Author Topic: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords  (Read 5249 times)

LilyBLily

Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« on: February 09, 2022, 01:50:18 AM »
PW just announced it. (May be more of story behind paywall.)

Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
By Jim Milliot
Feb 08, 2022
In a deal that unites two of the largest independent distributors of self-published books, Draft2Digital has agreed to acquire Smashwords for an undisclosed price. The purchase is expected to be complete by March 1, at which time the combined company will operate under the Draft2Digital name.

Also here:
https://newsdirect.com/news/draft2digital-to-acquire-smashwords-creating-self-publishing-juggernaut-580672947
 

cecilia_writer

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #1 on: February 09, 2022, 02:13:23 AM »
I had a slight panic attack when I read the email just now  but I'm hoping it's just my natural fear of change!
Cecilia Peartree - Woman of Mystery
 

cecilia_writer

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #2 on: February 09, 2022, 02:17:03 AM »
Have found this blog post by Mark Coker: https://blog.smashwords.com/2022/02/united.html
Cecilia Peartree - Woman of Mystery
 

Marti Talbott

D2D is buying Smashwords
« Reply #3 on: February 09, 2022, 02:47:19 AM »
Read all about it here.
https://www.draft2digital.com/blog/draft2digital-has-acquired-smashwords/

I first published with Smashwords, and at the time they were paying quarterly. One quarter, I didn't get paid but a small amount, and the very next day, $1,000.00 showed up - to be paid at the end of the next quarter. I complained but Smashwords didn't correct the problem, so I pulled all my books.

New management is good news and opens a door to more sales, hopefully for me.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
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https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

Pemry Janes

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #4 on: February 09, 2022, 02:48:34 AM »
Just saw this, but I can't find any mention in the FAQ's about how they're going to handle authors who are already using both platforms.

I'm not sure about this as I prefer multiple companies vying for business instead of only one or two big players.
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Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #5 on: February 09, 2022, 02:51:54 AM »
Merged 2 threads, and moved it to a more public space.
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KinkyCat

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #6 on: February 09, 2022, 02:57:02 AM »
Just saw this, but I can't find any mention in the FAQ's about how they're going to handle authors who are already using both platforms.

I'm not sure about this as I prefer multiple companies vying for business instead of only one or two big players.

I have to agree with this take.
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #7 on: February 09, 2022, 03:01:18 AM »
Just saw this, but I can't find any mention in the FAQ's about how they're going to handle authors who are already using both platforms.

I'm not sure about this as I prefer multiple companies vying for business instead of only one or two big players.

I think Smashwords is the only "big" Indie publisher that allows erotica, so I suspect their readership is mostly those interested in that genre. I could be wrong. Should be interesting to see what changes occur.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
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Maggie Ann

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #8 on: February 09, 2022, 03:10:37 AM »
I will always be grateful to Mark Coker for giving indies a means to publish on venues other than Zon. I didn't even mind the Meatgrinder. What I did mind was their lack of customer service.

I took a few months before I decided to go with D2D when they first started instead of SW, but I've never regretted it.

I do wonder if D2D will pick up SW's coupon sales or percentage off sales. Don't even know if they do that anymore. Guess I'll read the blog post.

ETA: Yes, they will. Don't know when but we will also have access to the SW store.
« Last Edit: February 09, 2022, 03:14:59 AM by Maggie Ann »
           
 

littleauthor

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #9 on: February 09, 2022, 03:33:57 AM »
As usual I had the opposite experience. I liked SW's customer service a lot. D2D is really good too but I made no sales there. To be fair to D2D, I published a different genre and different pen names with them so that's likely the issue. But SW has been outselling Amazon for me for 2 years in a row with exactly the same catalogue. I have no idea why. Their in house promotions worked well for me and I can't even remember the Meatgrinder. I know I went through it but it's like childbirth--can't remember the labour pain.

