The true story behind isbn's

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A publishing secret that could prevent you from getting your book reveiwed, in books in print and into bookstores.

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Type: Discussion • Score: 9 • Views: 5,083 • Replies: 35

[+5] - jespah - 12/03/2008The ISBN for [i]Twilight[/i] is Dick Cheney's locker combination from High School.

@BJ Bannerman,

I guess if you tell us you will have to then kill us.

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@BJ Bannerman,

If true, why, that's shocking.

Er...what is?

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@BJ Bannerman,

I want to know why they don't teach us this **** in school.

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It is common knowledge that the ISBN's for The Catcher in the Rye, The Collected Short Stories of Anton Chekhov (Norton Critical Ed.), and Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants are also nuclear codes.

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@BJ Bannerman,

BJ Bannerman wrote:

A publishing secret that could prevent you from getting your book reveiwed, in books in print and into bookstores.

Pssst, the secret is that you first have to write the book. Pass it on.

Oh, and you didn't hear that from me.

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@Gargamel,

The ISBN for Twilight is Dick Cheney's locker combination from High School.

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Quote:

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a unique, numerical[1] commercial book identifier, based upon the 9-digit Standard Book Numbering (SBN) code created in the UK by the booksellers and stationers W.H. Smith and others in 1966.[2] The 10-digit International Standard Book Number (ISBN) format was developed by the International Organization for Standardization and published as an international standard, ISO 2108, in 1970. (However, the 9-digit SBN code was used in the UK until 1974.) Currently, the ISO TC 46/SC 9 is responsible for the standard.

Since 1 January 2007, International Standard Book Numbers have been of 13 digits, compatible with Bookland EAN-13s.[3]

A similar numeric identifier, the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) identifies periodical publications such as magazines.

Now that is interesting - didn't know about the 13 digit thing. And - current thread excepted - incredibly useful. A work can be published by any number of publishers in any number of countries - all this does is standardise the system by allocating codes for nation/publisher.

In the library world it is also a big money saver. You log onto one of the monster cataloguing databases and use the ISBN to find the item - as you are paying for each and every search you do - the less the better. The alternative is cataloguing from scratch - expensive, messy and often needs vetting. Anything that requires less contact with librarians is highly recommended in my opinion.

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@Mr Stillwater,

Yep, we use ISBN13s but the older 10-digit ones are still very useful.

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@jespah,

This is not responsive to B J Bannerman's complaint, folks. Let's together on this. (I didn't know that about Cheney's locker number, Jes. Thanx.)

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@Merry Andrew,

What happened when digital printing came about, major publishers insisted that isbn's that are sold in lots of 10 or less have the digits laid out differently than from a lot of 100 or more.
These isbn's make it apparent to a reviewer that it is a self published author and there is no major marketing or publicity behind it.
Therefore, they will not review it.
These isbn's also prevent the book from being listed in "Books In Print"

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@dyslexia,

Yes, isbn's sold in lots of 10 or less have the didgits laid out differently than from a lot of 100 or more.
This makes it obvious to a reviewer that ot is a self published author and that there is no major marketing or publicity budget. There fore, they will not review the book. These isbn's also prevent a book from being listed in "Books In Print"

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@Butrflynet,

Isbn's that are sold in a lot of 10 or less have didgits laid out differently than froma lot of 100 or more.
This makes it obvious to reveiwers that it is a self published author with no major marking or publicity budget.
These isbn's also prevent the title from being listed in "Books in Print"

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@Mr Stillwater,

This is not about the 9 vs 13 digits.
isbn's puchased from a lot of 10 or less have the numerical digits laid our differently than from a lot of 100 or more.
This makes it obvious to a reveiwer that this title is self published with no major marketing or publicity.
Therefore, they will not review the book.
These isbn's also prevent the book from being listed in "Books in Print"

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@BJ Bannerman,

So is there any difference in the way the digits are laid out for lots of more than
10 but less than 100?

1 Reply

Did not realize I could reply to all, some have already heard from me.
What happened years ago when digital printing came about and made it possible for self-published authors to print small quantities they were being given isbn's.
The major publishers fought this and said that if isbn's were going to be sold in lots of 10 or less, they wanted the digits laid out differently to make it obvious that this title was self-published, and has no major marketing or publicity budget.
This will prevent a reveiwer from even opening a book.
These isbn's also prevent a title from being listed in "Books in Print"
I have worked for major publishers for 20 years and was not aware of this until I started working in printing.
I now have the ability to help authors get books printed and to have a REAL isbn on the back of their book.
It is my passion to help self published authors.
Too many self publishd authors have ended up with boxes of books that they cannot successfully get reviewed or sold.
Also, I have been previously published by Viking and if anyone would like me to call them with tips and downfalls while doing a book tour, I will be happy to help.
Things happened to me while on a 22 city tour that I never expected!!!!!

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The implication of 13-digit ISBNs is as clear and frightening as the implication of multiple warhead ICBMs.

This means that there are, literally, trillions of books out there. Anyone even passingly familiar with the tripe, the dreck, on offer in book stores will be appalled to think that there is that much published manure clogging the intellectual thoroughfares of our world.

I shudder at the thought.

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@BJ Bannerman,

http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/International-Standard-Book-Number-ISBN.html

It doesn't seem to have anything to do with lot size.

Quote:

The code is divided into four parts usually separated by a hyphen: three fields (all digits) and a checksum character (which may be a digit or the letter 'X'). The first-field is a single digit 'group identifier' which indicates the country or language (or the geographic area) in which the work was published (0 and 1 identify English-speaking countries). The second field identifies the producer or the publisher of the work. The third-field specifies a particular title (or a revised edition) produced by that publisher.

Since the code identifies the publisher of the work, it would be easy to see which codes are for specific publishers and only review books from those publishers. Self publishing, your ISBN will never have the code for Random House no matter how large your ISBN lot is when you purchase it.

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@BJ Bannerman,

I don't know but I think you are assigning a conspiracy where there isn't one. For a reviewer of books, the first hint about whether a book will have major marketing would be the cover letter. A cover letter on Random House or Harcourt stationary is probably a good indicator the manuscript will have some backing and was looked at by a competent editor before printing. A letter from an unknown publisher raises questions about even picking up the book.

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@George,

Yes, isbn's can be purchased for 1 or a lot of 10.
The next lot that can be purchased is for 100.

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The true story behind isbn's

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