Ash Davies
Founder of Books.by · Helped 20,000+ authors self-publish since 2014
Draft2Digital acquired Smashwords in 2022. They're now the same company — but both platforms still exist. Here's what changed, what matters for authors, and whether you should care.
| Feature | Draft2Digital | Smashwords | Books.by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Status | Active development | Maintenance mode | Active development |
| Cost | Free | Free | $99/year |
| D2D/SW Commission | 10% of net | 10% of net (via SW store: 15%) | None |
| Effective Author Royalty* | ~58-63% | ~58-63% | 100% |
| Ebook Distribution | ✓ Apple, Kobo, B&N, etc. | ✓ Same retailers | ✗ Direct only |
| Print-on-Demand | ✓ D2D Print (via Ingram) | ✗ | ✓ Built-in |
| Direct Store | ✗ Links to retailers | ✓ Smashwords store | ✓ Your branded store |
| Customer Data | ✗ Anonymous | ✓ Via SW store only | ✓ Full details |
| Formatting Tools | ✓ Excellent auto-conversion | ✓ "Meatgrinder" converter | DIY upload |
| Universal Book Links | ✓ Books2Read | ✗ | ✗ |
| Free ISBN | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Payout Speed | Monthly | Monthly (quarterly for some) | Daily |
| Best For | Wide ebook distribution | Legacy users, SW store sales | Direct sales, print books |
*Effective royalty assumes 70% retailer rate minus D2D's 10% commission. Actual rates vary by retailer.
In March 2022, Draft2Digital announced they'd acquired Smashwords, bringing together two of the biggest indie ebook distributors. The stated goal: combine D2D's modern technology with Smashwords' established author community and retailer relationships.
What changed: Development effort shifted to Draft2Digital. Smashwords hasn't received major feature updates since. The companies share distribution channels, so authors on either platform reach the same retailers. Some Smashwords-exclusive features (like the Smashwords store and coupon system) remain, but feel increasingly legacy.
What stayed the same: Both platforms still operate independently. You can use Smashwords, D2D, or both (though there's no reason to use both anymore). Royalty rates and distribution reach are essentially identical since the merger. Pricing and terms haven't changed significantly.
The practical takeaway? If you're new to indie publishing, go straight to Draft2Digital. If you're a legacy Smashwords user, you can stay or migrate — but D2D's tools are simply better in 2026.
Both D2D and Smashwords take the same cut for retailer distribution. Let's break down a $9.99 ebook.
For retailer distribution (Apple, Kobo, Barnes & Noble), both D2D and Smashwords result in the same author payout — retailers take their cut, then D2D/SW takes 10% of what's left.
The Smashwords direct store is slightly better at 75% (vs 63% through retailers), but the store has minimal traffic. Very few readers browse Smashwords anymore. For true direct sales with 100% royalties, neither D2D nor Smashwords can compete with a dedicated platform like Books.by.
D2D wins. Their ebook conversion is excellent — upload a Word doc, get a clean EPUB. Smashwords' "Meatgrinder" converter is notorious for formatting issues and strict requirements. If you have messy source files, D2D handles them better.
D2D wins. D2D Print launched in 2020 and distributes through the Ingram network. Smashwords has no print option. If you want both ebook distribution and print, D2D handles both in one place.
D2D wins. Books2Read gives you one link that shows readers all the stores where they can buy your book. It's genuinely useful for marketing. Smashwords has nothing comparable.
Smashwords wins — technically. The Smashwords store lets readers buy directly, and you keep 75% (or 85% with coupon codes). But store traffic has declined significantly. This was once Smashwords' killer feature; now it's nearly irrelevant.
Smashwords wins. You can generate coupon codes for discounts or free books — great for giveaways, review copies, and promotions. D2D doesn't have this. For authors who rely on coupons, Smashwords still has value.
D2D wins by miles. D2D is modern, clean, and intuitive. Smashwords looks like 2008 — cluttered, confusing, with a painful publishing flow. The interface alone is reason to choose D2D.
For new authors or anyone starting fresh: Draft2Digital. It's simply the better platform in 2026. But for direct sales where you keep 100% royalties and actually get customer data, neither D2D nor Smashwords can help — that's where Books.by comes in.
Here's the uncomfortable truth about both Draft2Digital and Smashwords: they're distributor middlemen. They exist to connect your book to retailers — but those retailers then sit between you and your readers.
You don't get customer data. When someone buys your ebook on Apple Books via D2D, you know a sale happened. You don't know who bought it, their email, or anything useful for building a reader relationship.
You're paying double commissions. First the retailer takes 30%, then D2D/SW takes 10% of what's left. For a $9.99 ebook, you're losing $3.70 to middlemen. That's 37% gone before you see a dollar.
Distribution doesn't equal discovery. Being "available" on Apple Books doesn't mean Apple will promote you. Their algorithms favor bestsellers. As an indie author, you're bringing your own traffic — and then paying 37% to a distribution chain that did nothing to earn those sales.
The direct sales opportunity
If you have an email list, podcast, social following, or any other traffic source — why send those readers to Apple Books? With a direct sales platform like Books.by, you keep 100% of royalties (minus processing), get customer emails with every order, and get paid daily. Use D2D for readers who discover you on retailer platforms. Use Books.by for everyone you bring yourself.
Yes, Draft2Digital acquired Smashwords in March 2022. The Smashwords brand and platform continue to operate, but the companies are now one entity. Most new features are developed for the D2D platform, with Smashwords operating more in maintenance mode.
Use Draft2Digital. It has the better interface, more features (like print distribution), and receives active development. Smashwords still works for existing users, but new authors should go straight to D2D. The distribution reach is essentially identical since the merger.
Draft2Digital takes 10% of net sales (after retailer cuts). If Apple pays 70%, D2D takes 10% of that 70%, so you get 63%. This is on top of what retailers take, making it a middleman fee for the convenience of one-click distribution.
Yes, D2D Print launched in 2020 and has expanded since. It distributes print books through the Ingram network. For ebooks, D2D was always the focus. For print, it's a newer addition that competes with IngramSpark, though with fewer options.
Yes, Smashwords.com still operates as a separate platform and storefront. Authors can still publish there and it still distributes to the same retailers. However, development focus has shifted to Draft2Digital. Legacy Smashwords authors can use both or migrate fully to D2D.
The Smashwords store still exists where readers can buy ebooks directly. However, traffic has declined significantly since the merger. D2D's Books2Read author pages are now the primary direct-sale mechanism for D2D users, offering universal buy links across all retailers.
Probably. D2D has better tools, a cleaner interface, and receives active development. If you're still on Smashwords, migrating to D2D gives you access to newer features while maintaining the same distribution. The process is straightforward since both platforms are now owned by the same company.
Not really. D2D is a distributor, not a direct sales platform. Their Books2Read pages link to retailers where readers buy your book — you don't sell directly. For true direct sales with 100% royalties and customer data, you need a platform like Books.by.
Use D2D for wide retailer distribution. Use Books.by for your own audience — 100% royalties, customer data, daily payouts.
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