Paper Tiger | Is this the end for Amazon KDP? @PaperTigerProductions | Uploaded February 2022 | Updated October 2024, 3 hours ago.
Draft2Digital acquires Smashwords effective 1 March 2022. This is the BIGGEST development for self-publishing since Amazon acquired CreateSpace (now KDP). If you're an indie or self-published author, you need to be across this.
I'm breaking down the business fundamentals behind the Draft2Digital acquisition of Smashwords. We need this merger to work because Amazon's market dominance is out of control. Here's what Amazon is doing: youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk
Send questions/comments/suggestions/concerns on the merger direct to the D2D and Smashwords teams by following the instructions at the bottom of these pages:
Draft2Digital → draft2digital.com/united
Smashwords → smashwords.com/united
// JUMP TO
0:00 This is HUGE
2:05 The KEY to success
3:27 Why merge?
9:01 The financials
12:48 Tech, systems & processes
15:28 Biggest expected wins for authors
19:42 Overall goals
21:22 Key takeaways
#authortube #selfpublishing #draft2digital
Watch the full replay of the live Q&A with Mark Coker (Smashwords CEO) and Kris Austen (Draft2Digital CEO) on the @Draft2Digital YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=ZX-TWtf8cy8
@SelfPublishingwithDale has a detailed breakdown of the press release here: youtube.com/watch?v=QVFQMmVR5kw
// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you're not across Amazon's strategy, you need to watch this next:
→ youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk
// REFERENCES
DRAFT2DIGITAL ACQUIRES SMASHWORDS:
Press releases
D2D → draft2digital.com/blog/pr-d2d-smashwords
Smashwords → smashwords.com/press/release/46
Blog articles
D2D → draft2digital.com/blog/draft2digital-has-acquired-smashwords
Smashwords → blog.smashwords.com/2022/02/united.html
Most mergers & acquisitions fail:
Harvard Business Review → hbr.org/2011/03/the-big-idea-the-new-ma-playbook
Australian Financial Review → afr.com/chanticleer/why-most-m-and-a-deals-fail-20210721-p58bpf
Forbes:
2012 interview with Mark Coker → forbes.com/forbes/2012/0625/entrepreneurs-mark-coker-smashwords-book-value.html
2013 interview with John Ingram → forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2013/12/26/ingrams-lightning-source-building-competitive-advantagethroughtech-and-scale
Talon News:
2016 interview with D2D founders → http://www.talon.news/features/oklahoma-start-up-founded-by-oc-graduates/
Publishers Weekly:
Ingram and Baker & Taylor rumors → publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/78781-what-happens-if-ingram-and-b-t-tie-the-knot.html
Baker & Taylor exit retail wholesale business → publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/79933-b-t-to-close-its-retail-wholesale-business.html
IngramSpark:
Global distribution → ingramspark.com/how-it-works/distribute
Official Facebook group → facebook.com/groups/641752356577267
Dale's explanation of how KDP's expanded distribution is really just IngramSpark's global distribution → youtube.com/watch?v=dRZnWKYP3HI
Audiobook distribution:
ALLi on audiobook distribution → selfpublishingadvice.org/audiobook-publishing-alternatives-to-acx
Draft2Digital partnership with Findaway Voices → draft2digital.com/blog/how-to-create-an-audiobook-from-your-ebook-with-d2d-and-findaway-voices-d2d-answers
Spotify acquires Findaway Voices → techcrunch.com/2021/11/11/spotify-expands-into-audiobooks-with-acquisition-of-findaway
Draft2Digital print beta:
Print beta sign-up → draft2digital.com/printbeta
Announcement → draft2digital.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-d2d-print
// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator
A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w
// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau
// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition
Draft2Digital acquires Smashwords effective 1 March 2022. This is the BIGGEST development for self-publishing since Amazon acquired CreateSpace (now KDP). If you're an indie or self-published author, you need to be across this.
