{"id":206556,"date":"2023-01-04T09:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-04T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.draft2digital.com\/blog\/?p=206556"},"modified":"2023-01-05T12:05:13","modified_gmt":"2023-01-05T18:05:13","slug":"2022-year-in-review-the-year-of-joining-forces","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/draft2digital.com\/blog\/2022-year-in-review-the-year-of-joining-forces\/","title":{"rendered":"2022 Year in Review: The Year of Joining Forces"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

NOTE: You may also be interested in reading the Smashwords 2022 Year in Review and 2023 Preview<\/a><\/em>, from Mark Coker via the Smashwords blog! CLICK HERE<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s that time of year again\u2026 the beginning<\/em>. A time for renewal, for planning, for preparing to face a year of hope and opportunity ahead. It\u2019s also, traditionally, the time of year when we take a look back. And at Draft2Digital, we had quite a year in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While most years we start with a list of new features and services we built just for you, this year was a little\u2026 different. You may have heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We didn\u2019t skimp on the \u201cnew,\u201d though. In fact, we added a whole stack<\/em> of new things for D2D authors to plunge into and to look forward to. But we also added a bunch of new resources for those authors who have always used Smashwords<\/em> for their publishing journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

All that new<\/em> came from one of the biggest announcements in either Draft2Digital\u2019s or Smashwords\u2019 histories\u2014the news of the merger between these two industry-pioneering businesses!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merger wasn\u2019t the only<\/em> news of 2022, but it was certainly the biggest<\/em>. And it set the trim of our sail for the entire year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here at D2D we\u2019re already peering into the crystal ball to see what 2023 will bring. But first, let\u2019s take a second, light a fire, pour a beverage, and take a quick look back of what D2D (and Smashwords!) did for you in 2022.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That totally rhymed\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Merger, of Course<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The 1,000-pound gorilla in the room came early in the year!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In February, the announcement was made<\/a>\u2014Draft2Digital would acquire Smashwords! And though many have long viewed the two companies as rivals, most of us on the inside never thought of it that way. In fact, for many of us here at D2D, we felt we owed Smashwords a debt of thanks. Mark Coker and his team practically invented<\/em> the landscape of this business, creating a strategy for helping will-be authors to start, build, and grow their publishing careers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, joining forces felt like a no-brainer. And, it really comes as no big surprise, the two teams united into one with nary a hiccup. We were all on the same page, philosophically. So merging these teams was easy work!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The merger was completed in March, and that\u2019s when the real<\/em> work began.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Combining two businesses into one cohesive whole takes a lot of planning, strategy, and effort. While both companies shared a common philosophy, they differed somewhat in their technical approach and methods. So, the task for 2022 quickly became \u201ccombine the strengths, eliminate the weaknesses.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Luckily, there weren\u2019t many weaknesses. And so, most of our work has been fine-tuning and tinkering under the hood to make sure everything about the combined new business fits the highest D2D standards and \u00dfgives our combined house of authors the very best tools, resources, and options possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here\u2019s what combining our might looks like:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n