Barcodes and Books: A simple process to successful publication

Publishing a book can be one of the top achievements in life. It takes a lot of hard work and determination. The process of publishing a book can be daunting, especially for first-time authors trying to get all their ducks in a row before publication. One potential sticking point is navigating the world of barcodes for your publication. SA Barcodes is here to make it as easy as possible for you to publish your masterpiece – our team is ready to take you step by step through the process.

The ISBN barcode

So, what barcodes does one need to publish a book? There are two things you will need to publish your masterpiece. Firstly, you will need to apply for your ISBN number. This is the International Standard Book Number. ISBN barcodes are just two of the many types of barcodes out there, each with their specific uses in their industries!

If you are planning on publishing your book in several different versions, you will need to apply for separate, unique ISBN numbers. For example, if you want to publish your book in a hardcover and a softcover, you will need two different ISBN numbers.

In addition to this ISBN number, you will also need to acquire an ISBN barcode and link it to your ISBN number. This ISBN number, as well as its accompanying ISBN barcode, is 13 digits long. The number identifies the unique publication of the book itself. In addition, it also gives the region, date, publisher, title as well as edition of each book. The barcode facilitates the sales and tracking process of the publication in the retailer’s inventory. It is very similar to the EAN barcode used in retail. EAN stands for European Article Number and is also 13 digits long and is used in retail stores throughout the world. The ISBN barcode, although similar to an EAN barcode at a glance, must be used specifically with books and publications.

Won’t it be enough to use just the ISBN number? The reason for needing a barcode and not just the number is that it makes it a lot easier for libraries and bookstores to sell and keep track of your book using an internationally recognised inventory management system.

The majority of retailers as well as libraries throughout the world will not stock your book without an ISBN barcode (with a linked ISBN number). Therefore, by barcoding your book, you are opening up new avenues and possibilities for your book and no longer limiting where you can sell your book.

The ISSN barcode

Another question that is often asked by new authors is what is the difference between ISBN and ISSN? ISSN stands for International Standard Serial Number. These numbers (as well as the barcode linked to each) are used for any serial publication such as magazines, journals and newspapers. These ISSN barcodes are utilised to manage the publishing of all sorts of periodicals. A periodical can be defined as any publication that comes out regularly. For most periodicals, it is only necessary to get one ISSN number. The only time that it would be necessary to get more than one ISSN number and barcode is if you would like to publish your periodical in a different format, such as if you wanted to publish it in a different language.

The ISSN barcodes include the publisher’s details as well as the country of origin. What makes them different from ISBN barcodes is that the first three digits always start with 977. This indicates that the publication is a periodical and not a once off-book.

So how does one go about acquiring ISBN barcodes for publications? The first step is to apply for your ISBN number from your National Library. After this, it would be best to buy barcodes from a reputable barcodes reseller who will guide you through the requirements outlined above. If you do so via SA Barcodes, we will design your ISBN barcode and link it to your ISBN number. The barcode will of course be owned and usable by you and you alone. The barcode package comes with a certificate of authentication proving this fact. Our service is speedy and efficient.

The final step to barcoding your publication

What is the next step after you receive your barcodes? You must now decide how you want to apply it to your book. Most authors decide to incorporate it into the book cover. In this way, each book will automatically have a barcode on it. However, the other option is to buy labels or stickers and have the barcode printed onto them. After this, you would need to manually attach each barcode label to the individual copies of your book. Either way is perfectly acceptable (although your retailer may have their requirements!). Before you know it, your book will have its own unique ISBN barcode and you will be ready to publish.