Funnily enough, I was planning to publish two books on D2D instead of Smash just shake things up a bit but I was sorry to miss out on Smash's store. Mixed feelings about this. There's a livestream tomorrow at noon central that I'll catch. I'm nervous because Smash has been so dependable for me for a few years now.
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cecilia_writer

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #10 on: February 09, 2022, 04:09:13 AM »
I've had  good experiences with Smashwords too - I've taken part in quite a few of their in-house promotions and the meatgrinder (now I'm used to it) has been useful in identifying actual errors in formatting, mostly in the TOC, before I upload to Amazon.
I like being paid via Paypal and having a separate little stash there for some of my online shopping and gifts to charity.
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Lynn

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #11 on: February 09, 2022, 04:29:40 AM »
Honestly, I'll be glad not to be paid through Paypal for a change.

However, I do like the Smashwords store and the coupons so we'll see how that works out.

I have a few books on D2D but never got around to putting them all there, because I use Smashwords for Apple and never wanted to switch. I guess I'll see how that goes too.

The most interesting part in my opinion?

Quote
No, this acquisition doesn’t mean I’m running off to buy an island in the Caribbean. This will be an all-stock combination, meaning no money is changing hands. I’m investing our entire company into the new Draft2Digital, and together we’ll lead the next chapter of the indie publishing revolution.

I'm still trying to decide exactly what this means about both companies. I feel like there's a financial story there.
Don't rush me.
 

Randall

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Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #12 on: February 09, 2022, 04:42:24 AM »
Since we already report from both D2D and Smashwords we don't foresee any reporting issues for us at ScribeCount.

That said, I'm sure there will be some hiccups when they start the merging process, but we have a friendly relationship with D2D so hopefully we'll get them solved quickly.

I'll update here accordingly. 

 :cheers
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #13 on: February 09, 2022, 04:49:47 AM »
Honestly, I'll be glad not to be paid through Paypal for a change.

However, I do like the Smashwords store and the coupons so we'll see how that works out.

I have a few books on D2D but never got around to putting them all there, because I use Smashwords for Apple and never wanted to switch. I guess I'll see how that goes too.

The most interesting part in my opinion?

Quote
No, this acquisition doesn’t mean I’m running off to buy an island in the Caribbean. This will be an all-stock combination, meaning no money is changing hands. I’m investing our entire company into the new Draft2Digital, and together we’ll lead the next chapter of the indie publishing revolution.

I'm still trying to decide exactly what this means about both companies. I feel like there's a financial story there.
Who is the quote from? Is it a sale or a merger. I'm confused too.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
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Lynn

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #14 on: February 09, 2022, 05:19:39 AM »
It was a quote from the blog post at Smashwords.
Don't rush me.
 
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Lorri Moulton

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #15 on: February 09, 2022, 06:49:44 AM »
It's a pinned post in the Wide for the Win Facebook group. Lots of discussion about it.

Author of Romance, Fantasy, Fairytales, Mystery & Suspense, and Historical Non-Fiction @ Lavender Cottage Books
 

Lynn

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #16 on: February 09, 2022, 07:23:58 AM »
I read through the comments on Draft2Digital and seems like the biggest concern for most Smashwords users who are posting there is how the erotica stuff will be treated. It's a valid concern. I've heard from some in the past that things that would go through without any issues at Smashwords wouldn't go through D2D (although I'm not sure why that would be, since they both say it's the retailer that decides what goes through, not D2D). Maybe Smashwords gets a pass D2D doesn't?

Anyway, I'm keeping an eye on it, mainly because I've been pretty happy with Smashwords and haven't added much to D2D yet (and now I won't have to keep that up, so procrastination saved me some effort there :D).

Also, some people have brought up the quarterly payment thing but that hasn't been true in years.

I don't think general comments on the D2D site are representative of the feelings of the Smashwords users as a whole. Many of them are very out of date with their Smashwords comments. :D
Don't rush me.
 

Jeff Tanyard

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #17 on: February 09, 2022, 07:31:41 AM »
I will always be grateful to Mark Coker for giving indies a means to publish on venues other than Zon.


This.

