Thanks for the info!

 

ISBN rules are really just a legacy issue. Browker needs to get its head out of its hindquarters on this.  We wouldn't be using them at all for ebooks if it weren't for some vendors requiring them.

Camille

 

Ironically, even Bowker has a "multiple formats" option when you're filling out the title card for an ebook isbn (I was just doing this for two of mine last night, because All Romance prefers you use an ISBN as well, but only one per title, not per format). So while Bowker may be squawking, they clearly allow for the practice (it's a drop down menu item, not one you add yourself).

I only assign ISBN's (I have my own) when I absolutely need one for a vendor (ie, Smashwords, and now All Romance), and for print books. If it wasn't required, I wouldn't use them at all on my ebooks...I have no trouble tracking sales with the numbers assigned by Amazon & Barnes and Noble, or my own numbers for direct sales. ISBN's are too expensive to just toss around willy nilly (since I can't afford a huge block of them, they cost me $25 each). If Bowker wants one on each ebook format, they can make them a more reasonable price, IMO.

 

I'm sorry, but much of your post is scaremongering and serves no useful purpose.

The word edition has several meanings, and the format of publication is only one of them. By your reasoning, there can never be a 'Collectors Edition' or 'Special Edition' of anything. The 'Smashwords Edition' simply designates that the book was published using a Smashwords supplied ISBN with them as the listed publisher and nothing more. The author still retains ALL rights to the published material.

If you take up the free ISBN offer and then decide to stop using Smashwords then of course you should get your own ISBN. If this was not the case then Smashwords would become a source of free ISBN's for every unethical bugger out there who would publish, get their free ISBN and then move on. The waters get a little muddy if you pay $9.95 for your ISBN through Smashwords and then leave, but I would encourage everyone to use the freeby and that way there will be no problems when and if you leave.

And it isn't Smash that insists on a different ISBN for each format that your book is available in, its the administering agency.

In the end, if you don't want to use the ISBN supplied by Smashwords you can just get your own and use that when you publish, an option which is fully supported by Mark and his friendly team.

 

ISBN rules are really just a legacy issue. Browker needs to get its head out of its hindquarters on this. We wouldn't be using them at all for ebooks if it weren't for some vendors requiring them.

This.

 

More importantly, what Smashwords (and others) DON'T tell you is that if you use a Smashwords ISBN and then decide you're unhappy with their service and wish to go elsewhere or distribute yourself, you cannot use that ISBN because, as noted above, it is assigned to the publisher, not the book per se. So you will have to acquire a new ISBN before you can publish elsewhere.

From the Smashwords FAQ on ISBNs:

Can I acquire an ISBN from Smashwords if I'm not a Smashwords author?
No. We issue our free and super-low cost ISBNs only as a publishing and distribution benefit for Smashwords authors.

While that doesn't specifically address the point you brought up, one would have to be completely dense to think they could get a free ISBN from Smashwords and then leave Smashwords and still use it.

 

ISBN rules are really just a legacy issue. Browker needs to get its head out of its hindquarters on this. We wouldn't be using them at all for ebooks if it weren't for some vendors requiring them.

Seems to me that the logical thing to do with various formats is to assign a book a unique ISBN, and then have a suffix to designate the type of media, i.e., 01=hardback, 02=paperback, 03=Kindle, 04=epub, and so on.

Requiring authors to buy a completely new ISBN for each format seems like money grab to me.

That kind of system would also make it easier to cross-reference titles.

 

*blink* Wait, what? You've got a lot of emotive language there, but I'm not sure about the substance.

There is no such thing as a "Smashwords Edition." An edition is a format; it is a Kindle (.azw), an ePub, a PDF, a hardcover, a trade paperback, and so on. It is NOT a company. (Kindle is both the name of the company and the digital format, which is why you have a Kindle Edition.) Thus it is completely inaccurate to use the term "Smashwords Edition."

