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ebooks ISBNs

ISBNs for eBooks

Each edition of a book, including each ebook edition (each format is its own edition), that is to be sold through retailers, needs a unique ISBN. An ISBN is the International Standard Book Number consisting of 13 digits (after 2007).

Book distributors and retailers rely on ISBNs to identify and track books. Not having an ISBN can therefore be a barrier to distribution. Amazon has its own optional “ASIN” alternative, but this is of no use with other distributors and retailers. ISBNs remain the most widely used system for books.

I recommend that the ISBNs for all available editions be listed on the publisher page. This is an example of how you can list them:

ISBN: 000-0-0000000-0-0 (Hadcover edition)
ISBN: 000-0-0000000-0-0 (Paperback edition)
ISBN: 000-0-0000000-0-0 (Audiobook edition)
ISBN: 000-0-0000000-0-0 ebook (ePub)
ISBN: 000-0-0000000-0-0 ebook (Kindle/Mobi)
ISBN: 000-0-0000000-0-0 ebook (ePDF)

eBooks conversion does not automatically convert the ISBN in the meta data.

Having this list on your publisher page allows bookstores, librarians, and readers to see all the available options, which can help increase sales. For example, readers can now see that a hardback is available if they prefer hardbacks for gifts or what ebook edition to order so they can be sure they are getting a format that works on their preferred e-reader devices.

If you are an independent publisher, it is important to understand that the third set of numbers in the ISBN represent the registrant or publisher.
That is, when a bookseller, buyer, or librarian uses the number to look up your book, those numbers need to identify you, the publisher. If you buy numbers secondhand (available through companies that buy them in bulk and offer them at a discount), the number will be registered to someone else whose brand may not be helpful to your company.

Categories
eBook Creation ebooks

The Costs of Creating eBooks

ebook-costsWhat it costs to create an ebook depends on what type of file you are starting with, and what type of result you are seeking. Ebooks can start out as a printed book or be created only as an ebook. Some strategies include converting the file for use only on tablets and other strategies aim for all devices—desktops, tablets and mobile phones. For complex books, such as textbooks, these different approaches require different strategies for how tables, sidebars and other features are preserved and presented. In most cases, the goal is to preserve the graphic features and style elements in the print edition, which may require recreating them in a way that looks similar in the ebook editions.

For many books, especially complex books, file preparation is the main costs—not the stage known as conversion. Conversion is relatively easy and mostly automated when a file is very simple or prepared correctly. However, even after a file is converted to ePub, it is normal that some file editing and preview tests and adjustments are necessary to eliminate export code errors.