I've never used Smashwords.  I was always hesitant due to the Meatgrinder, the PayPal payments, and the hit-and-miss customer service stories I'd read about from other authors.  I'm a big fan of D2D, and I've considered them the gold standard of distributors for many years now.  I wanted only the best for Smashwords, so it was always my hope that they would learn some lessons from D2D.  Now my hope might be realized, though not in the way I expected.

I'm tentatively optimistic.  As long as D2D doesn't adopt any bad ideas from Smashwords, this acquisition should only be a net positive for me.

So how will it benefit me?  Here's what Coker says:

Quote
Draft2Digital authors will gain access to the Smashwords Store and its myriad exclusive book marketing tools, including Smashwords Coupons, self-serve merchandising, Author Interviews, and the patent pending Smashwords Presales tool for book launches. Sales at the Smashwords Store have grown consecutively each of the last five years, with December 2021 sales up 20% over December 2020. Draft2Digital’s erotica authors can look forward to expanded distribution enabled by Smashwords’ proprietary erotica certification system, which allows retailers to carry erotic romance and mainstream erotica with greater confidence.

Access to the Smashwords store sounds great.  Looking forward to it.

Smashwords Coupons?  What are they, and how do they work?  (Explain it to me, please, y'all.)

What is self-serve merchandise?

What are Author Interviews?  Is this similar to what Goodreads does (post answers to questions on the author's page)?

I'm guessing Smashwords Presales is basically the same as Amazon's pre-orders system, right?
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Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #18 on: February 09, 2022, 07:38:43 AM »
I thought D2D dropped Hoopla for non payment. I think I remember opting out. I've been reassured that payments will not be quarterly. The more I read, the more it sounds like a merger instead of an acquisition. Waiting to see what happens.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

Maggie Ann

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #19 on: February 09, 2022, 08:02:43 AM »
I thought D2D dropped Hoopla for non payment. I think I remember opting out. I've been reassured that payments will not be quarterly. The more I read, the more it sounds like a merger instead of an acquisition. Waiting to see what happens.

Looks like my books are still on Hoopla through D2D
           
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #20 on: February 09, 2022, 08:06:28 AM »
I thought D2D dropped Hoopla for non payment. I think I remember opting out. I've been reassured that payments will not be quarterly. The more I read, the more it sounds like a merger instead of an acquisition. Waiting to see what happens.

Looks like my books are still on Hoopla through D2D

Oh boy, I gotta go get a real job.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

RPatton

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #21 on: February 09, 2022, 09:14:07 AM »
I read through the comments on Draft2Digital and seems like the biggest concern for most Smashwords users who are posting there is how the erotica stuff will be treated. It's a valid concern. I've heard from some in the past that things that would go through without any issues at Smashwords wouldn't go through D2D (although I'm not sure why that would be, since they both say it's the retailer that decides what goes through, not D2D). Maybe Smashwords gets a pass D2D doesn't?

Smashwords allows Ultra Smut. It can't be distributed to other storefronts, but it can be sold on Smashwords. US is the reason publishers lost their accounts with BN before it got purchased by the Waterstones group (when it was being shopped out to other stores). While US is definitely a niche within Erotica, not all Erotica is US and most erotica authors try to keep clear of US, sure it sells and sells well, but it can be turned cut off at any time and could also cause problems long after it's been published (BN's purge was almost worse than the KU purge since it closed accounts and didn't just block books). Erotica that isn't US has no problem getting picked up by most distributors on D2D as long as it's labeled as erotica.

For a while now, Smashwords and Lot's Cave have been the last bastions for US, so I can understand why the authors of US would be concerned. There's no way any of the other distributors would touch that content with a ten-foot pole. Not even a 12-foot pole. They're wondering how the merger will treat US and whether it will still be sold at Smashwords.
 

cecilia_writer

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #22 on: February 09, 2022, 01:34:09 PM »
Coupons are a way of giving readers a reduced rate or freebie using a limited time code for specific books in the Smashwords store only - they don't apply to the other retailers and in my experience they don't cause Amazon to price-match. You can generate them whenever you like via the author dashboard. I haven't used them for a while but occasionally I've set one or more up as part of one of their general campaigns or to give a freebie to a reader or group of readers.
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Arooooo

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #23 on: February 09, 2022, 05:20:56 PM »
I'm calling it now, Mark Coker has found religion.