Why is this semantical point important? I don't understand. Is there some legal precedent that might bite people on the arse? Considering I create different documents for Smashwords and Amazon (even though a Kindle version is available for each), I think this is an appropriate use of the word 'edition', personally.

Smashwords offers to give you a free ISBN but says this in no way makes them your publisher.

No, Smashwords says:

The ISBN will register Smashwords as your publisher and will list you as the author. Whether Smashwords or you are listed as the publisher has no legal implication over ownership of your book or copyright. At Smashwords, you always control the publishing of your book.

What your contract does give Smashwords is a non-exclusive right to publish your book. This is just semantics if all goes well, but if someone wants to sue, Smashwords, by listing themselves as your publisher in your book and in the Books in Print catalogue, is courting litigation. More their problem than yours, but still...

*confused look*

Originally, too, it appeared that Smashwords was using one ISBN for multiple formats (ePub, PDF). Bowing under pressure from Bowker, Smashwords has finally amended their site to inform users that:

Not really. They've only ever distributed EPUBs, to my understanding, so this would only ever have become an issue if they distributed a different format to retailers, wouldn't it? Besides, are you really complaining because they fell in line with the International ISBN Agency?

They now also state on their ISBN fact page that, in future, they may provide a mechanism for designating different ISBNs for different formats. Yet they continue to downplay the importance of following the ISBN rules: "In reality, however, customers search for books by title, author or topic, and rarely by ISBN." Not true if my own experience is anything to go by,

Eh? Do tell!

but more importantly, who does Smashwords think they are to dismiss the rules of the Agency yet feel a prerogative to buy and assign ISBNs?

How are they 'dismissing' the rules? They may think - and state - that the rules are stupid, but if they're following them, they're clearly not dismissing them. Considering that they need to buy ISBNs to do business as an ebook distributor, and considering that changes in agencies created to serve an industry are typically effected via pressure from within that industry... I don't see the problem with public disagreement. The Agency is not God.

More importantly, what Smashwords (and others) DON'T tell you is that if you use a Smashwords ISBN and then decide you're unhappy with their service and wish to go elsewhere or distribute yourself, you cannot use that ISBN because, as noted above, it is assigned to the publisher, not the book per se. So you will have to acquire a new ISBN before you can publish elsewhere.

Huh. Are you asserting that this statement made by Smashwords:

3. PREMIUM ISBN - This option is available only to books after they have been accepted into the Smashwords Premium Catalog. For $9.95, Smashwords will issue you an ISBN that registers you, the author or publisher, as the Publisher in the ISBN record at Bowker. Smashwords will be listed as a distributor...
Also, the Premium ISBN will NOT cause a retailer to list you as the Publisher (most retailers [except for Sony] don't look at the data inside the Bowker record).

... is incorrect? Or are you saying that if an author pays $10 for the ISBN, they cannot use the ISBN, for example, if they decide to publish direct to B&N?

More importantly, the International ISBN agency is getting seriously p***ed with Smashwords and other self-publishing houses who are distributing ISBNs to self-publishers (which becomes a misnomer the minute you use the company's ISBN), and/or using only one ISBN for multiple formats, and thus Bowker is in "talks" with these companies to try to bring them in line. But if the companies refuse to follow the rules, what will happen to those ISBNs? Will they be cancelled? No one knows right now where this is going, but it isn't going well.

What's your source on this, please?

 

Thanks for this post. I was considering publishing with Smashwords, but after the Kobo fiasco, and the fact that I keep hearing more and more dubious things about their service, I think I'll stick with Kindle.

 

Thanks for this post. I was considering publishing with Smashwords, but after the Kobo fiasco, and the fact that I keep hearing more and more dubious things about their service, I think I'll stick with Kindle.

Even if you don't go with Smashwords, "stick[ing] with Kindle" is a bad idea -- it'd be like Coke deciding to only sell at 7-11. If you don't have epub versions in the major stores, you're losing out on tons of sales.

