Wattpad, an online writing community, social network and mobile phone e-book developer, is partnering with e-book publisher and distributor, Smashwords, to provide wider distribution and cross promotion opportunities for writers from both online communities.
Wattpad is supported by advertising, offers its e-content for free and claims as many as 10 million visits to the site each month to read and comment on its content. The new deal will allow Wattpad members to sell and promote their e-book content on Smashwords, which distributes e-books in every format and for virtually every kind of digital reader and mobile handset. In turn, Smashword authors can cross promote their e-books to the Wattpad online community.
Wattpad CEO Allen Lau said that Wattpad authors do not have to pay for cross promotion on Smashwords. “Smashwords wins by being able to market to hundreds of thousands of Wattpad writers who might want to sell their titles through them (and hence generating more sales and commission). Wattpad wins by encouraging ten of thousands of Smashwords writers to join Wattpad (and hence generating more traffic and ad dollars).
Smashword founder Mark Coker said, “Wattpad represents a fabulous training ground where authors can hone their craft and prepare their writing for distribution and sale at Smashwords.”
