If you are someone who is looking to get into the eBook business and has no idea what ISBN is, don’t worry. You are not alone. Many people look past the value of ISBN and just how important of a role it plays in Ebook businesses. In layman’s terms, a 13-digit number identification number stands for International Book Standard Number. It is similar to a bookmark that is used to categorize an eBook. No matter how many eBooks you put out there for sale and marketing, each one with its different variations and editions gets categorized and identified by their separate International Standard Book Number numbers.
Let’s begin with the acronym itself. The name International Standard Book Number pretty much defines the concept itself. Originally, ISBN was created to regulate the international categorization of books. The main purpose of ISBN now is to establish the identification of an Ebook’s edition.
This comes in handy when you have Ebooks that may share similar names to other Ebooks from other publishers. The aspect that distinguishes yours from the other Ebooks is their ISBN code. Not only that, but ISBN code also permits more effective marketing and classification of Ebooks by retailers and sellers. You can also track and monitor the sales of your Ebooks by their ISBN.
If you don’t like complicated terms, you can simply refer to ISBN as the fingerprints of your Ebooks. To use it more effectively here is everything you need to know about ISBN:
ISBNs are usually assigned to you by a publishing company, however, you can only use those ISBNs on the distribution networks that the publishing company uses. Meaning, if you wish to sell your Ebooks on platforms other than the one your publishing company uses, you’ll need to buy one.
Every publisher will assign you different ISBNs and soon you will have multiple ISBNs for one lone Ebook, which makes it appear unprofessional and substandard to large Ebook retailers. Once you buy an International Standard Book Number for your Ebook, it instantly makes your Ebook appear more professional. It will also be usable on all retail networks and platforms, avoiding the prospect of low sales.
It is possible that you made some small formatting and spelling changes in your Ebook and reprinted it. If that is the case, then the current ISBN for your Ebook will continue to work for you and you won’t need to change it.
If, however, your Ebook has gone through some major formatting changes, technically it is classified as a second edition, a revised edition, or an updated version. Now your Ebooks will be considered as a new publication, meaning you will need to buy a new International Standard Book Number for it.
As mentioned earlier, separate format styles of an Ebook require different International Standard Book Numbers assigned to them. This way, it is easier to categorize the right Ebook in the right format. For instance, a paperback version of its Ebook will have a different ISBN than the online version. This makes it easier for customers and retailers to buy and sell the right publication.
It is not possible for ISBN numbers to expire regardless of their age of publication, however, they can go invalid. Your ISBN number can go invalid if there is a number missing from the entire code or if there are other publication errors. You may have to acquire a new ISBN number if the current one for any of your Ebooks shows that it is invalid. The publication records for that Ebook will also need to be updated likewise.
If you publish paperbacks and hardcovers versions of your Ebooks, you may need an ISBN barcode. This number is a machine-readable version of your Ebook’s virtual ISBN number. When you go to buy an ISBN for your Ebook, some companies may try to sell you its barcode version as well, which is standard practice to purchase. You can also look for barcode generators on the internet that will generate your ISBN barcodes free of charge. To make sure that your barcode works properly, try a scanning app to read the barcode.
Self-publishing is a tough pill to swallow but it is worth it in the end if you get to own and sell Ebooks that are the pride and joy of your business. Learning about ISBNs is an important aspect of selling Ebooks since it has such a direct impact on their sales and marketing. As soon as you are ready to publish your Ebooks, assign them an International Standard Book Number so your journey to become a successful Ebook business owner can start.
