Smashwords Supports EPUB Uploads
Finally.
From the Smashwords Blog:
This new capability allows our authors and publishers to upload their own professionally formatted EPUB files for sale at the Smashwords store, and for distribution to the Smashwords retail distribution network.
This first iteration of Smashwords Direct supports two methods of direct EPUB upload:
- You can replace your Smashwords-generated EPUB with your own EPUB. To do this, click to your Dashboard, then click “Upload New Version,” then upload your file.
- If you’re preparing to publish a new book not yet at Smashwords, sign in to your Smashwords account, click the regular Publish link, then fill out the publish page as you would normally, but upload your EPUB instead of a Word .doc. Later, if you wish, you can add more ebook formats to your book page by uploading a Word .doc, formatted to the Style Guide.
EPUB files uploaded through this new Smashwords Direction option must still adhere to the formatting best practices listed in the Smashwords Style Guide. Books will still be reviewed by our vetting team before shipping out to our retailers.
Link to the rest at Smashwords Blog and thanks to Antoine for the tip.
PG admits that he wasn’t particularly pleased that Smashwords would still use its Style Guide on files, but he’ll be interested to hear about indie author experiences with Epub file on Smashwords.
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Potentially good news for some, but I’m still cautious because of the Style Guide issue. So they’re not actually using the author’s Epub file as given. I’ve avoided Smashwords this long; I can wait a bit longer.
As far as I understand, they ARE using the author’s epub file as given. But they check it against the Style Guide before putting it on “premium”.
My guess is that it checks for things like having Smashwords Edition in the copyright, no links to other vendors and such.
Yes, and most propbably things like paragraph styles : Block/indent…
I don’t think this would matter, as the flexibility of the cascading style sheet allows ebook designers and developers the ability to mix and match these styles easily and consistently without needing to use empty paragraphs.
My sense has always been that this either/or rule governing block-style paragraphs versus indented paragraphs had more to do with the crappy code working behind-the-scenes in Word tripping up Meatgrinder/Calibre (combined with a young company needing to keep things simple for most folks to work with Word’s formatting tools along with needing to make choices about what to develop workarounds for in light of more pressing demands on resources). The things that Word and Calibre/Meatgrinder do to XHTML and CSS is appalling.
I’ve uploaded a couple of test ePubs we’ve made that go beyond the SW Style Guide… embedded fonts, dropcaps, etc. They’ve been accepted just fine.
The next step for them should be to run uploaded ePubs through Kindlegen.
Not sure about the legality of that. Most likely depending on KindleGen’s Terms of Use.
I think this news is fabulous. It’ll improve the quality of ebooks.
As for mobi, well, I’m not sure how SW will handle that, but one step at a time, right?
I didn’t get the impression that the epubs have to meet the styleguide, only that if you want to have more formats than epub, you have to still upload a Word .doc that fits the style guide.
This is a slight improvement, but if you want to offer the full variety of formats you are still stuck with Word. (Consarn it!)
So, it appears that the epubs do NOT go through the meatgrinder.
I just uploaded my new 2nd book via EPUB and re-uploaded my first one, originally done as Word for the MeatGrinder.
The only “stutter” I experienced was a warning about the “Smashwords Edition” stuff for the copyright page, which I had forgotten. As far as I can tell, it took everything in my EPUB file as submitted. It confirmed later that it had passed EPUBCHECK (which I already knew). The Copyright page issues may be the only place where the Style Guide is relevant.
I was thrilled, since it save me the whole Word nightmare. I find that MOBI and PDF on Smashwords have done nothing for me so far, so I don’t mourn the loss enough to go thru the Word nonsense. (I already sell non-DRM MOBI and PDF and EPUB files directly anyway).
Best of all, this avoids the Word maximum 5MB file problem — I have graphic scene and chapter dividers and that forced me to reduce their resolution when I published book 1 (yech). Using my own EPUB, it was no longer an issue, and the whole book looks MUCH better.
Well shoot. I thought the whole point was to move away from a stupid .doc file! Now, to get the other formats, we still have to go through the extra step of creating a Word file?
That really stinks. This doesn’t save me time at all. I still have that extra step I have to go through just for Smashwords. I hate that extra step. Creating all the other file formats is fast, as I have great templates with drag-and-drop areas. Then there’s the Smashwords .doc file…
(NOTE: I do not write in Word. I do not revise in Word. The only reason I ever opened it up was to read something someone sent me or to create a Smashwords file for creating an ebook.)
