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Smashwords Introduces Coupon Generator for Self-Published eBook Authors
Wednesday 17. December 2008 - Authors can now easily generate coupon codes for promotion on author blogs, websites, social networks and fan email lists
Smashwords a publisher of ebooks from independent authors, today introduced a coupon generator that allows self-published authors to issue promotional coupon codes for their books for sharing on blogs, websites, social networks and fan email lists.
“Our mission at Smashwords is to provide independent authors the free tools they need to publish, promote and sell their ebooks,” said Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords. “The Smashwords Coupon Generator represents a powerful new marketing tool for self-published ebook authors to create excitement and buying interest among their potential readers.”
The Smashwords Coupon Generator give authors flexible options for how they design their coupon promotions, including designating cents-off or dollars-off list price, a flat percentage off retail price, and fixed expiration dates. Authors can also create coupons that entitle the recipient to receive the book for free, which can be useful for promoting the book to book reviewers or for use in limited time promotions.
For independent authors, there’s never been a better time to publish ebooks on Smashwords. Authors simply upload their manuscripts as Microsoft Word files, and then Smashwords automatically converts the book into multiple DRM-free ebook formats, such as .epub, .lrf, .pdf, .mobi, .pdb, .rtf and .txt. Authors set the price of their books, determine the sampling percentage, and receive 85% of all net sales proceeds. Authors access the Coupon Generator from their Smashwords Dashboard.
For book lovers, Smashwords offers a virtual literary playground where they can discover new and emerging voices in fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Most Smashwords books are priced between $3.00 and $5.00. Smashwords books are available for free sampling, often up to 50% of the book, so readers can try before they buy.
Free multi-format ebook samples are available for downloading to all leading ebook reading devices, including the iPhone, iPOD Touch, the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Reader, the iRex and others. Books can also be sampled online over a web browser.
Today’s news follows an announcement earlier this month in which Smashwords announced full integration with the Stanza ebook reader which is used by over 500,000 iPhone and iPOD Touch owners to read ebooks. Stanza users can now easily access the complete Smashwords catalog on their iPhone or iPod Touch, download book samples and free books, access their personal Smashwords library, and even purchase and download full books.