Publisher Talk

The vast majority of self-publishing authors use a word processing program when creating their manuscript.  Since the demand for e-book versions of their work is increasing, authors need to be mindful of the keys and settings used in their word processing programs. For e-book conversions, authors following one simple rule mark the difference between an e-book that looks professional and one that looks awkward and difficult to read. Do not use the tab key and the spacebar to indent your text.

Most authors using Microsoft Word can adjust this fairly easily. You’ll need to go into formatting options and select the setting to indent the first line of
each paragraph. But what if you’ve already completed your work and you have used the tab key and the spacebar? You aren’t doomed. You can use the Find and Replace menus. Put “^t” in the Find field and leave the Replace field empty. Click Replace All. Doing this will most likely work for you and your tab indents should have been removed. From there, you can adjust your settings to indent the first line of each paragraph.

Publisher Services does offer professional Book Formatting  and Ebook Conversion Services.

Our clients, like most new self-publishers, rely on the internet as tool to learn about the various facets of publishing. Unfortunately, there is a sea of misinformation online and deceptive businesses prey on uninformed authors. Recently there has been increase in companies offering Cheap ISBN or Low Cost ISBNs. Many of these companies offer 30-day money back guarantees. In the same manner a license plate identifies a particular car, an ISBN uniquely identifies a book or ebook. How comfortable would you be buying a “cheap” or “low cost” license online for your car? In addition, could you ever imagine a company re-assigning a returned license plate? These are real challenges many new publishers face.

In 2004, Publisher Services entered into an agreement with Bowker, the US ISBN Agency, to provide assistance to new self-publishers. Our background was originally in barcode identification and we worked with most of the major publishing houses. A critical component to our relationship was furnishing book data from self-publishers to Bowker’s global book database. Today, book data can be located at www.bookwire.com. Through our online portal, self-publishers can upload their book data and cover art (optional) and this information is dynamically submitted to Bowker. Since these assignments are unique and published within weeks to the global database, it is impossible to “return” or reuse ISBN assignments from Cheap ISBN providers.

Please visit https://www.bookwire.com and enter the ISBN 978-1-4951-0537-1 in the upper right hand search screen. This author submitted her work a few weeks ago and her book is already discoverable online.

One of the services that Publisher Services provides complimentary to our book printing customers is a Pre-Flight check of printer-ready PDF files that have been provided to print book covers and interiors. What exactly is a Pre-Flight check? Pre-Flight is checking your book’s files to make sure they are good to print. Without carefully going over your files and approving them for the printer, there is a greater likelihood that something could go wrong and mistakes will be missed. A Pre-Flight check is just the kind of pre-printing look your files need before they go to print.

When we receive your files, we check to make sure:

• The trim size specifications match the print order. For example, if you’re ordering a 6×9 books, the page size shouldn’t be set up for 5×8.
• The cover file (and the interior file, if necessary) is properly set up with the proper bleed. If the pages and/or cover are not set up correctly, images or text could get cut off when trimming the book to size.
• Files do not have the fonts, graphics, and other inserted elements, properly embedded into the PDF. If we receive a file that contains fonts we don’t have here, the book may not print correctly, for example.
• Color elements are not saved in CMYK color mode. Most graphical programs have the RGB setting as the default. Printing is a four-color (full-color) process. Make sure you’re using CMYK.

After we check your book, we will do the following free of charge:

• Convert to PDF from MS Word. While this will ensure that your fonts are embedded, we may not have custom or purchased fonts. If this is the case, we’ll let you know.
• Convert the cover and inside pages to CMYK if needed.
• Add your bar code to your back cover.
• Crop your pages down to the proper trim size. If your margins aren’t set for the right page size, though, we may not be able to crop. We’ll let you know if we can’t do this.

We will also alert you to any other items we find that will impact the printing of your book.

However, there are a few things that we don’t check for. As you are your own publisher, you want to be confident to have looked over the following very carefully before getting to the stage where you are providing print-ready files for a print job:

• All editing should have been checked, double-checked, and corrected before submission. One thing that tends to help is to print your manuscript and look at it that way instead of on your screen. You might catch things you didn’t see before. We also provide a printed proof copy prior to completing your full print run. You’ll have a final chance to check your printed proof for any last minute and missed errors, but you should be confident that the editorial integrity is wholly intact.
• Page numbers match the Table of Contents. Changing up more than a few sentences inside the book can throw off whole paragraphs and pages. Check them over and correct them before submitting your files for printing.
• Images are matched to their appropriate captions, figure titles, etc. Another step that should be completed before submitting files for printing.

Publisher Services is pleased to provide a Pre-Flight process for every print job where we haven’t designed the files. You can be assured we’re looking to catch problems and help you fix them before a printed proof is created for your final review. We want to help you publish and print the best book you can. We appreciate your printing business!

What is an ISBN and how is it used?

ISBN stands for “International Standard Book Number”. It is a unique identifier for books, eBooks, tapes, and DVD’s. The ISBN numbering system is used worldwide and publishers around the globe identify their work in this standardized format. Each title or edition must be identified by a unique ISBN.  In essence, the ISBN number is similar to a license plate which guarantees that each book type product is identified uniquely. The ISBN information is associated to titles (and metadata) in global databases.

Who assigns an ISBN?

