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Smashwords an Official Sponsor of Read an E-Book Week March 8-14
LOS GATOS, Calif., Feb 02, 2009 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ --
Smashwords
(http://www.smashwords.com), a publisher of ebooks from independent authors,
today became an official sponsor of Read an E-Book Week
(http://www.ebookweek.com), to be held March 8-14.
"The mission of Read an E-Book Week is to raise international awareness
about the benefits of ebooks to authors, readers, educators and the media,"
said Rita Toews, founder of the non-profit event. "As a sponsor of the event,
Smashwords will help promote the initiative, and will work with its authors to
develop special Smashwords book promotions during the week."
Digital reading is on the upswing. According the IDPF, ebook sales in the
United States grew 108 percent year over year for the month of November alone.
The dramatic sales increase came despite weak overall book industry sales (for
in-depth analysis, see
http://blog.smashwords.com/2009/01/rise-of-ebooks-idpf-reports-ebook-
sales.html).
"We're pleased to sponsor and endorse Read an E-Book Week," said Mark
Coker, founder of Smashwords. "We hope to introduce thousands of new readers
and authors to the joys of ebooks. Thanks to advances in e-reading devices
such as the iPhone+Stanza, the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, electronic
reading is often more enjoyable than paper reading. Once book lovers try
ebooks, they're hooked."
In addition to improvements in screen technology, other factors driving
ebook adoption include greater availability of DRM-free ebooks and lower book
costs. Many self-published and previously print-published authors are also
beginning to embrace ebooks using digital publishing platforms such as
Smashwords.
"Our mission at Smashwords is to provide independent authors free tools to
publish, promote and sell their ebooks," added Mark Coker of Smashwords.
"Authors simply upload their finished manuscript as a Microsoft Word document
and then we automatically convert it into nine different ebook formats, ready
for immediate sale online, and readable on any e-reading device."
About Read an E-book Week
Read an E-Book Week (http://www.ebookweek.com), is a not-for-profit
initiative organized by Rita Toews, an award-winning novelist and children's
author who resides in Winnipeg, Canada. Rita Toews first registered the week
with Chase's Calendar of Events in 2004 as an officially recognized worldwide
global literacy initiative. Read an E-Book Week celebrates the pleasures and
advantages of reading electronically. Authors, publishers, vendors, the media,
school children and readers worldwide are welcome to join in the effort by
orchestrating public readings, library displays, reading challenges, school
visits, newspaper and blog articles, talk show appearances, internet radio
interviews, e-book promotions, and banners on your website. Official sponsors
of Read an E-Book Week include Smashwords (http://www.smashwords.com), E-Ink
(http://www.eink.com), Sony Canada (http://www.sonystyle.ca) and Steve Jordan
Books (http://www.stevejordanbooks.com/). Additional partners and supporters
can be found at http://www.ebookweek.com/partners.html
About Smashwords, Inc.
Launched in 2008, privately held Smashwords operates a digital publishing
platform and online book store for independent ebook authors. The free service
puts authors in full control over the publishing, pricing and marketing of
their works. In addition to receiving exposure to hundreds of thousands of
potential readers on the Smashwords web site and via distribution on Stanza,
authors receive up to 85% of the net proceeds from sales of their works. For
readers, Smashwords offers the opportunity to discover exciting new voices in
fiction and non-fiction. Smashwords, Inc. is based in Los Gatos, California,
and can be reached on the web at http://www.smashwords.com/. Visit the
official Smashwords blog at http://blog.smashwords.com/
Press contacts:
Mark Coker, Smashwords, Inc.
http://www.smashwords.com
email: first initial second initial at smashwords dot com
Rita Toews
http://www.ebookweek.com
email: first initial dot toews at shaw dot ca
SOURCE Smashwords, Inc.
http://www.smashwords.com
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