Smashwords & Draft2Digital Formatting Guide
📌 Update: Smashwords was acquired by Draft2Digital in 2022. Both platforms operate, but new authors should use Draft2Digital. The formatting principles remain the same.
Clean Word formatting is the foundation of a successful Smashwords/Draft2Digital submission. One upload reaches Apple Books, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, OverDrive libraries, and 10+ more retailers. Get the formatting right once and your book distributes everywhere automatically.
Build Your Wide Launch →Formatting Steps for Draft2Digital / Smashwords
Start from a Clean Document
Copy your manuscript text into a fresh Word document. Use Edit > Paste Special > Unformatted Text to strip all imported formatting. This prevents hidden styles from breaking the conversion.
Set Up Styles (Not Manual Formatting)
Use Word's built-in styles exclusively: Normal for body text, Heading 1 for chapter titles. Never use the spacebar for indents or Enter key for blank lines — use styles and paragraph spacing instead.
Set Body Text Indent
In the Normal style, set first-line indent to 0.3–0.5 inches. Do NOT use the Tab key. Set 'Space before/after paragraph' to 0 — chapter breaks should use page breaks, not Enter keys.
Remove All Manual Formatting
Find and replace all double spaces, manual tabs, and empty paragraph breaks. Use Find (^p^p) to locate and remove double paragraph breaks in the Word Find & Replace dialog.
Add Front Matter
Include title page, copyright page (plain text, no tables), and optional dedication. Draft2Digital can auto-generate these, but handwritten front matter gives more control over formatting.
Upload and Validate
Upload your .docx to Draft2Digital (which acquired Smashwords in 2022). Preview in their online viewer. Download and check the EPUB in a reader app before approving distribution.
Common Formatting Mistakes to Avoid
✗ Tabs for indentation
✓ Use first-line indent in the Normal style paragraph settings instead
✗ Double paragraph breaks for spacing
✓ Use Space After in paragraph settings; never press Enter twice for spacing
✗ Manually formatted bold/italic
✓ Apply character styles or inline formatting through the styles panel for consistency
✗ Tables and text boxes
✓ Tables and text boxes break Meatgrinder conversion — use plain paragraphs only
✗ Headers and footers
✓ Remove all document headers and footers before upload — they don't convert to EPUB
✗ Embedded images without alt text
✓ Add alt text to all images; use JPEG or PNG at appropriate resolution (72–150 DPI)
Wide Distribution Needs Wide Reviews
Your book will be on Apple Books, Kobo, and B&N — readers on those platforms check reviews too. iWrity ARC readers review on whatever platform they use.
Start ARC Campaign →Frequently Asked Questions
Is Smashwords still active or has it been replaced by Draft2Digital?+
Smashwords was acquired by Draft2Digital in 2022. The Smashwords platform and store continue to operate, but new authors are encouraged to use Draft2Digital's platform, which handles formatting and distribution more smoothly. The Smashwords Style Guide principles still apply — clean Word formatting remains the foundation.
What is the Smashwords Meatgrinder and how do I pass it?+
The Meatgrinder is Smashwords' auto-conversion engine that transforms Word documents into EPUB, MOBI, PDF, and other formats. To pass it cleanly: use Word styles (not manual formatting), no tabs for indents, no double spaces, no text boxes, no headers/footers, and no table of contents built with TC fields. The cleaner your Word document, the better the output.
What retailers does Draft2Digital distribute to?+
Draft2Digital distributes to Apple Books, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, OverDrive (library network), Bibliotheca, Baker & Taylor, Scribd, Tolino, Vivlio, and more. It also distributes to Amazon, though most authors upload directly to KDP. Draft2Digital is the most comprehensive wide distribution aggregator available.
What royalties does Draft2Digital pay?+
Draft2Digital takes 10% of the retailer's payment to the author. For a $4.99 ebook on Apple Books (70% royalty = $3.49), Draft2Digital takes $0.35, leaving $3.14. This is competitive — many authors find the convenience of one-upload wide distribution worth the 10% fee versus managing separate accounts on 10+ platforms.
Should I upload directly to each retailer or use Draft2Digital?+
Use Draft2Digital for convenience and coverage — one upload reaches 15+ retailers. Upload directly to Amazon KDP (Draft2Digital's Amazon connection exists but direct KDP gives more control over pricing and KU enrollment). Many authors use Draft2Digital for everywhere except Amazon, then upload directly to KDP.
Can I use Smashwords / Draft2Digital if I'm in Kindle Unlimited?+
No. Kindle Unlimited (KDP Select) requires ebook exclusivity with Amazon. You cannot be enrolled in KDP Select and simultaneously distribute to Apple Books, Kobo, or other ebook retailers. Going wide via Draft2Digital is incompatible with KDP Select enrollment.