Quote
It would be just as inappropriate to conclude all Christians view erotica as sinful as it would to be for an erotica-hater to think that all erotica authors are pedophiles. Both are clearly unfair and wildly inappropriate assumptions.

That was his reaction when someone on reddit cited Kris Austin's publicly available statements of how his "Christian Values" influenced D2D policy decisions in regards to erotica and romance.
 

PJ Post

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #24 on: February 09, 2022, 11:02:23 PM »
This could be the beginning of something big for D2D. They already have a lot of marketing and author tools in place, as well as a ton of happy clients, now SW gives them a storefront. They may be planning to challenge Amazon, or otherwise shake up the e-book world. I wouldn't be surprised to see an IPO in their future.
 
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RPatton

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #25 on: February 10, 2022, 01:27:40 AM »
I'm calling it now, Mark Coker has found religion.

Quote
It would be just as inappropriate to conclude all Christians view erotica as sinful as it would to be for an erotica-hater to think that all erotica authors are pedophiles. Both are clearly unfair and wildly inappropriate assumptions.

That was his reaction when someone on reddit cited Kris Austin's publicly available statements of how his "Christian Values" influenced D2D policy decisions in regards to erotica and romance.

D2D does not have a problem with erotica. I have several erotica books up on D2D and the distributors who are okay with it, sell the books.

D2D does not allow for ultra smut, not because D2D doesn't allow it, but because no distributor will touch it.

While all ultra smut can be qualified as erotica (loosely), not all erotica is ultra smut. Ultra smut is pretty much everything that Amazon and BN slammed back on and both Kobo and Apple never allowed. Smashwords allowed for ultra smut, but it never distributed those books to any other sellers. It was/is only available directly through Smashwords.

Don't conflate erotica with ultra smut. Ultra smut can definitely be a money maker, so of course the authors who write it want to keep that money coming in, but to think that there would never be issues (payment processors make it near impossible to sell directly and I know Smashwords has had issues with it in the past) is just plain stupid. Calling anyone not willing to sell ultra smut as anti-erotica is disingenuous.
 

TimothyEllis

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Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #26 on: February 10, 2022, 01:38:12 AM »
What exactly is Ultra Smut?

Where is the line?

Just curious.
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RPatton

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #27 on: February 10, 2022, 01:52:39 AM »
What exactly is Ultra Smut?

Where is the line?

Just curious.

Ultra Smut will get blocked on Amazon or your account closed on BN. So, Incest, Hard Non-con, bestiality (oddly enough, I believe mythological creatures don't fall under bestiality, so big foot is fine, a mountain gorilla is not), anything underage, mind control - basically the really extreme kinks. If you think it might get blocked on Amazon or that Applie would say no, then it's probably US. BN takes no prisoners and will close accounts with one story published, no questions asked and as of late no appeals.

However, a quick look at erotica on Amazon, Apple, and BN show that they have no problem with erotica. None at all. They have no issues selling it. A lot of the publishers on Apple are through D2D and like I said in an earlier post, D2D has no problem with erotica as long as it is not ultra smut. Can't say I blame them considering it just fills up the database with books that no store would ever sell. And again, the only reason why Smashwords allowed US was because they sold it directly and didn't distribute it to other stores.
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #28 on: February 10, 2022, 02:02:31 AM »
I guess I'll watch the D2D seminar at noon today my time to see if I can understand what they're talking about. Questions:

1. is it a merger or an acquisition? If it's a merger with no absolute control on either side, I  expect problems.
2. will D2D still take a cut of books published through smashwords?
3. at what point will (my) new books be added to the SW store?
4. if it's going to take six months to resolve upload problems, etc., why make the announcement this early?
5. how big is SW readership on books that are not erotica?
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Arooooo

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #29 on: February 10, 2022, 04:03:45 AM »
I'm calling it now, Mark Coker has found religion.