 

Even if you don't go with Smashwords, "stick[ing] with Kindle" is a bad idea -- it'd be like Coke deciding to only sell at 7-11. If you don't have epub versions in the major stores, you're losing out on tons of sales.

Maybe, maybe not. Simply being in a major outlet is no guarantee of sales. And last I checked, Amazon was the biggest of the lot. By focusing on Amazon, I can increase my productivity by focusing on one sales channel. I might be losing out on sales from other places, but even if I am, the sales aren't likely to be significant.

 

"However, if you do list your ISBN in your book, note that your one source file will be converted into multiple ebook formats, and you are technically required by the International ISBN agency to acquire a different ISBN for each ebook format (so, a different ISBN each for EPUB, MOBI, PDF, etc.). The ISBNs issued by Smashwords are currently for the EPUB version of your book only. Therefore, if you list the ISBN inside your book, you should designate it as the ISBN for the EPUB format."

They now also state on their ISBN fact page that, in future, they may provide a mechanism for designating different ISBNs for different formats. Yet they continue to downplay the importance of following the ISBN rules: "In reality, however, customers search for books by title, author or topic, and rarely by ISBN." Not true if my own experience is anything to go by, but more importantly, who does Smashwords think they are to dismiss the rules of the Agency yet feel a prerogative to buy and assign ISBNs?

More importantly, what Smashwords (and others) DON'T tell you is that if you use a Smashwords ISBN and then decide you're unhappy with their service and wish to go elsewhere or distribute yourself, you cannot use that ISBN because, as noted above, it is assigned to the publisher, not the book per se. So you will have to acquire a new ISBN before you can publish elsewhere.

None of this is new and yes, we were told this. I certainly emailed Mark about a couple of these points MONTHS ago before purchasing my ISBNs through them. He was very upfront and clarified that the ISBN should be ePUB only and I knew that the ISBN cannot be transferred. This is something you can find out from reading the documentation. It's displayed in bold in Createspace. Mark made no attempts to hide this information.

These rules apply to all publishers -- they are not unique to smashwords and anyone wishing clarification can contact Bowker directly with questions.

I've always found Mark ready and able to answer questions. I don't think anything was left off with intent to cause problems or to mislead.

 

Maybe, maybe not. Simply being in a major outlet is no guarantee of sales. And last I checked, Amazon was the biggest of the lot. By focusing on Amazon, I can increase my productivity by focusing on one sales channel. I might be losing out on sales from other places, but even if I am, the sales aren't likely to be significant.

Josh, just to let you know, I'm making almost as much money via Smashwords as I am at Amazon. (It just takes a while for that money to trickle through the system.)

I don't quite understand how not putting your book elsewhere could possibly affect your productivity. It doesn't take much time per book to do a Smashwords version, and it gives you so many options you don't have with Amazon. (Like free books and coupons.)

This whole ISBN thing is a non-issue. It's not something that's "wrong" with Smashwords. ISBNs are for tracking print editions, through catalogs and warehouses, and it will soon be out of date for that use too, as POD makes it possible for every single copy of a book -- even from the same vendor -- to be different.

Camille

 

Maybe, maybe not. Simply being in a major outlet is no guarantee of sales.

True, but not being in a major outlet is a guarantee of no sales. If you believe you can sell on Amazon, why not Barnes & Noble?

And last I checked, Amazon was the biggest of the lot. By focusing on Amazon, I can increase my productivity by focusing on one sales channel. I might be losing out on sales from other places, but even if I am, the sales aren't likely to be significant.

As of February, Amazon had 67% of the device market and 58% of ebook sales. I don't know about you, but I don't consider the 32% of readers who buy 42% of ebooks to be insignificant.

 

True, but not being in a major outlet is a guarantee of no sales. If you believe you can sell on Amazon, why not Barnes & Noble?