I just ordered a new computer, and it will not have Microsoft on it. No Word at all. Now this means I’ll have to figure out how to use Libre Office to make compatible files. Not looking forward to it, considering the last 6 books I’ve published there has been, “No, not good. Try again.” “Oh, good.” “No, not good try again.” over and over, despite all files being formatted the same way. Either the Meatgrinder is throwing up over my files, or the vetters are inconsistently applying rules to my books. Or both. Now I’ll be bringing a different program into the fray. I’m already cringing.
Either way, boo hiss. And bah humbug.
Seriously, Mark, I hope this is just the first step to jettisoning the .doc requirement. Didn’t there once exist the option of uploading a HTML file? Can’t you do something with that?
I agree JA. I was hoping they’d allow us to just upload epub files like every where else does, even Amazon. I don’t do word of any kind for anything other than Smashwords and Create Space and I use Libre Office for those. It plays better with iWorks than Open Office and I’ve had less problems with the meat grinder. So good luck with it. Wish it could all be epubs though.
From his phrasing of the latest update, it sounds like this is a first step.
I think they wanted to get the epub option at least to cover the distribution channels asap — the real technical challenge will be the meatgrinder.
And yes, I agree. Much as I like the idea of being able to have more control over what is distributed to the partner channels, what I REALLY want is to have a sensible workflow that does not have to involve Word.
(Although I do have a use for Word. Word has the most robust ‘search and replace’ function I’ve ever seen in any text handling tool, including wildcards.)
I posted a modified version of my above comment on the Smashwords blog. Check out the response. As in, there was never any intention to eventually do away with the .doc file for conversion to all the formats using .epub. Also no intention of bringing back HTML as a possible solution.
Word files and Smashwords acceptance of them are consistent? Not according to my experience publishing 10+ books in 2012 (meanwhile, 2011 was really good). The thing is, the rules of what is acceptable for the file at Smashwords keeps changing, despite the Style Guide staying the same. It’s a moving target now. One time the way you are doing it is fine. The next it’s not. Then back to fine again. It’s enough to tear your hair out. I’ve not been able to figure out what is going wrong or going right, as it hasn’t been consistent, and hence I have no idea how to fix the process.
We won’t mention the pay-someone-else-to-do-it thing. That was an insult to me and felt like a blow-off to the big issue, although I know (hope) Mark didn’t mean it that way. I can do things myself and keep business costs and publishing delays to a minimum. I’ve been doing it since I started and I do it all for other venues. I get complimented on the formatting of my ebooks. That’s not the point.
The last big ebook vendor I’m not uploading direct to is Apple. I don’t want to put up with Apple’s strange microsystem directly (despite adoring my Macbook laptop), but with the new computer I will have the ability to go direct with them with my epub files. I don’t sell anything at Sony or Diesel. Already direct with Kobo. I’m in the US, and that gives me a lot more options for going direct with most vendors than others might.
Which will make the most sense? Deal with the frustration of getting Apple set up correctly on the front-end and then upload direct thereafter? Or continue to spend the extra time in a WHOLE EXTRA STEP at Smashwords for each and every book only to play a Russian Roulette game of “Will they accept it this time or won’t they. :click:”? For other formats I can always send people to Omnilit or DriveThruFiction. It’s the ease of coupons that I would miss.
My time publishing would be cut 1/3 by taking the Smashwords side of it out. And, if I can get into almost all the other distributed venues myself, then it might not be worth the bother anymore. Tack on quarterly payments instead of monthly, and yeah…
Looks like I have some serious thinking to do and need to crunch the time-factor versus the sales factor. I can see why a lot of small-to-medium publishers don’t have a presence there, despite having the option. I think this whole .doc issue could be a big reason why. Why expend time and energy on this one vendor that requires something so different than the other vendors? So, they don’t. Heck, I’ve talked to individual writers who feel this way.
Yes, much thinking to do. Color me greatly disappointed. I still say boo hiss and bah humbug.
J.A. Marlow,
I have not submitted to Smashwords yet (will do so now with my ePUB files), but the Apple iBookstore was no problem at all. So you might just want to go ahead and try it out.
I uploaded my Calibre ePUBS (konverted from HTML), which I have also used for Kobo and Google Books.
