Online platforms such as CreateSpace have opened up great opportunities for self-publishers in the market. Support features such as Print-on-Demand and novel to eBook conversion have ensured a smoother, convenient and cost-effective approach for self-publishers to market their products. Of course, fresh entrants into the publishing business do well to adopt the right standards when it comes to matters of paperback formatting and cover design. However, without an ISBN, any title is as good as unpublished.
Your title’s ISBN distinguishes it from other works. The number identifies your book uniquely in both offline and online databases and inventory systems on a global level. With CreateSpace, you have around four options for ISBN, the first one of which is free. You may need to research a little bit on benefits of all the available options for ISBN you may be considering.
The agency mandated with the task of issuing ISBN in the US is Bowker. Thus, most authors go straight to Bowker for purchase of their titles’ ISBNs and registration as publishers. The application process is mostly easy and goes at a fee. With a valid credit card you can easily buy your ISBN, although checks may also suffice (if you are patient enough).
If you are obtaining your ISBN directly from Bowker, you will have to go through the process of uploading your ISBN information online for registration with Books-in-Print. You register with BowkerLink and get to upload ISBN details such as price, distribution, page count etc.
Getting an ISBN is a critical step towards becoming a recognized and accomplished author. All the same, this is not the end of your marketing efforts. As such, you should consider all standards for publishing as you consider uploading your work online for further processing.
The internet has reduced the world to a global village and this can serve as music to the ears of unpublished authors. Thanks to online gatherings for authors, you do not have to go to school to know where to begin. You can even use Google or other search engines to find the most popular meet-up points for like-minded authors, publishers etc.
Take advantage of free publishing resources such as CreateSpace. Such platforms are a fine way to start up as they offer guidelines you need to follow to measure up to international standards. At the same time, you may need to enlist the services of a reputable firm for paperback formatting. This is an aspect that helps define quality of your title and thus merits a high level of consideration.
In case you wish to sell your book as both paperback and PDF, you will need appropriate software to accomplish that. Alternatively, you may seek the help of a professional in the conversion of novel to eBook for a standard finish.
At this point you know where to buy your ISBN for recognition as a publisher. Do your homework well regarding the other aspects of book publishing. You may consult The Fast Fingers book formatting for a comprehensive book formatting package.
