Bar Codes for Retailing Books

Once you have an ISBN, you'll need a Bookland EAN bar code. This bar code identifies the ISBN, publisher, book title, author and edition. It should be printed on the lower half of the outside back cover on hard cover and soft cover books or on the inside front cover of mass-market paperback books. Bookland EAN bar codes are generally ordered through cover designers and are also available at Friesens.

If your intention is to sell your book to mass merchandisers or stores other than bookstores, you may need a UPC (Uniform Product Code) bar code. These are available through the Uniform Code Council: www.uc-council.org

ISBN Numbers

ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is required for all books. Without an ISBN books cannot be sold in bookstores or libraries. Each edition of a book: hard cover, soft cover, audio, or eBook, requires its own ISBN number. An ISBN number can be purchased individually or in blocks of 10, 100, or 1,000 through R.R. Bowker (www.bowker.com).

Don't purchase and ISBN from another publisher, as the ISBN number identifies the publisher to whom it was issued. The ISBN is much like a "social security number" for a publisher and their books.

Do order ISBN's only when production of a book has begun. Place the ISBN information on the copyright page, back cover, and jacket of the book. Include this ISBN number on all promotional materials to help consumers locate the book quickly.