Thank you to Smashwords for this brilliant podcast where you generously share insider tips on how to maximize our ebook publishing experience. I am helping my Dad publish his memoirs from World War II this summer and look forward to following your pre-order advice.

Wowsers … I have listened extensively to podcasts about publishing, some have been really good. But this, by far, has been the best. I am eternally grateful for all the work and self sacrifice you have done in puting this together AND giving it to us for free.

This podcast was very informative, easy to follow and straight to the point. I loved it and recommend up coming writers to follow it.

I had looked up self book publishing and traditional publishing and was trying to find the best option and came across this and in the end choose self publishing son my wife and I would have control of her books. This helped with getting it done and lots of information! Thanks

I am a first time author and have been reading and searching for Podcasts to show me the way to publish. I ran across Marks podcast and it is fantastic! I am impressed by the information he provides as it is extremely informative and educational. I also truly respect his morals and ethics in this business. So much so, that I will not be publishing exclusively with another (as I had planned) and will be publishing my novel via Smashwords as my way of supporting the industry and Mark as a respected leader!

I love Mark's own story of starting Smashwords and how unlikely its success seemed. His advice on self-publishing is a nice blend of useful, hopeful and grounded. I particularly loved the line that 'isn't all publishing vanity publishing?' and his points about the different measures of writing success. Mark can tell a good story, so the podcast is entertaining as well as informative.

Mark Coker is one of the most informative individuals involved in self publishing. This podcast is a Master Class on how to maneuver as an independent writer. And it’s free! If you want to succeed, listen to this podcast.

Mark Coker gets right in there and tells you everything you need to know about becoming a self published Ebook author. Although I am not currently trying to publish an ebook(I am an author of children’s books) I have learned so much just listening to this podcast all the way through. I am going to listen to it again and take notes. Such a great resource to have! This information is universal to all authors whether self published, ebook author, or publishing a book to print ,even if you are just interested in writing, this book will help you! You will learn A LOT!! So happy to have had a friend refer me to this. Thank you for your help and time Mark! Best wishes and great luck!! Can’t wait for the next!

Great summary of what you need to know to begin planning your ebook release!

This show is for beginners mostly. If you have been self publishing for years like I have, you may pick up a pointer or two, but most of it will seem basic. The style is straightforward: no jokes or entertainnment, yet Mark still makes the podcast very listenable with his clear narration and high production value. When you get far into book marketing, you'll find for every piece of advice someone gives, another person will give the exact opposite advice: for example, Mark says "a good book will market itself", whereas Michael Hyatt says the exact opposite. Decent for the advanced; perfect for beginners.

I absolutely LOVE this podcast! Very informative. The practical and actionable advice is something I look forward to in each episode. Thanks, Mark!

Mark's podcast keeps delivering invaluable info to the indie author. It's free and applies regardless of your genre. I've learned a lot and look forward to learing more as the weeks go by.

When a podcast results in me scurrying to take notes for future action in my publishing business, it gets five stars from me. Education is why I listen to writing craft and author marketing podcasts and Mark Coker is already delivering. Plus the show notes are comprehensive, so if I happen to be raking the leaves, I don't have to either drop the rake or replay the podcast. Thank you for both (podcast and show notes, not rakes and leaves).

I want to get my self-published books into libraries. This podcast armed me with the steps I need to take.

Absolutely invaluable tool for learning so many things I had to learn on my own. As a fledgling indie author there is so much information that you're not privy to until well after you're on your way to failing at some etiquette, misuse of a marketing tool, or less than ideal results. This podcast is fantastic to help you avoid those pitfalls and learn from some amazingly insightful people about how to maneuver your way through the changing waters of the publishing industry.

Following Mark Coker's advice will help authors successfully navigate the indie publishing landscape. I've been following his advice for years, and it works great if you're looking to build a firm foundation for a writing career.

Comprehensive, informed and amiable guide to self publishing, a wonderful resource.

This is such a great perspective. We are getting tips on how to publish eBooks from a guy who can literally look at what thousands of authors have tried and tell us what works and what doesn't. I've listened to the first wave of five episodes and have been super inspired. I still have yet to have a marketable book but being a marketing guy by day this really excites me.

I learned a lot from each of Mark Coker's Smart Author Podcasts, however, this was my favorite, so far. At first, I was hesitant, because of the length. I took notes and listened twice, it was THAT informative. Mark is a full head and shoulders above others because 1) He's been in the Indie Author/eBook industry since its inception and 2) He's willing to share. Thanks Mark! I look forward to listening to the rest of this series.

