WHAT IS AN ISBN AND HOW DO I GET ONE?

An ISBN plays an important part in you being a self publisher, for whoever obtains the ISBN for a new book actually becomes the publisher. Most people know an ISBN relates to books, but a number of questions can be raised regarding it, such as: what exactly is an ISBN, what do the numbers mean, and how would I get one?

WHAT DOES ISBN STAND FOR?

The letters ISBN stand for International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a 10-digit number unique to your book, and is used throughout the world in the same way. Agencies such as libraries and booksellers use ISBN’s for cataloguing, ordering and stock control. Since it needs to be published on your actual book, it must be obtained before its publication, although use of ISBNs is not compulsory. Bookshops, however, will rarely deal with a book without an ISBN.

WHAT DO THE NUMBERS MEAN?

An ISBN is usually divided into a group of four numbers, usually by hyphens, like this:

1-86252-140-9

The first group of numbers represents the country, such as 0 or 1 for English-speaking countries, 2 for French-speaking countries, 3 for German-speaking countries etc.
The second group of numbers, issued by the national ISBN agency, identifies the publisher.
The third group is the book number describing the specific title and edition.
The last digit, which will be either a single number or the letter X, is a check digit – the result of an algorithm designed to ensure the previous 9 numbers are correct.

THE HISTORY (AND FUTURE) OF ISBNs

The first book-identifying system was used by UK book and stationery chain WH Smith in 1966, and was called SBN or Standard Book Numbering. The current ISBN numbering system commenced in 1970 and has remained to date in this form. However, from 1st January 2007 ISBN’s will transition to 13 digit numbers. This is due to a dwindling supply of 10-digit numbers. Publishers will be required to recalculate all their ISBNs to accommodate the new number format in their systems, while libraries and booksellers will need to make changes in the software to support the conversion.

HOW DO I GET AN ISBN?

Each country has its own agency providing ISBNs. Usually an application and accompanying fee are submitted to obtain one. In Australia, ISBNs are available through Thorpe-Bowker for AUD69.50 for a block of 10, or AUD33.00 for a single ISBN. The process takes about five days. In New Zealand they are available from the National Library of New Zealand. I was unable to determine the price from their website. The National Library of Canada houses the Canadian ISBN Agency, while in the United States R.R. Bowker issues ISBNs for books published there. Nielsen BookData operates as the UK and Republic of Ireland ISBN Agency for those countries. For other countries, a list of ISBN Agencies is provided through the following website: www.isbn-international.org/index.html .

Ironically, a self publisher will not need all ten ISBNs issued as a block, although a single ISBN, if obtainable, is hardly cost-effective. It has been this ‘generous’ allocation of ISBNs in the past that has resulted in the current shortage, thus necessitating the introduction of the new 13-digit system. As a result, ISBN Agencies in the future will seek to issue smaller blocks of numbers. This will hopefully reduce the cost for self-publishers.

WHERE ON MY BOOK DO I PUT THE ISBN?

According to Bowker Thorpe, an ISBN “should be printed on the reverse of the title page of a book, along with copyright and publisher information. It must be printed exactly as given (with the letters ‘ISBN’ preceding it) somewhere in the publication for it to be valid.”

(http://www.thorpe.com.au/isbn/isbn_faqs.htm%20at%2010/12.05).

CONCLUSION

This article answers some basic questions surround the use of ISBNs. Many other questions about this subject can be answered by visiting the website of the ISBN Agency in your own country, particularly with regard to price, and allocations of blocks of 10.

Dallas Robertson
VANITY PRESS DISTRIBUTORS
Read Something New! at http://www.vanitypress.com.au/

GETTING STARTED AS A SELF PUBLISHER

If you pushed most people, they would admit there is a book inside them waiting to see the light of day. If you are thinking of taking this thought one step closer by self publishing your book, it would be of great assistance to see the whole process in advance. That way, you will not be in for any shocks or surprises along the way. Many authors have leaped without looking, and paid dearly for it. There is no reason why the process of having your book put into print should leave a bitter aftertaste in your mouth. This article will provide you with an overview of the self publishing process, from woe to go.

MOTIVES

Since self publishing is not only a creative, but a financial decision, you should ask yourself why you want to see your book in print. Is it to make money? Is it for fame? Would you love to see your name on the cover of a book? Are you trying to raise money for a charity? Do you want to promote a cause dear to your heart? Or do you simply love writing, and are up for a new challenge? Since self publishing only sometimes makes more money than it costs, it is worth analysing your true motives for self publishing. Otherwise, you could be disappointed. It is worth doing this before any financial transactions take place.


CASH

Depending on the type of book you want to write (or indeed have written), consider the cost. A fairly basic book might set you back about AUD5000-6000 for 1000 copies. Books with hard covers, better quality paper, colour photographs or other extras will cost more. Ensure you have the money before you even begin. You do not want to endanger your credit rating or financial situation by underestimating the cost of publication.


TIME AND ENERGY

To self publish means to handle every aspect of the book’s production, from typesetting the manuscript to marketing, and everything in between. As such, it becomes like a small business. Small business owners can attest to the expenditure of time and energy required for a successful operation. This can be an extremely rewarding experience, whether or not you have experience as a businessperson - so long as you have factored in the time and energy required to get your book finished and into the hands of the public.