Quote
It would be just as inappropriate to conclude all Christians view erotica as sinful as it would to be for an erotica-hater to think that all erotica authors are pedophiles. Both are clearly unfair and wildly inappropriate assumptions.

That was his reaction when someone on reddit cited Kris Austin's publicly available statements of how his "Christian Values" influenced D2D policy decisions in regards to erotica and romance.

D2D does not have a problem with erotica. I have several erotica books up on D2D and the distributors who are okay with it, sell the books.

D2D does not allow for ultra smut, not because D2D doesn't allow it, but because no distributor will touch it.

While all ultra smut can be qualified as erotica (loosely), not all erotica is ultra smut. Ultra smut is pretty much everything that Amazon and BN slammed back on and both Kobo and Apple never allowed. Smashwords allowed for ultra smut, but it never distributed those books to any other sellers. It was/is only available directly through Smashwords.

Don't conflate erotica with ultra smut. Ultra smut can definitely be a money maker, so of course the authors who write it want to keep that money coming in, but to think that there would never be issues (payment processors make it near impossible to sell directly and I know Smashwords has had issues with it in the past) is just plain stupid. Calling anyone not willing to sell ultra smut as anti-erotica is disingenuous.

Who's talking about Ultra Smut? https://sdgstrategy.com/2016/10/20/draft2digital/

Kris Austin referred to Romance Novels as "erotica" and "dangerous content".

Quote
The next challenge was with erotica.  Kris quickly learned that more than half of the revenues in the publishing industry come from “romance” novels and other forms of erotica.  The company had to develop a system to automatically detect and categorize different genres of content to be able to appropriate handle each kind.  Software freed them from having to read this and other dangerous content themselves.

If you think the average romance novel is ultra smut, then okay. Calling people "disingenious" because they have the audacity to read and quote things Kris Austin said is pretty hilarious.
« Last Edit: February 10, 2022, 04:07:22 AM by Arooooo »
 

j tanner

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #30 on: February 10, 2022, 05:39:37 AM »
Kris Austin referred to Romance Novels as "erotica" and "dangerous content".

Quote
The next challenge was with erotica.  Kris quickly learned that more than half of the revenues in the publishing industry come from “romance” novels and other forms of erotica.  The company had to develop a system to automatically detect and categorize different genres of content to be able to appropriate handle each kind.  Software freed them from having to read this and other dangerous content themselves.

That's not a quote from Kris Austin. That's a quote of the article writer who has a clear agenda. I wouldn't be so quick to assume Kris Austin is precisely aligned with this view.
 
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Arooooo

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #31 on: February 10, 2022, 06:24:39 AM »
Kris Austin referred to Romance Novels as "erotica" and "dangerous content".

Quote
The next challenge was with erotica.  Kris quickly learned that more than half of the revenues in the publishing industry come from “romance” novels and other forms of erotica.  The company had to develop a system to automatically detect and categorize different genres of content to be able to appropriate handle each kind.  Software freed them from having to read this and other dangerous content themselves.

That's not a quote from Kris Austin. That's a quote of the article writer who has a clear agenda. I wouldn't be so quick to assume Kris Austin is precisely aligned with this view.

If he wasn't aligned with that view, he would have refuted the article by now. He's had six years to do it. He hasn't. Besides, anyone who isn't extremely weirdly christian wouldn't do an interview with someone who has "a clear agenda" like that.
 

Jeff Tanyard

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #32 on: February 10, 2022, 07:09:19 AM »
I wouldn't be surprised to see an IPO in their future.


Gosh, I hope not.   :icon_eek:
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PJ Post

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #33 on: February 10, 2022, 11:30:20 PM »
I wouldn't be surprised to see an IPO in their future.


Gosh, I hope not.   :icon_eek:

Why?
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #34 on: February 11, 2022, 02:09:29 AM »
For anyone who might not have heard, this is a link to the acquisition/merger more in detail. It's supposed to take place March 1, so this might get really interesting.
https://draft2digital.com/united/
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
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JRTomlin

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #35 on: February 11, 2022, 04:07:56 AM »
It is clearly a merger, so that answers that question anyway. I do have some concerns about this whole thing.
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #36 on: February 11, 2022, 04:11:21 AM »
It is clearly a merger, so that answers that question anyway. I do have some concerns about this whole thing.

