How do I obtain an ISBN and a bar code?
ISBN stands for ‘International Standard Book Number’ (therefore it is tautologous to speak of an ‘ISBN number’). An ISBN is a unique code which enables every book in print to be identified unambiguously. Until recently ISBNs have consisted of ten digits, but the number of books published globally since the introduction of the system has used up all of the available combinations, so a new thirteen-digit system has been introduced to allow sufficient unique numbers for many years to come.
A thirteen-digit ISBN consists of a prefix that identifies the publisher, followed by a number that identifies the publisher’s book, and a check digit at the end that is generated by an algorithm.
There is no legal obligation to have an ISBN for your book, as it is merely a product number, but without one you can’t generate a bar code and you won’t be able to sell your book through third-party companies such as bookshops. ISBNs are issued in the UK and Ireland by Nielsen BookData. It isn’t possible to buy just one ISBN, so you’ll have to buy ten numbers if you want to publish your own book. Having the spare numbers means you’ll be ready to publish more books if your first one takes off.
HOW DO I OBTAIN AN ISBN AND A BAR CODE?
The UK ISBN Agency can be contacted at the following address:
ISBN Agency
3rd Floor
Midas House
62 Goldsworth Road
Woking
Surrey
GU21 6LQ
Tel: 0870 777 8712 Fax: 0870 777 8714 E-mail: isbn@ nielsenbookdata.co.uk
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This is the thirteen-digi t this book: 978-1-84024
Summersdale. All of the nersdale books include their ISBNs.
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519 identifies this book list. Summersdale be allocation of one hund were used up it pur numbers, of which this published.
6 is the check digit.
The creation of a bar code is something your printer or typesetter should be able to do for you. All they need in order to generate it is your ISBN. The bar code should always be on the back cover of the book so that it’s easy for the bookshop staff to find it. When they scan the bar code at the till point, it reads the lines in the code which tells the computer system your book’s ISBN. The ISBN identifies your book in the shop’s database, displays the correct price on the till and records the sale. The computer system then adjusts its inventory record automatically so that the manager can produce a report to show which books have sold and which books to reorder. ISBNs and bar codes streamline the whole operation of bookselling, making it more efficient and ensuring that when a book sells out it isn’t forgotten about.
HOW DO I OBTAIN AN ISBN AND A BAR CODE?
There's nothing to stop you publishing a book without a bar code, but it will limit your sales options. High street bookshop chains can stock books without bar codes but they don't like to, because it means they have to create, print and stick a bar code onto the back cover of your book. It's extra work for them, it's messy, and it might cover up important selling points on your book cover.