From Amazon to iBooks, the choice of where to buy your next book from is nearly limitless. So the ultimate question for any book lover is “Where should I look for my next read?” I’m sure you have your own opinions on this; that’s fine. I will simply boil the methodology down to one simple idea for the modern age: You shop where you have the apps, devices, and accounts that allow you to most easily purchase and view your books. You are more likely to shop in the Nook store if you normally use that particular ereader. I buy Xbox games because I have an Xbox, and I bought an Xbox one because I already had an account with Xbox, the games I like are mostly on Xbox, and that is the console all my friends play. See, we like to follow the path of least resistance unless the other options present some benefit to us.
Let’s get back on topic. Whatever ereading platform you use, I know you won’t easily be swayed to change. I don’t want you to. But I do want you to find some really great new books to read. That I can help you with no matter what device or app you use. Yes, my suggestions in this post require you to go through a bit more effort than logging in to your usual account; however, I am about to broaden your options in the realm of ebooks. Considerably.
In comes Smashwords. This site was created with the indie author in mind but also expands the options for readers everywhere (if you are an indie author, check out my upcoming post on publishing with Smashwords). Self-published titles are working their way up the Amazon ranks. Many high ranked titles these days come from indie authors, but, take it from me, gaining visibility as new author is tough. For every book you find and enjoy, there are other great stories you will probably never see because they are hidden in the back-log. Smashwords is a site full of books just like this.
Now, don’t think that just because Smashwords has books mainly from self-published authors that the writing will be low quality. With the apparent ease of self-publishing comes a rise in fast-tracked, low-quality material, but that is the minority, not the majority. Most authors take pride in their work and do whatever it takes to help their books be of the highest possible quality. Plus, most ebook sites let you view a sample of the book before you buy, and Smashwords is not excluded from this. Some authors on Smashwords even let you sample up to 75% of their book before you purchase. So, check out the sample and, if you don’t like what you read, move on.
To be honest, if you haven’t already taken a look at Smashwords, the best thing for you to do right now is go and see for yourself. To purchase a title, you will have to create a free account with Smashwords, but it is simple and only takes a minute. Seriously, it hardly takes any time at all; you don’t even have to put your payment information in right away. Then, when you are ready to buy, you can either purchase with a card or use PayPal. See, you don’t even have to worry about Smashwords having your card information. Once you’ve purchased a title, you can download it in any format you want (i.e. mobi, epub. PDF, and so on). What’s great about purchasing directly from Smashwords is that if the author ever uploads an updated version of the book, you can update your version to the new one at no extra cost.
So, I will cut this post off and send you looking for some great reads on Smashwords. You can go to the main page of the site, or you can follow this link and check out my free prequel story, Destiny Scrolls: Retribution.
I also recommend The Game by Terry Schott. When you kindle users get addicted to Smashwords, and I am fairly certain you will, don’t forget to take a look at my next post: The many uses of “Send to Kindle.”
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Thanks for reading,
Zach Larson
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