Me too, but I'll let it ride until I see something I don't like. I used to make around $1k a quarter there. I still haven't heard what their readership amounts too and would especially like a breakout between erotica and non-erotica books. I think SW has attracted more of the former than the later, which wouldn't do well for my books.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

JRTomlin

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #37 on: February 11, 2022, 04:12:46 AM »
Kris Austin referred to Romance Novels as "erotica" and "dangerous content".

Quote
The next challenge was with erotica.  Kris quickly learned that more than half of the revenues in the publishing industry come from “romance” novels and other forms of erotica.  The company had to develop a system to automatically detect and categorize different genres of content to be able to appropriate handle each kind.  Software freed them from having to read this and other dangerous content themselves.

That's not a quote from Kris Austin. That's a quote of the article writer who has a clear agenda. I wouldn't be so quick to assume Kris Austin is precisely aligned with this view.

If he wasn't aligned with that view, he would have refuted the article by now. He's had six years to do it. He hasn't. Besides, anyone who isn't extremely weirdly christian wouldn't do an interview with someone who has "a clear agenda" like that.
Considering that Kris Austin's company distributes a huge amount of romance, I think we can safely dismiss your claim that he does not allow romance and views it as 'dangerous'. I suspect that he has better things to do than respond to every minor piece of misinformation on the internet.
 
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JRTomlin

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #38 on: February 11, 2022, 04:14:39 AM »
It is clearly a merger, so that answers that question anyway. I do have some concerns about this whole thing.

Me too, but I'll let it ride until I see something I don't like. I used to make around $1k a quarter there. I still haven't heard what their readership amounts too and would especially like a breakout between erotica and non-erotica books. I think SW has attracted more of the former than the later, which wouldn't do well for my books.
Pretty much this. With SW the only legitimate store that I know of that allows rape and bestiality (the last I heard), any association with it is questionable for my work.
 

Jeff Tanyard

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #39 on: February 11, 2022, 04:21:34 AM »
I wouldn't be surprised to see an IPO in their future.


Gosh, I hope not.   :icon_eek:

Why?


Because then they'll start chasing quarterly profits in order to please shareholders, and that--not to mention all the additional regulatory crap--would come at the expense of all the things we love about D2D. 
v  v  v  v  v    Short Stories    v  v  v  v  v    vv FREE! vv
     
Genres: Science Fiction, Fantasy (some day) | Author Website
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #40 on: February 11, 2022, 04:30:10 AM »
It is clearly a merger, so that answers that question anyway. I do have some concerns about this whole thing.

Me too, but I'll let it ride until I see something I don't like. I used to make around $1k a quarter there. I still haven't heard what their readership amounts too and would especially like a breakout between erotica and non-erotica books. I think SW has attracted more of the former than the later, which wouldn't do well for my books.
Pretty much this. With SW the only legitimate store that I know of that allows rape and bestiality (the last I heard), any association with it is questionable for my work.

Exactly. I'm not fond of the idea of "association" with subjects I am fervently against. That's one of the reasons I left to begin with. Back then, SW was fighting to keep their account with PayPal, who also opposed the subject matter. SW won that argument.

Hopefully, D2D will do a better job of making sure readers know what they're buying.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

littleauthor

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #41 on: February 11, 2022, 06:34:56 AM »
This might help:

9f.  Special guidelines for erotic literature:
Smashwords has always allowed a wide range of erotic literature and has been a strong industry advocate to protect the ability of authors and publishers to publish legal erotica, and for readers to enjoy it.  Like all publishers at Smashwords, erotic literature authors and publishers are held to all the requirements listed above and below in the Smashwords Terms of Service.  For the benefit of our erotica authors and publishers, we've created this special breakout section in the ToS to provide additional guidance unique to erotic literature.  We understand that there are many gray areas when it comes to erotic content, so any attempt to define black and white policy is fraught with risk that our policies might be unevenly or inconsistently applied.  In the spirit of providing the greatest possible transparency, we define what we can define.  These extra guidelines below are intended to help authors and publishers maximize the distribution of their erotic content; help avoid crossing lines that would be detrimental to their publishing and/or detrimental to their fellow community of professional erotic writers; and avoid publishing content that would be detrimental to their relationship with retailers, library partners and Smashwords.  These guidelines are subject to change. 

