Smashwords announces agreement with Oyster

Smashwords has announced a new distribution deal with Oyster, a subscription service for eBooks.  Oyster is offering an all you can eat, er, read service for $9.99 per month.  By signing a distribution deal with them, Smashwords can now ship their titles to Oyster as a part of Oyster's library.  Basically, this is Smashwords answer to Amazon's KDP Select program, which allows Amazon's Prime members to download and read a book for free.  Smashwords will allow any author to opt in or out of the program, and while they have not released the compensation structure for authors, Smashwords founder Mark Coker states that it will be beneficial to indie authors.  One big difference between this and Select will be that Oyster does not require exclusivity.  You can opt in to the model and continue to sell your books on whatever other sites you are currently using.  The only caveat for entrance into Oyster is that your Smashwords book be in their Prime catalogue.
Personally, I have mixed thoughts on the subject.  One of the things about Amazon that made me shy away from Select, was the exclusivity agreement.  I want to get my work in front of as many eyes as possible, and while Amazon may be a Juggernaut, they aren't the only game in town.  Plus, let's face it, their shelves are packed lately, and getting seen in their store is getting harder and harder.  I'm still a firm believer in the adage that if you write a good story, the readers will find you.  But spreading your work out to as many distributers as possible can only help.  Plus, I've heard many authors complain that their sales began to tank the minute that Select was created.  Why would someone pay full price for a book if they can find something else on Select for free?
If the author compensation is as good as Coker is saying it will be, then why not take advantage of it?  Especially if the deal comes with the equivalent push of exposure and marketing that Select members receive from Amazon.  Just like with internet radio and Netflix, it appears that subscription services are trending, and we as authors need to get on board with the new model and figure out a way to make it work, or we start swimming against the current and drown.  Coker is stating that 72 hours prior to the implementation of distribution, he will email all current authors in the Smashwords library to detail the payment structure.  That gives me some time to think; but in all honesty, what is there to think about?  Time to get cracking on the next novel.  As always, looks like the more quality content you produce, the better off you are going to be.  Sound off below, what are your thoughts on going free?

Amazon Announces Matchbook

At long last, Amazon seems to be addressing something that fans of eBooks have long clamored for.  Sort of.  As a major reader of electronic books, and a devoted Kindle app user on my iPad, I've often looked at my trove of physical books and wondered if I should go to the expense of replacing them with electronic versions.  I've also wondered why the electronic version of a book weren't included in the purchase of an eBook.  Much like they now bundle Blu-Ray, DVD and the electronic version of movies.  It seems like Amazon is now addressing this with their MatchBook program.  Essentially, you can now download the electronic version of any book you have ever purchased from them for a fee.  That fee ranges from free to $2.99.  Not bad; I could definitely swing that on some of the physical purchases I've made.  Tell me, do you think this is a good thing, and does it really benefit you?  Moving forward, I don't see myself going back to purchasing physical books, but looking back?  Yes, there are a few that I will hunt for to replace.  I'm sitting here, in my home library, surrounded by all my old books as I write this, and I'm thinking; what could I do with this room if I were to replace all these shelves of books with one slim, beautifully designed, tablet?  I don't know if I could bring myself to do it, but it's a tempting thought.  Maybe I'll cruise around on Amazon, after downloading a few eBooks, and see what kind of pool tables they have in stock.
Sound off in the comments section below if you think Amazon's MatchBook program is a pro or con to the book lover.

Ok.  Now that I've published my debut book, a superhero novel, what's the next step?  I just realized that it's now one of thousands that went live at the same time.  How do I make mine stand out in a crowd like that?  I've seen a few downloads, and generally, the people reading it really like it; I just need to get it in front of a lot more eyes.  But in the meantime, I think I'm going to focus on writing my second novel.  I think the more work I can get into the Amazon store, the more it will raise my visibility.  I've no idea how Amazon rankings work; all I know is mine is pretty low right now.  Oh well, all I can do is continue to plug away and put out the best work I can.  Would love to hear from anyone out there in the same position I am.