July 2, 2016
It’s that time of year again!
Every July, Smashwords has a huge, mega sale. And every July, I enter my books into it.
Go pick them up.
And once you do, since it’s the Smashwords July Sale, take some time to browse. Find some new-to-you authors. Check the discounts on books I’ve featured here or over at The Rock of Pages, THE home of Rock Fiction. Books are available in all formats, so don’t be shy because you think you can only buy from this vendor or this online bookstore or whatever. A Smashwords book will work on your reader.
Once you’ve done that, the next step is the best, simplest one: sit down somewhere comfy and start to read. Grab a beer, a glass of wine, a citronella candle, a poolside lounger… you name it. Have some fun. Don’t like a book? Delete and move on to the next!
But love it or hate it, always remember that one of the best things you can do is to leave a review. At Smashwords, at the retailer you usually get your books from, on a blog, over at a social reading site like GoodReads. After all, we authors aren’t making any money off our free books, and the books that are reduced in price bring a reduced royalty, too.
Reviews help authors in so, so many ways. Even if you say, “This was a great read. Highly recommended.”
But, of course, if you want to write more but are struggling, drop me a line. I’ll tell you what: If you want to work with a real wordsmith and former pro reviewer to leave a review for a book you like, tell me you’re reviewing a book you picked up at the Smashwords July Sale, and I’ll slash my rates. Not down to free, but slashed nonetheless.
Because reviews are that important. And so is helping you learn to craft a good review, and to feel good about what you write.
So. A slew of free books. And a pro helping you say thanks to the authors in the most helpful way possible.
Go have a great July, everyone!
Kim Headlee (@KimHeadlee)
July 3, 2016 7:27 am
Thanks for this update. I’d never heard of Smashwords doing this, but then I’ve had a rocky relationship with them for the past three years because of their chronic inability (now fixed, =finally=) to correctly process uploaded EPUB files. Since I used to develop conversion software so I know firsthand how tricky it can be, and since I know how much garbage Microsoft adds to a DOC file, I don’t dare let anyone try to convert my books from scratch; I code them myself. And since Smashwords for years gave me such a hard time of getting my error-free (though not according to them when they were using a three-years-outdated and buggy version of EPUBCheck) EPUBs into their prime catalog, I use Draft2Digital as my off-brand distributor wherever possible. Good luck with your sale! 🙂
Susan Helene Gottfried
July 5, 2016 7:48 am
I’ve been with them since 2009, and have never had problems with uploads, although I know others who have. They’ve been very good to me for all these years and I appreciate that they get me into stores and markets I wouldn’t otherwise be in.