The International ISBN Agency in the UK coordinates all ISBN allotments while individual group agencies assign ISBNs for each country. Every country has an organization which administers these numbers and the U.S. ISBN Agency is run by Bowker. Bar Code Graphics, Inc. has an agreement with the US ISBN Agency and our Publisher Services division is able to act as an agent for small publishers and facilitate single ISBN assignments with a publisher’s name listed as the registrant (Personalized Publisher Program). Today, Publisher Services is now the largest authorized agent and provides the majority of ISBN assignment to self-publishers.

Do I have to have an ISBN?

From the point of view of the international ISBN system there is no legal requirement to have an ISBN and it conveys no legal or copyright protection. However, both brick/mortar and online book sellers in the US require ISBN identification.

What happens if I decided to publish under a new publisher and ISBN?

Publications which are reprinted should carry the new listed publisher’s ISBN, and ISBN of the previous edition on the verso of the title page. Example: ISBN 0-999-00123-1 (previously ISBN 1-59972-091-X)

What is the Bookland EAN barcode?

Retailers and distributors require book products to carry a barcode which encodes the ISBN and pricing information. The Bookland EAN barcode is a standardized format which is accepted by trading partners worldwide. Our experience with barcodes enables us to provide our customers with symbols which comply with the GS1 guidelines and offer assistance with providing the appropriate format. Click here for an example. Please note, a digital barcode is not needed on ebooks.

If you require only a Bookland EAN symbol, we encourage you to purchase ISBN Bookland barcode files from www.createbarcodes.com for only $10 each.

Can I reuse my ISBN?

Once an ISBN has been assigned to a title it can never be reused.

Can I use the same ISBN for both the physical book and ebook of the same title?

Each format of a book requires its own unique ISBN assignment. Consequently, the ISBN on the printed book should not be used for the ebook. There is much debate on identifying different ebook formats (i.e. .epub and .mobi).  The industry guidelines indicate each format type should carry its own ISBN. However, many publishers use a single ISBN to identify their ebooks since it is unlikely that the same marketplace will provide both versions.

I plan on selling my books through Createspace, which program should I choose?

Createspace is a Print-On-Demand (POD) service from Amazon. Their system requires users to either have an ISBN assigned in their company’s name or use a Createspace-assigned ISBN.  We have worked out an arrangement with Createspace to assist their customers. Clients who purchase our Personalized Publisher Program can utilize their ISBN number on both the books which they sell directly as well as those which are sold via the Createspace/Amazon marketplaces. Clients who have already purchased an ISBN through the Independent Publisher Program need to have Createspace assign a Createspace assigned ISBN for those publications to be offered on their service.

Note: ISBNs assigned from Createspace cannot be used to sell in any other marketplace, while the ISBNs assigned from our Personalized Publisher Program can be used across marketplaces. Since POD services, such as Createspace, are geared for printing individual books as they are sold, it is not economically feasible to use them to print large quantities.

If I make a change to my book, do I need to assign a new ISBN?

A new ISBN is not required for minor changes such as revising typographical errors and minor edits.  A change in prices does not warrant a new ISBN but the Bookland EAN barcode on the back cover might need replacing if the price is encoded within the barcode.

Is my book copyright protected if I get an ISBN?

The ISBN is only an identifier does not imply copyright protection. However, in the US work is considered copyright protected as soon as it is created. Filing with the Copyright Office is optional but is helpful in situations which might require litigation.

According to a recent report by Bowker, the number of self-published titles was up 60% in 2012. In 2011 246,921 titles were self-published compared to 391,768 in 2012. Since 2007, there has been a 422% increase in the number of independently self-published books.

Now that self-publishing has officially arrived, the number of new companies offering services to independent authors has exploded. As with any “unregulated industry,” it is extremely important you thoroughly research companies before signing a contract or spending a dime. Although the internet is the primary research tool, there is a tremendous amount of misinformation and fraudulent companies preying on the new authors.

Before the digital book revolution, most of the industry’s complaints were directed towards “vanity presses.” There were countless horror stories of how authors paid money to a vanity press for book printing, warehousing, and distribution services and never received a dime in royalties. In many cases, these companies went out of business or did absolutely nothing to promote their clients’ books. Today, there are even more companies offering book publishing services and many who prey on self-publishers. Before engaging with a publishing service company, we recommend you do the following:

• Directly contact the company by phone. Ask questions about how long they have been in business and if they can provide actual referral contacts (don’t depend solely on web posted testimonials.)
• Check with the local Better Business Bureau (BBB)
• If you are researching a publishing company, ask to see multiple recent successful titles. A few companies might have hit it big with a single title and the remaining 99% of their clients only sold a handful of books.
• Inquire about how royalties are paid and tax information is provided.  We just heard a story how BookBaby does not provide 1099misc tax forms for royalties paid.
• Perform a Google search with the companies name and add the term complaint. This might bring up stories or posts by disgruntled customers.
• Check the company’s Twitter and Facebook posts. Many unhappy clients use Twitter or Facebook feeds as a platform to air their grievances.

Lastly, if you are considering using a book publisher please visit Preditors & Editors. This is a research site which denotes companies which have received complaints.  Obviously, if you are asked to sign a contract, please read it very carefully and try to get legal assistance before you sign. Be vary wary of any contract which cannot be easily terminated or involves exclusivity.