Smashwords’ ebook presales feature isn’t a pre-order; rather, it allows readers to purchase and read a book before the official publication or release date. The tool is available now to any author or publisher distributing and selling through Smashwords and doesn’t affect a title’s usual release date at other retailers or distributors. We spotted established indie author Lindsay Buroker joking that Smashwords must have gotten this idea from her and her Patreon. Indeed, many savvy self-publishing authors use Patreon and BookFunnel (among other tools) to sell or offer pre-release books to their fanbase. Mark Coker, the founder of Smashwords, details use cases for Presales at the company blog. He admits that exclusive early releases are not a Smashwords invention but asserts that Presales takes the concept to “an entirely new level,” thus meriting the patent application that Smashwords has submitted.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
