I am printing a manuscript for a customer.
I have been asked the following:
I want to ask about printer info for the ISBN page – would you be able send me your info for insertion? Also, do you recommend an ISBN barcode on the bk cover, or just the ISBN?
I am not sure about what is being asked. Any help would be most appreciated.
Hi Muddy,
basically an ISBN is an SKU (stock keeping unit) that is an ISO standard. If your book is being sold, it allows the retailer to scan the bar code and look it up using their own POS system. It is also a convention that basic information about the book (title, author, format, binding, etc.) is recorded and shared on databases that are widely available to the trade.
Bottom line is: if the book is NOT being sold through retail channels, it doesn't need an ISBN.
You need some specialist software to generate the ISBN bar code, it's not very expensive, a few hundred quid from memory. There are some sites on line that will generate bar codes for free, but unless you have the facility to print and double check the bar code, I'd stick with a commercial program. There's not really a lot of point having an ISBN number and no bar code.
I haven't heard the phrase "ISBN page" before, but would assume your customer is referring to the page that lists the copyright declaration, publication date, where printed, where typeset, the publisher etc. Commonly called the copyright page (or edition notice). Again, not a legal requirement and no "formal" specification for this page, but it tends to be there for practical reasons and by convention in most commercially published and printed books.
Each country will have a commercial organisation that manages ISBN numbers, just google it for your country. Unless you are doing this as part of your service, it is best to have your customer manage this process themselves, as they will then be the publisher of record and responsible for all of the country specific details (like legal deposit).
I hope that helps.