As of February, Amazon had 67% of the device market and 58% of ebook sales. I don't know about you, but I don't consider the 32% of readers who buy 42% of ebooks to be insignificant.

Well, that's it. I don't know if it's going to sell well on Amazon. Better to test it first and make sure that I've got a seller before I take it to other platforms. You seriously consider Amazon's customer base to be insignificant? Um, okay...

I'm not comfortable with Smashwords, because they make it so easy for Pirates to just copy and paste your book. They could even make their own version and omit your name and everything by downloading the .txt file. I mean, seriously? Providing the .txt file for your ebook is the rough equivalent of providing the source code for a program you wrote. It's fine for opensource projects, but if you're selling commercially? Bad idea. It also doesn't look like Smashwords makes any effort at all to protect ebooks from piracy. At least Amazon offers DRM.

 

I agree the issue isn't just with Smashwords, as noted in my post, but they are particularly of annoyance to some, for example Library and Archives Canada, because Smashwords has been instructing Canadian authors to go to LAC and get a free ISBN (ISBNs are free in Canada) but to put Smashwords down as the publisher. This is causing huge headaches for LAC because all they can do is send an email back stating no can do: if Smashwords is the publisher then Smashwords must supply the ISBN. It's eating up LAC's time and wasting resources better spent on helping legitimate registrants.

My sources for the issues between the self-publishing houses and Bowker are twofold: my contact at LAC who practically spit the name Smashwords when I mentioned them, and a more diplomatic response from Bowker's CEO here: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/05/bowkers-andy-weissberg-on-isbns-and-the-future-of-the-book/

The problem with all of these so-called self-publishing houses is that they want their cake and to eat it too: on the one hand they claim you are self-publishing but on the other they want to be called the publisher and not the distributor. The reason for that is that in addition to the ISBN there is UNIX code that travels with your ISBN; this UNIX code contains information about the publisher of record and thus whom a reseller or consumer must contact for sales. So despite their contracts stating you grant them a non-exclusive licence to print and distribute, Smashwords (and iUniverse and CreateSpace and so on) don't want the reseller to come directly to you, the author/publisher, for your books, or to a competitor; they want to be the seller of record. This gives them, in theory, an advantage over their competitors and even you, the author: anyone looking for your book via the Books in Print database would be directed to Smashwords and not to you, who might then sell directly to the querent or direct them to a distributor closer to their geographical area, or who is cheaper, etc.

Moreover, if you were to remain independent and were to publish your ePub directly to B&N, you could still upload your ePub to Smashwords for sales to Kobo and iBookstore, who will not deal with small publishers (you must have 10 titles minimum), if, of course, Smashwords would allow you to, which they don't: they only want your doc which they then convert, call the Smashwords Edition, assign an ISBN to (if you'll let them, and which they encourage), and define themselves as the seller of record.

Also, as noted, Smashwords doesn't apply DRM. So a DRM version of your ebook is a different format than a non-DRM version: they contain different coding; and thus it should have a different ISBN. Otherwise, a customer expecting to buy a non-DRM version doesn't want to end up with a DRM version. If they have the same ISBN, unless the reseller makes it clear in their catalogue that the version is DRM, the buyer could end up with the wrong version, or a version that is incompatible with their ereader.

Smashwords say they only distribute ePubs, but their website and contract specifically state they convert to multiple formats. For example, it says on their distribution page, "EPUB is one of the many formats Smashwords produces after you upload your Microsoft Word source file." It's not clear if they have reduced the multiplicity of formats down to the one and failed to amend all references to the multiple formats, but the ambiguity is not good for you, the author.

I disagree that the ISBN is a non-issue. It is a legitimate system for ensuring the reseller or consumer is getting the right product. And the agency is trying, like all such agencies, to catch up to rapidly changing technologies. We forget that legislative changes, or systems that require global participation, are not able to run as fast as technology, and the International ISBN Agency is trying to manage this situation as best they can without hurting YOU the author for things that these companies are doing and the ramifications of which you may or may not be aware of.

