Erotica Apps

Smashwords is a store now, not a publishing platform

Smashwords finished turning itself into a shop. Writers who used it to publish now go through Draft2Digital, and the erotica rules travel with them.

Published

Quick answer

  • Smashwords completed its change from publishing platform to store in January 2026, by its own account.
  • Authors who published there are now handled by Draft2Digital.
  • For readers nothing changed: it is still a store selling DRM-free ebooks, erotica included.
  • Its published erotica guidelines still apply to what it will sell.

Smashwords spent two decades as three things at once: a place to publish, a distributor to other stores, and a shop. Its own About page now says that as of January 2026 it finished the change into the third of those. Former Smashwords authors and publishers manage their publishing at Draft2Digital instead.

What it means for writers

The route changed, not the destination. Draft2Digital is the same corporate family and distributes to the same retailers, so a book that was selling through Smashwords is still selling. What a writer should check is the fee structure at the new door, which is covered on the creator fees page, and the content rules, which are not identical everywhere a distributor sends a book.

The erotica part matters here. Smashwords publishes its own erotica guidelines, and a distributor's partner stores each have their own line: some of them do not accept erotica at all. That is a detail worth reading before assuming a wide release means everywhere.

What it means for readers

Nothing immediate. The store is still there, still DRM-free, still carrying a large erotica catalogue behind its own filter. Details are on our Smashwords page.

More changes in this niche are in the news section.

FAQ

Can I still publish on Smashwords?

Not as a new author. Its About page directs publishing to Draft2Digital.

Does Smashwords still sell erotica?

Yes, under its own published erotica guidelines, with adult content filtered by default in its store.

Did my books disappear?

Nothing we read says so. Publishing operations moved to Draft2Digital rather than closing.

Sources

Official pages, documentation and store listings we read for this page (last check October 27, 2026).