Smashwords today announced a distribution agreement with Baker & Taylor, one of the world's largest distributors of physical and digital books.The agreement will expand distribution for nearly 100,000 Smashwords books to new devices and markets.
There are two components of the agreement. The first is distribution into the Blio online store and e-reading app. The second part of the agreement gains Smashwords authors and publishers distribution into the library market through Baker & Taylor's Axis360 service.
If you're not familiar with Blio, it's an online store (Blio.com) and also a popular e-reading application that has been pre-loaded on over millions of computers and devices. It powers the e-reading experience for laptops, desktops and tablets produced by Dell Computer, HP, Toshiba and T-Mobile, among others. Blio is also available in the Android store.
The agreement will also bring Smashwords ebooks to public libraries that subscribe to Baker & Taylor’s new Axis360 digital media platform. Axis360, which was launched last year, has been deployed by several top public library systems in the U.S. Dozens more libraries are converting to the platform.
Like all new Smashwords distribution channels, all Premium Catalog-approved Smashwords titles will gain automatic distribution to Blio and Axis360. As standard practice, we give authors and publishers at least 48 hours to opt out new distribution outlets if they wish, though I don't recommend opting out. This agreement will give authors and publishers important, incremental exposure for their books.
Smashwords authors and publishers will earn 60% of the list price for books sold through Blio, and 45% of the list price for books sold to libraries. The libraries are authorized to check out one purchased copy at a time. The books are DRM'd so they time out after the checkout period has expired.
Read the full press release in the Smashwords Press Room.
Please join me in welcoming Baker & Taylor to the Smashwords distribution network!
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