only 12-17% list and you
understand the economic and fan-building advantage of indie
ebook authorship.
Traditionally published ebook authors are suffering from high
prices and low royalties. As reading transitions to digital, the pull
of indie authorship will increase.
63. Analysis: Do longer books
sell better?
In prior Smashwords Surveys, we found strong evidence that longer books
sell better than shorter books.
In the 2015 Survey, we found the same thing, but this year there are some
important caveats to consider. Unlike prior years, during the survey period
which spanned April 2014-March 2015, we observed a dramatic increase in
the number of multi-author box sets. Many of these box sets were often
500,000 to one million words, yet the books were promotionally priced. I
expect this skewed the data in multiple directions.
For example, we can expect that a popular box set would skew the
earnings per word downward, while skewing the unit sales upwards. But
not all box sets are popular, and many box sets are only made available for
limited periods of time which means their impact could be underestimated
in the data. So it’s safe to assume box sets muddied the data.
Following the release of this data, Smashwords announced enhanced
categorization options for box sets, giving authors the ability to tag box
sets as box sets. In next year’s 2016 Survey, this will allow us to get a
better handle on some of the unique characteristics of box sets and pricing,
while also allowing us to exclude some box set data from the main data
set.
73. Smashwords Launched Preorder
Distribution July 2013
Ebook Preorder distribution to iBooks,
Barnes & Noble and Kobo
We promised a sales advantage
NEW: Google “How to Reach Readers with Ebook
Preorders” for a primer on preorder strategy
74. Fun Facts: Preorders
7 of top 10 bestsellers born as preorders (6 of 7 preorders
were romance)
Only 9.8% of books published during period were born as
preorders (HUGE implications here)
December 2015 update: We did an update on the 12 month data through
October 2015 and found the number has increased to 13% of titles born as
a preorder. Still a minority, but still accounting for majority of bestsellers
On average, preorder books earned authors 10.6X what non-
preorder books earned (median earnings for preorder 3.5X
non-preorder books). See next page for important
supplemental caveats.
Of top 200 bestsellers, 67% (134) were born as preorders
Of top 200 preorders, 82% supplied by romance authors
75. As you see on the preceding slide, for our survey period we found that a very small
minority of titles accounted for a great majority of our bestsellers. We also found that
ebooks born as preorders earned over 10X more than books simply uploaded the day
of release. Looking at the median, which is less likely to be skewed by a few large
bestsellers, we found books born as preorders earned 3.5 times more.
Although I can say without equivocation that books born as preorders sell more than
books uploaded the day of release, I believe the numbers above OVERSTATE the
impact. Here’s why:
1. Bestselling authors typically implement a broader range of best practices, among
which are preorder releases and free series starters and other practices
recommended in my free ebook, The Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success. We
especially see these factors with Romance authors, who are typically early adopters
and pioneers of new best practices.
2. Bestselling authors are more likely to receive special merchandising support by
Smashwords and Smashwords retailers.
3. Although all Smashwords authors received regular invites and encouragement to
utilize our preorder feature since 2013, our bestsellers received additional invites.
4. Throughout the Survey period, I personally managed an invitation-only beta test for
our new Assetless Preorder feature, which allowed longer preorder runways and more
merchandising support. Our bestsellers were most likely to receive these invitations.
This feature is now open to all authors. Yet still, prior bestsellers (which are typically
more progressive on the best practices front) are the primary users.
Do eBooks Born as Preorders
Really Sell 3-10 Times More?
79. Smashwords Series Manager Tool
Gives New Insight about Series
Performance
Launched September, 2013
Enhanced discovery at retailers gives
Smashwords authors advantage
Nearly 15,000 series at Smashwords
We can now track series performance!
81. Do series writers gain an
advantage writing more than one
series?
The highest earning series authors are more likely to
write more than one series. Not a surprise.
82. Series with Free Series Starters
Earn More
If you write series and haven’t tried a perma-free series
starter, you’re probably missing out on a lot of sales and
readers.
85. Summary
• Data-driven publishing decisions are
irrelevant without a great book
• Numbers provide hints at opportunities to
engage with more readers
• Dangerous to make decisions on a single metric
alone
• Your book is immortal
• Experiment and iterate until you get viral catalysts
just right. Then iterate some more.
• Read the Secrets to Ebook Publishing
Success for other viral catalysts
86. Free Ebook Publishing Resources
• NEW! Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success
(best practices of successful authors)
• Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to
market any book at no cost)
• Smashwords Style Guide (how to format and
87. Thank you for your time!
Connect:
Twitter: @markcoker
Facebook: facebook.com/markcoker
Web: www.smashwords.com
Blog: blog.smashwords.com (offers
free email subscription option)
HuffPo: huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker
89. Don’t Keep Knowledge a Secret!
For the last eight years I’ve shared the best practices knowledge
that helps writers publish with greater pride, professionalism and
success. I learn from our authors – I learn from you – and I share
it for everyone’s benefit. The secrets I teach are universal. The
knowledge – like Smashwords - is free and available to everyone.
