I’m tired of feeling like shit.
That’s why I think I’ll leave Smashwords this year.
Oh, there’s more to it than that I suppose, but that’s pretty much what it boils down to…I feel like shit.
I really don’t feel appreciated there, and it’s not because I’m not in a special promotion or mentioned in a blog or put in a newsletter. It’s because of how I get paid.
Money talks and bullshit walks, and you know this well. It’s why you get up each morning and do what you do. And that’s why you like to know when you’re getting paid.
With Smashwords this just isn’t possible.
That’s why I think I’ll leave Smashwords this year.
Oh, there’s more to it than that I suppose, but that’s pretty much what it boils down to…I feel like shit.
I really don’t feel appreciated there, and it’s not because I’m not in a special promotion or mentioned in a blog or put in a newsletter. It’s because of how I get paid.
Money talks and bullshit walks, and you know this well. It’s why you get up each morning and do what you do. And that’s why you like to know when you’re getting paid.
With Smashwords this just isn’t possible.
I suppose I could guess, figuring that my 2014 Quarter 4 earnings will come through sometime this week, but I have no real way of knowing that. This is what Smashwords says in its FAQ:
How often are my revenue shares paid?
Quarterly. Although our Terms of Service states that authors' earnings will be paid within 40 days of the close of each calendar quarter, we usually pay in about 30 days…so Smashwords will issue payments approximately one month after the end of each quarter. This means we usually process payments the last two days of January, April, July and October.
Several things stand out to me there, particularly the “usually” and the “about” and the “approximately” and the second “usually.”
This company has no idea when they’re going to pay me. And if I was to be foolish enough to think I might pay my rent with those earnings? Shit, I’d be high and dry, because you know that’d be the month their accountants decided to go the 40 days and not the 30.
It’s just shoddy business, plain and simple, and something I’d expect in the 20th century, when I got paid in the mail. What’s more, they go on to say that their own 30 to 40 day estimate isn’t even right, as you can see here:
This company has no idea when they’re going to pay me. And if I was to be foolish enough to think I might pay my rent with those earnings? Shit, I’d be high and dry, because you know that’d be the month their accountants decided to go the 40 days and not the 30.
It’s just shoddy business, plain and simple, and something I’d expect in the 20th century, when I got paid in the mail. What’s more, they go on to say that their own 30 to 40 day estimate isn’t even right, as you can see here:
The most common reasons people miss quarterly payments:
3. We haven't processed payments yet. Although our Terms of Service promises payment within 40 days of the end of each calendar quarter, we always strive to process payments earlier than that, and historically have paid out between 20 and 30 days after the end of each quarter. If you are to receive a paper check, please allow several days beyond that for the mail to arrive.
Amazon, on the other hand, gives me a detailed report on the 15th of each month that lets me know what I’ll be getting paid 45 days later. What’s more, they send me an email on the 20th of each month or thereabouts, telling me that in seven to ten days, I’ll be getting paid. Furthermore, they even give me an exact date and amount!
Smashwords does none of these things.
One of the things that Smashwords founder Mark Coker didn’t put into his 2015 eBook and self-publishing prediction post was how much his share of the market would go down. He did complain about Amazon, but point out his own company’s faults? Ha, why would he do that?
He did say that “many authors will quit in 2015,” and that’s right on two fronts: many will quit writing, and many smart authors will quit Smashwords. I’m one of the latter.
Smashwords does none of these things.
One of the things that Smashwords founder Mark Coker didn’t put into his 2015 eBook and self-publishing prediction post was how much his share of the market would go down. He did complain about Amazon, but point out his own company’s faults? Ha, why would he do that?
He did say that “many authors will quit in 2015,” and that’s right on two fronts: many will quit writing, and many smart authors will quit Smashwords. I’m one of the latter.
So how to pull out? How do you get your books off Smashwords and onto something else while keeping them selling on iTunes and Barnes & Noble and all the rest of it?
I’d have to go with Draft 2 Digital.
Draft 2 Digital is a company I know very little about, pretty much nothing actually. But I do know that if I use their services I get get paid more often than I do with Smashwords. They still take the same cut of 15% and there are fewer sales channels, but most of the Smashwords sales channels are useless to me, as you can see:
I’d have to go with Draft 2 Digital.
Draft 2 Digital is a company I know very little about, pretty much nothing actually. But I do know that if I use their services I get get paid more often than I do with Smashwords. They still take the same cut of 15% and there are fewer sales channels, but most of the Smashwords sales channels are useless to me, as you can see:
I stand to lose little but gain a lot. Why did I wait so long?
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