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Smashwords releases 2014 ebook sales survey

Self-publishing platform Smashwords has released its 2014 indie ebook sales survey based on the company’s sales data, reports Publishers Weekly. The survey reveals that readers prefer longer ebooks priced between US$2.99 (A$3.18) and US$3.99 (A$4.24) when purchasing indie or self-published ebooks, and that customers are attracted by free ebook promotions. Smashwords CEO and founder Mark Coker said the purchasing prices of US$2.99 and US$3.99 ‘are the sweet spots for most of the bestsellers’ and that ebooks selling at these prices earn as much for authors as ebooks selling for $7.99 or more, but generate ‘triple the readership’. The survey also shows that series books outsell standalone titles, and that series that offer the first title for free will earn more money overall than series that don’t. Coker said the aim of the survey is to discover ‘viral catalysts’ or ‘anything that makes a book more discoverable and more enjoyable to readers’. The company analysed US$25 million (A$27 million) worth of customer purchases from its own website and Smashwords retailers, including Apple, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, the Oyster and Scribd subscription services, and public libraries.

 

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Category: International news