Writers: Replay video for "All About ISBNs & More"


Hi Reader,
​
I'm sorry if you missed the All About ISBNs session on Monday—there were some Zoom notification issues and then video production issues that delayed the availability of the replay materials. The links below will take you to my Author Friendly Substack, where you can watch the replay, view the slides, leave comments, and ask questions.

Here's the link to the slides and the video replay.

In the session, I walk through all four pages of the ISBN record for a single book format and show you how to find the information Bowker asks for, including your BISAC codes, imprint name, Library of Congress Control Number, and distributor.

You’ll learn:

  • What an ISBN actually identifies, and how to read one
  • Who uses ISBN metadata, and why it matters
  • What you give up by using free ISBNs, and what happens when you change platforms
  • Why you need to buy ISBNs in blocks of 10 or more
  • Why U.S. publishers should purchase ISBNs only from Bowker
  • How to correctly complete all four pages of a Bowker ISBN record
  • How to clone, update, replace, or retire title records
  • How to create and register an imprint name
  • BISAC subject codes and discoverability
  • ISBNs, barcodes, and embedded prices
  • Why and how to get an LCCN through the PCN program
  • Why and how to get a PCIP block and MARC record

Thank you to the Publishing Professionals Network for hosting this Noon Zoom. If you’re a publishing professional, consider joining the group ($35 annually). Members include editors, designers, book production experts, publishing assistants, and other publishing pros. We meet once a month, and members are generous about exchanging information, leads, and ideas. It’s a wonderful community.

Got questions about ISBNs? Please take a look at the slides and the video first, then ask questions in the comments here.

Carla

PS: Not interested in writing and publishing classes and events? Click here to opt out of this list. You'll still hear from me about my travel and adventure writing.

Carla King

Adventures in travel, writing, and publishing.

Read more from Carla King

Hi Reader, Summer's over, autumn is starting to show its colors, and authors are calling me with the same question: "Can I get my book finished and published in time for the holidays?" Fair warning: this is a longer email than usual, and it's worth saving and studying. Too many authors come to me after wasting years of time and thousands of dollars, not because they lacked talent or didn't work hard enough, but because they didn't know what they didn't know. They made decisions about...

Hi Reader, For those of you who already know me, you've probably heard me say: Free ISBNs might be one of the most expensive "free" things you'll ever use to publish your book. Find out why on Monday at the Publishing Professionals Network's free Noon Zoom. I'm walking through the process of buying and filling out all four pages of a book's ISBN record at Bowker MyIdentifiers — plus Library of Congress Control Numbers, Cataloging in Publication Blocks, MARC Records, Barcodes, BISAC Codes, and...

Hi Reader, Last chance to enroll in the Mini-Memoir Method live sessions before we begin tomorrow, Tuesday, June 9th at 9 am PT / 12 pm ET. Work on your story in June. Publish your story in July. You have a story you've been meaning to write. This is the month to do it — with structure, community, and two experienced instructors reading your work and helping you shape it. Most writing courses teach you concepts. This one gives you a method — a repeatable four-step framework for finding your...