Four Smashwords authors have hit the New York Times Bestseller list, providing further proof (if it were needed) that self-published authors can make it big. The authors in question are Colleen Hoover (with Slammed at #8 and Point of Retreat at #18), R.L. Mathewson (with Playing For Keeps at #16), Lyla Sinclair (with Training Tessa at #17) and Bella Andre (with If You Were Mine at #22, Can’t Help Falling in Love at #23 and I Only Have Eyes For You at #24). Click here to see the titles on the latest Ebook Fiction list.
Writing on the Smashwords blog, Mark Coker thanks the authors and notes that while a year ago it was unheard of for a Smashwords author to hit the New York Times list, the trend is changing rapidly. It’s also worth noting that a number of other indie authors are also riding high on the list, including the likes of Sylvia Day (who started out self-publishing before going with Penguin) and Jennifer Probst, whose book The Marriage Bargain has been a big hit in recent months. As you might expect, the top three spots on the list are dominated by the Fifty Shades… trilogy.
With the likes of Amazon, Apple and Google circling the ebook industry and seeking to carve out huge chunks of the market for themselves, it’s interesting to note that Smashwords – which offers distribution to a wide range of sites such as Barnes & Noble, iTunes and Kobo – seems to be showing that the route to success is still based on offering a wide range of purchasing choices rather than tying a book down to exclusive deals with one particular outlet.
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