One need not publish with Smashwords to benefit from this
information. I share this information because I believe a rising
tide lifts all boats. I want to help writers everywhere achieve
their dreams because dreams are important, and books are
important! Help your fellow writers learn to think and act like
professional publishers.
As you peruse my free resources, please do your fellow writers a
favor and share what you learn. Blog it, Facebook it, Tweet it and
share hyperlinks to it across social media.
90. Learn to Publish Like a Pro with
These FREE Best Practice Guides
• Secrets to Ebook Publishing Success (best practices of
successful authors)
• Smashwords Book Marketing Guide (how to market any
book at no cost)
• Smashwords Style Guide (how to format and publish an
ebook)
91. How to Publish Ebooks
• Earlier this year, I presented a four-module ebook publishing course
at the Pacific Northwest Writers Conference.
• View all the slides at http://bitly.com/howtopublishebooks or
http://blog.smashwords.com/2015/06/how-to-reach-more-readers-with-
ebook.html
• Modules include: 1. Introduction to Ebook Publishing. 2. Ebook
Publishing Best Practices. 3. Ebook Preorder Strategies. 4. iBooks
Merchandising Secrets.
92. Checklist for Publishing and
Distributing with Smashwords
1. Sign up for a free account at www.smashwords.com
The confirmation email will walk you through the next steps
2. Prepare your manuscript and cover image. The
Smashwords Style Guide will teach you how to
professionally format your book -
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/52
3. If you want to hire a low-cost expert to format your
book or design your cover, check out Mark’s List at
http://smashwords.com/list
4. Upload your manuscript and cover to Smashwords for
distribution to major retailers.
5. Bonus points: Read the Smashwords FAQ to learn how
to get the most out of the Smashwords platform -
https://www.smashwords.com/about/supportfaq
93. Smashwords YouTube Tutorials
• View nearly 10 hours of Smashwords video workshops at
http://youtube.com/user/Smashwords
• Smashwords video series:
• #1: Introduction to ebook publishing - https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=khM4czIJUVM
• #2: Ebook publishing best practices: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=Jnd7jYcjqm8
• #3: 2013 Smashwords Survey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=2rrl4NExo3Y
• #4: 10 Trends Driving the Future of Authorship:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbT7r-DUa6M
• #5: How to reach readers at iBooks, the #2 global ebook seller:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKwwcL_FS_c
• #6: How to add navigation to Smashwords ebooks:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpB9hmlgeU4
• Check back for new videos in the future!
94. What does it mean to be an “indie
author”?
• Indie means self-published
• You are your own publisher
• Indie authorship is a worldwide cultural movement
• In April, 2014, I published the Indie Author Manifesto at
http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/04/indie-author-
manifesto.html which is my attempt to describe and
distill the ethos behind the indie author movement.
• The manifesto explores the mindset, attitudes and aspirations of
indie authors
• Contrary to some reactions, the manifesto is not “Anti-publisher”
• Instead, it provides a roadmap by which indie authors and
publishers can work toward mutually aligned interests
• Infographic on next slide…
95. The Indie Author Manifesto
• Read the story behind the manifesto (and download a high-res
poster) at http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/04/indie-author-
manifesto.html or Google “indie author manifesto”
96. 10 Reasons Indie Ebook Authors
will Capture 50% of the Ebook
Market by 2020
• In March 2014, I predicted indie ebook authors would capture
50% of the US ebook market by 2020
• Some have said my forecast is too conservative (they’re probably right)
• Read the post at http://blog.smashwords.com/2014/03/sizing-self-publishing-
market-10.html or Google “ebook market by 2020”
• Includes a downloadable spreadsheet so you can create and publish your
own forecast
97. View other Smashwords
Presentations on Slideshare
• View more Smashwords presentations on Slideshare at
http://slideshare.net/presentations/smashwords
• Here are some notable presentations
• How to Publish Ebooks (a collection a four-module training course mentioned on prior
slide): http://blog.smashwords.com/2015/07/how-to-publish-ebooks-ebook-
publishing.html
• Ebook Publishing in the Classroom (Includes a primer of ebook self-publishing and
also best practices): http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/ebook-publishing-in-the-
classroom
• How public libraries can launch community publishing initiatives:
http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/how-libraries-can-launch-community-
publishing-initiatives-with-selfpublished-ebooks-33409020
• 2014 Smashwords Survey - http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/2014-smashwords-
survey-how-to-sell-more-ebooks?
• 2013 Smashwords Survey - http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/new-smashwords-
survey-helps-authors-sell-more-ebooks
• 2012 Smashwords Survey - http://www.slideshare.net/Smashwords/how-data-driven-
decisionhow-datadriven-decisions-might-help-authors-reach-more-readers
98. Connect with Mark Coker
Twitter: @markcoker
Blog: blog.smashwords.com (subscribe via email
and never miss another post)
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcoker
Facebook: facebook.com/markcoker
Web: www.smashwords.com
HuffPost: huffingtonpost.com/mark-coker