As you'll see below, a few taboo categories have been identified as allowed at this time but not encouraged.  These categories should be considered "under watch" and subject to additional review scrutiny or removal, and subject to future policy changes due to legal or business considerations, or subject to policy change if too many of the publishers in these discouraged categories push the limits of acceptability, or subject to individual title or publisher removal if an individual publisher publishes high volumes of this discouraged content or pushes other limits of acceptability.  If you believe your titles were removed in error, please contact the Smashwords Support team by clicking the "Support" link below and request a reevaluation.  These guidelines will be enforced at the sole discretion of Smashwords.  Thank you for your understanding as we work to preserve the greatest level of publishing freedom for our professional erotic writers and publishers.

• Neither the book cover nor the book interior of erotic content may contain graphic images of nudity (either photographic or illustrated) or persons involved in sex acts
• Erotica authors and publishers must categorize their books under fiction: erotica when uploading to Smashwords and must maintain these categories.  If an author or publisher miscategorizes erotic content under non-erotic categories, they risk either removal of the work or account termination, at the discretion of Smashwords.
• Authors who publish erotica and romance categorized under "fiction: romance: erotic" are required to provide supplemental categorization information related to certain taboo themes.  Authors and publishers who fail to provide this information, or who deliberately miscategorize their works in an effort to subvert the collection of this information, may face book removal and/or account termination at the sole discretion of Smashwords or its retailers.
• Smashwords recommends that book descriptions and titles for erotic literature should be kept "PG-13."  Excessive profanity in book descriptions may lead to further scrutiny and review, or blocked distribution or removal from Smashwords.
• Smashwords has a zero-tolerance policy for underage erotica (characters under age 18), and this policy has been in effect since the beginning of Smashwords in 2008.   Underage erotica is strictly forbidden, and the upload of such will lead to immediate account termination.  In erotic literature, children or underage minors cannot be engaged in sexual acts or situations, bear witness to such situations, be shown considering sexual acts, or be shown thinking about sexual acts.
• Erotica models for cover art must be adults.  Underage models, or models Smashwords believes are likely to be construed as underage, are not allowed to appear on erotica cover images.
• "Barely legal" erotica is strongly discouraged, and is subject to additional review and may be removed without notice at the sole determination of Smashwords, especially if characters are in situations - or have mannerisms - that suggest that the characters are actually underage.
• Rape erotica and sexual slavery erotica, where the predominant theme is rape violence for titillation, is strongly discouraged, and is subject to additional review and may be removed at the sole determination of Smashwords.   Note that erotic BDSM fiction that adheres to BDSM best practices, where all role-playing is consensual with safe words, is allowed and not to be confused with rape or sexual slavery erotica.
• Scat, snuff and necrophilia erotica is prohibited
• Bestiality erotica is allowed but not encouraged.  A one-off title is more likely to be acceptable than if a publisher is publishing dozens or hundreds of such titles.  At Smashwords discretion, such content may be removed or accounts closed.
• Incest and pseudo-incest (sexual relations among non-biologically related relatives and siblings) erotica is allowed, but it will be blocked by most retailers and library aggregators.
"Not working to her full potential."
 

Lynn

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #42 on: February 11, 2022, 06:35:31 AM »
I was so aggravated yesterday I missed the live cast of the merger so I watched the replay earlier.

No one really said anything I didn't know already, but I was glad they all seemed excited. Maybe something good will come out of it.

Don't rush me.
 