Google Books is the only distributor so far where I am experiencing a small problem with the display of one books in the store. Apparently it has 0 pages, even though one can go through the reading sample, and I, as the publisher can go through the whole book in the back end. From what I heard Google Books is still experiencing some small problems here and there. More than the other stores, I was told.
I know JA, so disappointing.
In my epubs I have lots of extras and things look awesome. But for smashwords, I’ve just decided to strip everything down to the bare minimum. No fancy stuff and no extras. I feel bad for my readers who buy from there, but I just don’t have time to deal with the meatgrinder over and over. The bare minimum always passes.
I’m working on going straight to apple. I already do with kobo and B&N. So, will just continue as I have been at smashwords. Frustrating, because I wish I could do better for my readers.
Thank you for alerting me to this. I just added my angry (okay, maybe semi-hysterical) message to the comments.
You have no idea how depressed this makes me. I like Smashwords. I don’t want to leave them, but seriously, this insistence on using Word creates so much overhead, it’s beginning to feel not worth the benefits.
Smashwords has tons of benefits. Being able to upload to one place is convenient as can be, but slow distribution to retailers (they say hourly for Apple and daily for Kobo, but I’ve had titles take 3-4 weeks to be shipped after being approved for premium distribution), payments (not monthly like most others; not direct deposit like most others — I hate PayPal), and the Meatgrinder make Smashwords somewhat painful to use.
I was trés disappointed to hear that news, especially since it took until the second to last day of 2012 for it to come up (though brief and quiet applause to them for at least getting this out before 2012 expired).
That !@#$% Smashwords copyright pisses me off to no end. I’m convinced they do that specifically to try to force people to use a Smashwords-provided ISBN instead of using your own, and it infuriates me.
I’m convinced they do it mainly to stop you using a Smashwords-provided ISBN anywhere ELSE, as the percentage of people who have their own ISBN is vanishingly small compared to the percentage of those who get free ones from Smashwords but I’m at a loss as to why it is so infuriating to you in either event. If you don’t like it don’t do it. You can reach the vast majority of the market without Smashwords, *especially* if you have your own ISBN.
Going to give this a few days to get the kinks worked out. Not particularly pleased that to get other formats, I have to use .doc… PDF and MOBI are my other two big sellers on AllRomance (I’m not sure what filetype people use when they download from my Smashwords account) so I’d rather not be stuck with a choice between “nice epub only” or “nice epub and crappy everything else”.
I tested this out today and the file passed the EPUBCHECK – which was a relief as there can be problems with files compiled via Caliber (or so I’ve heard).
However, the autovetter rejected the file for having Tabs. It doesn’t have tabs. It’s an EPUB file – namely one created in HTML and compiled via Caliber. Hopefully it’s just a bug. I’ve reported it in any event.
Tabs in HTML. That’s funny.
Strange, indeed.
Just out of curiosity I did unzip the Calibre ePub file to check. And Calibre does change the code a bit. For example: It attached Calibre-classes to my basic paragraph style (which is, yes, defined as such in the style sheet). Did this for every chapter-file.
Worst case, such a thing is easy to “repair” manually. But it is kind of annoying.
Still. iTunes-Producer accepted the files without any problem. I was positively surprised.
I gave up on using Calibre to convert ebooks a while back. I use Sigil, which works pretty good IME.
Interesting, Marc, I will have a look at Sigil. Thanks for pointing it out.
This autovetter thing is getting real annoying fast. I can upload 2 files fine and then the third has problems. All files have the exact same copyright page aside from titles, etc.
I don’t get it.
I’m afraid I’ve moved over to XinXii. Allows me to reach B&N as a non-American and pays via PayPal, upload whatever format I want, distributes to Amazon as well — also allows coupons and free books.
So a better option than Smashwords for me at the moment.
…although I must add I’m still waiting for that distribution to happen. Been about a week now.
I’ve been waiting for this so I can use Smashwords. I viewed my HTML in Firefox, copy-pasted into LibreOffice and, with only minimal format changes (centring/justifying) it went into MeatGrinder first time. All right, the output is ugly, but it was ugly in LibreOffice too. If people want to read my book in plain text, I figure they won’t be expecting a thing of beauty.
However, my .EPUB won’t pass autovetter, even though it has identical text to the .DOC. It fails on the copyright check, even though the .DOC passes.
I have a coding background, so I’m not very frustrated yet. This is what beta versions are all about. I’ve emailed them and pointed out the problem.
How frustrated I get entirely depends on how they escalate this issue…