Kobo Writing Life vs Smashwords
February 02, 2026 | Author: Laura Candler
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Self-publishing platform for the world's second-largest book ecosystem, spanning 190 countries. It allows to publish ebooks and audiobooks, which can be distributed not only through the main Kobo store, but also through OverDrive (in public libraries), Kobo Plus subscription service and online stores of leading retailers. Authors earn up to 70% in royalties (sent directly to your bank account), own the rights to their books, set prices, and run their own advertising campaigns. Kobo doesn't require exclusivity, so you can self-publish your books anywhere. You can track updates in real time with detailed sales analytics (by country, date and reading activity of Kobo Plus subscribers) in a convenient dashboard.
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Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of indie ebooks. We make it fast, free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to publish and distribute ebooks to the major retailers. We provide free tools for marketing, distribution, metadata management and sales reporting. At Smashwords, our authors and publishers have complete control over the sampling, pricing and marketing of their written works.
Kobo Writing Life vs Smashwords in our news:
2019. Kobo Writing Life now accepts Audiobook submissions
Writing Life is the self-publishing division of Kobo and when authors submit an ebook, it is sold across all the various markets where Kobo distributes digital content, which covers most of the globe. Independent authors can now easily upload, promote and sell their audiobooks, adjust prices, or select the countries in which they want to sell through the user-friendly dashboard. The rollout is currently in beta testing and will be accessible to all accounts soon. Audiobook features are currently available in English and will be offered in additional languages by the end of 2019. Kobo Writing Life is one of several self-publishing platforms that accept audiobooks. They are competing with Audible, Findaway Voices, Draft2Digital and others.
