I don’t think there’s an avid reader in the world who would argue that eBooks haven’t changed the way we read. It’s nothing for someone in the U.S. to publish a novel, and through the wonder of the World Wide Web, a person in Australia finds it. Even ten years ago it was almost unimaginable to think we could sell books like that. When paper was king, that same reader in Australia would have to jump through hoops, pay an exorbitant amount (including import taxes), and patiently wait while their book was sent to them by the slowest route possible. Not today!
Where is your audience?
Two major eBook sites can help give you that answer. Smashwords.com has the best “metric” for seeing where your books are selling. Amazon is not quite as good due to their constrictive sales channels and their data reporting. Your market with them consists of: U.S., India, U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Japan, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. I’m sure they’re working to add more, but for now, this is all they offer.
Let’s take Smashwords for a spin. Because of their agreements with twelve global distributors (I don’t think they have the partnership with Amazon yet), you never know in what country your book will find a new home. Continue reading “How Global Are You?”
