What Does Smashwords Do?

Total employees25
HeadquartersLos Gatos
Founded2008

Smashwords, founded in 2008 by Mark Coker, became a leading ebook self-publishing and distribution platform for independent authors and publishers globally. It offered free tools to create, publish, and distribute eBooks to major retailers (like Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo) and library networks. Smashwords was renowned for empowering authors with control over their work and providing access to a wide market. Key features included its 'Meatgrinder' manuscript conversion tool and extensive sales reporting. In March 2022, Smashwords was acquired by Draft2Digital, another prominent author services company, combining their strengths to offer enhanced support and distribution for the indie author community. The Smashwords brand and store continue to operate, with backend operations and new sign-ups increasingly integrated with Draft2Digital.

Where Is Smashwords's Headquarters?

Smashwords officeSmashwords officeSmashwords officeSmashwords office
*Images sourced via web search. Rights belong to original owners

HQ Function

This historical headquarters served as the central hub for Smashwords' operations, including platform development, author support, marketing, and strategic planning before its acquisition.

Notable Features:

As a digital-first company, the physical headquarters was a functional office space focused on technology development and operations rather than notable architectural highlights. It fostered a collaborative environment for its team.

Work Culture:

Smashwords fostered an innovative, author-centric work culture. The team was mission-driven, focused on empowering independent authors and democratizing publishing. It was known for being responsive to its user base and agile in its development.

HQ Significance:

The Los Gatos headquarters was the origin point for a platform that significantly impacted the self-publishing revolution, providing tools and market access to hundreds of thousands of authors.

Values Reflected in HQ: The headquarters embodied values of innovation, author empowerment, accessibility, and transparency, which were central to Smashwords' mission and services.

Location:

Smashwords established a significant global presence by providing its digital publishing and distribution services to authors and publishers worldwide. Its platform enabled authors from nearly every country to publish and sell their eBooks internationally through a vast network of online retailers and library partners. While its physical operations were based in the US, its impact and user base were global, supporting a diverse international community of writers.

Street Address:

15951 Los Gatos Blvd., Suite 16 (Historical)

City:

Los Gatos

State/Province:

California

Country:

USA

Where Else Does Smashwords Operate Around the World?

No additional office locations available.

Buying Intent Signals for Smashwords

Highperformr Signals uncover buying intent and give you clear insights to target the right accounts at the right time — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams close more deals, faster.

Notable news
Hiring actively
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
Corporate Finance
*Example signal, not calculated in real time

Who's Leading Smashwords? Meet the Executive Team

As of April 2025, Smashwords' leadership includes:

Mark Coker - Founder & Former CEO (Now Chief Strategy Officer at Draft2Digital)
Bill modest - Former Chief Technology Officer

Who's Investing in Smashwords?

Smashwords has been backed by several prominent investors over the years, including:

Primarily Bootstrapped
Marc Randolph (Angel Investor, Co-founder of Netflix)
Other private angel investors

What Leadership Changes Has Smashwords Seen Recently?

Hire0
Exits0

Following the acquisition of Smashwords by Draft2Digital in March 2022, the executive structure of Smashwords as an independent entity was integrated into Draft2Digital. Mark Coker, founder of Smashwords, transitioned to Chief Strategy Officer and board member at Draft2Digital at the time of acquisition. There have been no publicly announced executive hires or exits specific to the 'Smashwords' entity in the last 12 months, as leadership changes now fall under the unified Draft2Digital organization.

What Technology (Tech Stack) Is Used bySmashwords?

Discover the tools Smashwords uses. Highperformr reveals the technologies powering your target accounts — helping your sales, marketing, and GTM teams prioritize smarter and close faster.

Smashwords Email Formats and Examples

Historically, Smashwords utilized standard professional email formats for communication, primarily using the @smashwords.com domain for support and corporate communications. Post-acquisition by Draft2Digital, official communications are increasingly channeled through Draft2Digital systems, although some legacy Smashwords addresses might still be monitored or redirect.

Common formats likely included [first_initial][last]@smashwords.com or [first_name]@smashwords.com. Support emails were often role-based e.g. support@smashwords.com.

Format

support@smashwords.com (historical general support)

Example

60%

Success rate

What's the Latest News About Smashwords?

Smashwords Official Blog (Mark Coker)December 29, 2023

Smashwords Founder Mark Coker Shares 2024 Book Publishing Industry Predictions

Mark Coker, Founder of Smashwords and Chief Strategy Officer at Draft2Digital, published his annual predictions for the book publishing industry. He discusses emerging trends such as AI's impact, author earnings, and the evolving challenges and opportunities for independent authors in the coming year....more

Draft2Digital BlogMay 17, 2023

Draft2Digital Reflects on First Year After Smashwords Merger, Highlighting Author Benefits

Draft2Digital provided a one-year retrospective following its acquisition of Smashwords. The company detailed the progress of platform integration, the introduction of new tools for authors, and the expansion of opportunities for the combined user base, reaffirming its commitment to the indie author community....more

Publishers WeeklyMarch 8, 2022

Draft2Digital Acquires Smashwords

Draft2Digital, a major self-publishing services provider, announced its acquisition of Smashwords, Inc., a pioneering competitor in eBook distribution for independent authors. This landmark deal united two of the largest service providers for indie authors, aiming to create a more powerful combined entity....more

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