PREPARING THE MANUSCRIPT FOR PUBLICATION

Whether you have hand-written, typed or word-processed your manuscript, the final result needs to be put into typeset material for the printer. For a professional-looking finished product, it is best if the manuscript is typeset by a professional. A hand-written copy requires more work by a typesetter, so to cut costs, it would be best to convert it to a more readable format. The services of a typesetter can be provided by, or located through, a good printing company. In your writing, be careful to avoid copyright infringements, libellous comments, breaches of privacy and confidentiality, racial hatred, or revealing government-sensitive information. If in doubt, seek the advice of a solicitor.


DESIGNING AND PRODUCING YOUR BOOK

Before your book can be printed, decisions have to be made on its design. Some things to consider are: the size of the book, the typeface used, cover design, hard or soft cover, binding style, quality of paper, and whether to use illustrations or photographs. You also need to think about how many copies you would like. Generally the more copies produced, the cheaper each copy. However, bear in mind that you will have to sell them, or finish up with boxes of books lining your walls. Since you will be the publisher, you will also need to obtain the ISBN (International Standard Book Number) yourself, and arrange for a Legal Deposit to be made at your state and/or national library. Lastly, you will need everything required to run a small business, such as invoices, padded envelopes for mail order, and possibly business and taxation registration. This is an exciting time!


PROMOTING YOUR BOOK

There are many ways to promote your finished book, especially with the popularity of the internet. Here are a few marketing suggestions: set up your own website and blog, issue a press release, contact libraries, media advertising, ebay, set up a stall at a fair, approach bookshops, tell friends and relatives. There are many more. Be warned that some of these methods may not always work. It sometimes depends upon the subject of the book. Websites and advertising cost money, and time is involved attracting people to the site. A library will often accept a book if its subject is of local interest, but generally will only buy through traditional publishers. Bookshops usually sell on consignment only, and even then retain 40-60% of the retail price. Still, many self published authors are having great success using some of these methods, so don’t be dismayed.

CONCLUSION

If you see the big picture before you embark on your self publishing journey, you will have the time of your life, not to mention the satisfaction of having your book in print. With your book at least in Legal Deposit, you and your family will enjoy a lasting legacy even after you’re gone.

Dallas Robertson
Vanity Press Distributors
Online Bookshop for Self Publishers
Live January 2006
vanitypress.com.au
dallastexjr@gmail.com

WHAT EXACTLY IS SELF PUBLISHING?

Perhaps this sounds an obvious question to somebody who has already self published, or is familiar with the industry, but for someone finding their way - perhaps an author who has written a piece of work and is contemplating financing its release - this question is appropriate. Not only is there a lot to learn about the actual process of self publishing, but there are unscrupulous operators out there waiting to pounce of those who are naive and unsuspecting.

Self publishing is a rather self-explanatory expression: it simply refers to the process by which an author, having written a body of work, publishes it themselves. In actual fact, it can be summed up in three points:

1. The author is the publisher
2. The author uses their own money to finance its publication
3. The author markets it themself

In reality, the process of self publishing a book is as follows:

The author, having produced the work for publication, obtains an ISBN (International Standard Book Number). The author then approaches a company specialising in printing books. (The author’s obtaining the ISBN is actually what makes the author a self publisher. This is the exact definition of a self publisher. Should any other person or business obtain the ISBN, then they would be regarded as the publisher).

The author pays the printing company for whatever services it offers to put the book into print, such as editing, word processing, cover design, photography, and printing and binding the book. Note that not all printing companies offer such a full range of services, so the author may approach others, such as an editor or cover designer, to complete these tasks first. They may then take the product to the printer, who should at the very least print, and probably bind, the book. The author will be handed back boxes containing whatever quantity of books they requested.

The author then sets out to sell the book, using whatever marketing means are at their disposal, usually charging at least double the cost price to recoup the cost of printing and make a profit.

The most important thing to realise is that the true definition of self publishing is when the author themself obtains the ISBN.

The reason this is so important for a potential self publisher to understand is that some businesses are set up to prey on those unfortunate enough to venture into this field without doing much research. This will be the subject for a later article, but for the moment, it will be sufficient to point out that these businesses provide the ISBN, making them, not the author, the publisher. This means that the book belongs to them, not the author. Despite now owning the book, they will charge – in fact overcharge – the author to print the book. More often than not, the quality will be awful. They also charge for marketing the book, which they usually do half-heartedly or not at all. Should the author wish to have copies of the book, they will have to pay for them. It sounds outrageous, but a lot of authors have suffered the indignity of being caught up in such a scam. In the United States, lawsuits against such firms occur daily.

Fortunately, with some research, and by always reading carefully any fine print, most authors avoid these pitfalls. They enjoy the reward of having their own self published book in print, which is often indistinguishable from that produced by a traditional publisher.

Vanity Press Distributors provides a website for self published authors to market their books. In March 2006, www.vanitypress.com.au will be available, featuring not only this article, but many others aimed at promoting and educating self publishers. Its main goal, though, is simply to sell self published books. In the meantime, email me at info@vanitypress.com if you would like more information.

Dallas Robertson