I'm breaking down the business fundamentals behind the Draft2Digital acquisition of Smashwords. We need this merger to work because Amazon's market dominance is out of control. Here's what Amazon is doing: youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk
Send questions/comments/suggestions/concerns on the merger direct to the D2D and Smashwords teams by following the instructions at the bottom of these pages:
Draft2Digital → draft2digital.com/united
Smashwords → smashwords.com/united
// JUMP TO
0:00 This is HUGE
2:05 The KEY to success
3:27 Why merge?
9:01 The financials
12:48 Tech, systems & processes
15:28 Biggest expected wins for authors
19:42 Overall goals
21:22 Key takeaways
#authortube #selfpublishing #draft2digital
Watch the full replay of the live Q&A with Mark Coker (Smashwords CEO) and Kris Austen (Draft2Digital CEO) on the @Draft2Digital YouTube channel: youtube.com/watch?v=ZX-TWtf8cy8
@SelfPublishingwithDale has a detailed breakdown of the press release here: youtube.com/watch?v=QVFQMmVR5kw
// WHAT TO WATCH NEXT
If you're not across Amazon's strategy, you need to watch this next:
→ youtu.be/FRdUkz3s3Rk
// REFERENCES
DRAFT2DIGITAL ACQUIRES SMASHWORDS:
Press releases
D2D → draft2digital.com/blog/pr-d2d-smashwords
Smashwords → smashwords.com/press/release/46
Blog articles
D2D → draft2digital.com/blog/draft2digital-has-acquired-smashwords
Smashwords → blog.smashwords.com/2022/02/united.html
Most mergers & acquisitions fail:
Harvard Business Review → hbr.org/2011/03/the-big-idea-the-new-ma-playbook
Australian Financial Review → afr.com/chanticleer/why-most-m-and-a-deals-fail-20210721-p58bpf
Forbes:
2012 interview with Mark Coker → forbes.com/forbes/2012/0625/entrepreneurs-mark-coker-smashwords-book-value.html
2013 interview with John Ingram → forbes.com/sites/avaseave/2013/12/26/ingrams-lightning-source-building-competitive-advantagethroughtech-and-scale
Talon News:
2016 interview with D2D founders → http://www.talon.news/features/oklahoma-start-up-founded-by-oc-graduates/
Publishers Weekly:
Ingram and Baker & Taylor rumors → publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/78781-what-happens-if-ingram-and-b-t-tie-the-knot.html
Baker & Taylor exit retail wholesale business → publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/79933-b-t-to-close-its-retail-wholesale-business.html
IngramSpark:
Global distribution → ingramspark.com/how-it-works/distribute
Official Facebook group → facebook.com/groups/641752356577267
Dale's explanation of how KDP's expanded distribution is really just IngramSpark's global distribution → youtube.com/watch?v=dRZnWKYP3HI
Audiobook distribution:
ALLi on audiobook distribution → selfpublishingadvice.org/audiobook-publishing-alternatives-to-acx
Draft2Digital partnership with Findaway Voices → draft2digital.com/blog/how-to-create-an-audiobook-from-your-ebook-with-d2d-and-findaway-voices-d2d-answers
Spotify acquires Findaway Voices → techcrunch.com/2021/11/11/spotify-expands-into-audiobooks-with-acquisition-of-findaway
Draft2Digital print beta:
Print beta sign-up → draft2digital.com/printbeta
Announcement → draft2digital.com/blog/everything-you-need-to-know-about-d2d-print
// RESOURCES
A NaNoWriMo word count goal calculator:
→ bit.ly/nanowordcountgoalcalculator
A simple word count progress tracker:
→ bit.ly/2U1601w
// DAILY WRITING LIVESTREAMS!
120 min long sprints of pure productivity. Come join me in getting words on the page. Check out my channel page for the next livestream: → youtube.com/c/PaperTigerProductions and make sure you hit "Set reminder" to get an alert when I go live.
Follow me on Twitter: twitter.com/deborahlau
// CHECK OUT
My Cantonese/English bilingual rhyming picture story books for kids aged 2-6:
Today is my Birthday! → books2read.com/todayismybirthday
Cycling in Spring → books2read.com/cyclinginspring
My debut epic fantasy novel:
Petition (Resonance Crystal Legacy, Book 1) → books2read.com/petition