Marti Talbott

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #43 on: February 11, 2022, 06:45:07 AM »
I was so aggravated yesterday I missed the live cast of the merger so I watched the replay earlier.

No one really said anything I didn't know already, but I was glad they all seemed excited. Maybe something good will come out of it.



I'm swinging toward another bookstore couldn't hurt. D2D did assure me personally that their payment schedule of every thirty days will replace the quarterly SW setup. It's the old toss the money in the bank instead of paying it out, so they can collect three months worth of interest.
Read The Swindler, a historical romance available at:
Amazon, Apple, Google Play, Kobo & Nook
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08QG5K23
 

cecilia_writer

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #44 on: February 11, 2022, 06:54:30 AM »
I get paid by Smashwords every month already.
Cecilia Peartree - Woman of Mystery
 

littleauthor

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #45 on: February 11, 2022, 07:01:34 AM »
I'm paid monthly by Smashwords and have been for some time now.
"Not working to her full potential."
 

RPatton

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #46 on: February 11, 2022, 09:33:30 AM »
Kris Austin referred to Romance Novels as "erotica" and "dangerous content".

Quote
The next challenge was with erotica.  Kris quickly learned that more than half of the revenues in the publishing industry come from “romance” novels and other forms of erotica.  The company had to develop a system to automatically detect and categorize different genres of content to be able to appropriate handle each kind.  Software freed them from having to read this and other dangerous content themselves.

That's not a quote from Kris Austin. That's a quote of the article writer who has a clear agenda. I wouldn't be so quick to assume Kris Austin is precisely aligned with this view.

If he wasn't aligned with that view, he would have refuted the article by now. He's had six years to do it. He hasn't. Besides, anyone who isn't extremely weirdly christian wouldn't do an interview with someone who has "a clear agenda" like that.
Considering that Kris Austin's company distributes a huge amount of romance, I think we can safely dismiss your claim that he does not allow romance and views it as 'dangerous'. I suspect that he has better things to do than respond to every minor piece of misinformation on the internet.

All but 2 books on D2D of mine are Romance or Erotica and I've NEVER had a problem with D2D. Those who are most worried (and I have heard concerns) are from the authors who have US on Smashwords and are wondering what will happen with the merger. And to be fair, if I had US, I'd be concerned too. There is content available on SW that will never be allowed on other stores. While some might slip through the cracks, it almost always gets found out at some point.

From the looks of it, I can only assume Arooooo is worried that the sky is falling and panicking without doing any real research or deliberately spreading disinformation. I'm hoping it's the former and not the latter.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2022, 09:38:33 AM by RPatton »
 
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PJ Post

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #47 on: February 11, 2022, 10:49:29 PM »
I wouldn't be surprised to see an IPO in their future.


Gosh, I hope not.   :icon_eek:

Why?


Because then they'll start chasing quarterly profits in order to please shareholders, and that--not to mention all the additional regulatory crap--would come at the expense of all the things we love about D2D. 

While that's possible - but certainly not guaranteed - I think D2D deserves the rewards of their hard work. They did a good thing.
 

PJ Post

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #48 on: February 11, 2022, 11:01:50 PM »
For everyone using SW, I'd recommend paying close attention. Don't assume the marketing spin is the whole story. They didn't do this to maintain the status quo, they're looking for synergies and opportunity - which means change, aggressive, profit-driven change. I'd suggest being ready to act quickly when the time comes. Find alternatives.
 
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antares

Re: Draft2Digital to Acquire Smashwords
« Reply #49 on: February 12, 2022, 04:47:26 PM »
In my experience as a lawyer, when someone said it was not about the money, it was about the money.

The most interesting part in my opinion?

Quote
No, this acquisition doesn’t mean I’m running off to buy an island in the Caribbean. This will be an all-stock combination, meaning no money is changing hands. I’m investing our entire company into the new Draft2Digital, and together we’ll lead the next chapter of the indie publishing revolution.

I'm still trying to decide exactly what this means about both companies. I feel like there's a financial story there.
« Last Edit: March 07, 2022, 04:24:40 PM by TimothyEllis »