I'm a full-time author who's doing pretty well for myself, and I have to say that this podcast is spot-on, if you want to thrive as an author. The podcast on preorders is 100% true, and pure gold. I also love the fact that on the Smashwords site, they have a transcript of the podcast. Thank you for your hard work, Mark – it is much appreciated!

This series will help crush it with Smashwords! Mark Coker is the best indie author guru I have heard. "Keep writing!"

I've been publishing at Smashwords since the very beginning, yet thanks to the Smart Author podcast, I'm still learning new tricks in publishing. That's really what it's all about-- new tips to help you sell more books. Mark is both knowledgable about how to get the most out of your publishing efforts, backed up with plenty of data, and dedicated to helping authors like you and me get the best results. Listen to this podcast. It's the most valuable 20-30 minutes you can spend.

I found Mark Coker's YouTube videos invaluable while self-publishing my novel "Mud Puddlers". "The Smart Author" podcast improves on these videos by making Coker's expertise more accessible on the go. The podcast also expands on his YouTube series with a wider array of topics. I highly recommend it!

Twelve years ago I wrote a book and started a publishing company to bring it to life. Since then I've published eight more books (only one of them mine), and I've watched publishing -- and reading -- change dramatically during that time. Had I but known, as the saying goes, all of the things Mark Coker shares in these podcasts, I'd have more hair, fewer ulcers, and more money in the bank. Most importantly, I wouldn't be worn out from climbing the learning curve. Whether or not you want to self-publish an e-book (and this series is really all about e-books), I highly recommend Mr. Coker's podcast. Not only is Smart Author informative, it is well delivered, well produced, practical, and encouraging. It makes me want to get to work on me newest book, just so I can apply Mr. Coker's advice. Which I will now do.

Expert indie publisher Mark Coker has a new podcast that brings new marketing success pathways to indie writers.

A very good introduction to indie publishing, but not much here for experienced indie writers.

I’ve depended on Mark to answer questions on all things ebooks since he founded Smashwords in 2008. His videos are awesome but now I can receive his wisdom while I’m driving, yay!

This series is perfect for any Indie Author who takes their career seriously. Coker is the king of Indie Stats. The best practices are backed up by a stack of impressive stats to take the guess work out of where to put your efforts and what to do next. Great podcast so far and I've listened to the first five.

Love this podcast because Mark seems to be speaking directly to me, addressing my concerns as I continue to publish in this ever-changing literary landscape. It doesn’t hurt that he is an awesome cheerleader too.

This is an excellent resource for all independent and hybrid authors. Advice on formatting and editing, pricing and marketing, everything you need to know to increase your chance of success.

If you've been curious about what it takes to self-publish your book, or if you're someone who is debating between self- and traditional publishing, or if you're wondering why in the world a writer would self-publish, this podcast is for you. It's great for covering the hows and whys of self-publishing and could serve as a good refresher for authors who have already been self-publishing for a while.

This podcast is a great way to get a whole bunch of information about publishing and marketing your books. The statistics and other information will change the way you think about self-publishing—you’ll learn that you are on the cutting edge. Smashwords founder Mark Coker is full of insights for indie authors and he has the background to know about best practices. I am eager to follow this series and learn more from someone who knows.

A great podcast for the would be indie author. This series is designed with the self publisher in mind and teaches them the tips and tricks of the trade guiding them in the production of professional grade finished ebooks. An excellent resource to improve your post writing game.

Smart Author is a must listen to podcast for authors wanting to self-publish. Mark Coker provides a step-by-step guide on how to develop and publish your book while containg complete control of its development and distribution. Easy to follow and listen to with a caring voice of expertise and passion.

I've been an indie author and publisher since 2012, and the biggest challenge I've faced is what best practices are so that my writing business can thrive. I'm in tons of writer's groups on FB, and the most common questions start with, "What should I do if I want to...." The answers, all honest and well-meaning, reflect the experience of individuals in the group. And the answers vary like crazy, because they are just one person's experience and opinion. This series by Mark Coker uses powerful data from Smashwords authors to indicate trends and best practices for fiction and nonfiction indie authors. I am grateful that Mark is sharing this amazingly useful data with us at no cost so that we can boost our results as authors and publishers.

I’ve never been an author who was writing to make money. I’ve always written stories for the readers entertainment. That has always been enough for me. However, Smashwords and Mark’s how to book in 2010 taught me what was then such top secret knowledge. I have always appreciated his honest, candid, straight forward views of what it going on with writing in this ever evolving marketplace. Things have changed so much since then. Mark is a trusted source and I am looking forward to listening.