 

The reason that Smashwords only supply an ISBN for the epub version is that two distributors who use epub - Apple and Sony - require an ISBN. All other formats go through distributors that do not require an ISBN, such as Smashwords, Kobo, and B&N.  

 

I agree the issue isn't just with Smashwords, as noted in my post, but they are particularly of annoyance to some, for example Library and Archives Canada, because Smashwords has been instructing Canadian authors to go to LAC and get a free ISBN (ISBNs are free in Canada) but to put Smashwords down as the publisher.

I have seen no evidence of Smashwords doing any such thing. Where? When?

My sources for the issues between the self-publishing houses and Bowker are twofold: my contact at LAC who practically spit the name Smashwords when I mentioned them, and a more diplomatic response from Bowker's CEO here: http://www.thebookdesigner.com/2010/05/bowkers-andy-weissberg-on-isbns-and-the-future-of-the-book/

*frown* I don't see anything there mentioning Smashwords, OR specifically saying that retailers using the same ISBN for multiple versions of ebooks having caused problems?

The problem with all of these so-called self-publishing houses is that they want their cake and to eat it too: on the one hand they claim you are self-publishing but on the other they want to be called the publisher and not the distributor. The reason for that is that in addition to the ISBN there is UNIX code that travels with your ISBN; this UNIX code contains information about the publisher of record and thus whom a reseller or consumer must contact for sales. So despite their contracts stating you grant them a non-exclusive licence to print and distribute, Smashwords (and iUniverse and CreateSpace and so on) don't want the reseller to come directly to you, the author/publisher, for your books, or to a competitor; they want to be the seller of record. This gives them, in theory, an advantage over their competitors and even you, the author: anyone looking for your book via the Books in Print database would be directed to Smashwords and not to you, who might then sell directly to the querent or direct them to a distributor closer to their geographical area, or who is cheaper, etc.

Right... but that's with a free ISBN from Smashwords, right? *frown* That Smashwords will be listed as publisher is clearly stated.

Moreover, if you were to remain independent and were to publish your ePub directly to B&N, you could still upload your ePub to Smashwords for sales to Kobo and iBookstore, who will not deal with small publishers (you must have 10 titles minimum), if, of course, Smashwords would allow you to, which they don't: they only want your doc which they then convert, call the Smashwords Edition, assign an ISBN to (if you'll let them, and which they encourage), and define themselves as the seller of record.

Of course they allow you to use your ISBN in multiple places, if you buy it yourself and provide Smashwords with the required number.

Also, as noted, Smashwords doesn't apply DRM. So a DRM version of your ebook is a different format than a non-DRM version: they contain different coding; and thus it should have a different ISBN. Otherwise, a customer expecting to buy a non-DRM version doesn't want to end up with a DRM version. If they have the same ISBN, unless the reseller makes it clear in their catalogue that the version is DRM, the buyer could end up with the wrong version, or a version that is incompatible with their ereader.

Now, here's where we run into confusion. You're saying that Smashwords should be requiring different ISBNs for each DRM version of an ebook distributed to an external retailer? So each ebook should have two ISBNs - one for B&N (B&N-specific DRM) and one for other retailers (Adobe DRM)? You also seem under the opinion that each format retailed by Smashwords - regardless of lack of distribution chain - should have its own separate ISBN? Ouch. And you think Smashwords is doing us wrong there?

Your (assumed) opinion would also seem to go against Bowker's official stance:

There will, however, be instances of compressed supply chains where an e-book in a particular format is available exclusively through a single channel (e.g. Kindle). In those circumstances there is no requirement for an ISBN, unless the publisher needs it for control purposes.

Smashwords say they only distribute ePubs, but their website and contract specifically state they convert to multiple formats. For example, it says on their distribution page, "EPUB is one of the many formats Smashwords produces after you upload your Microsoft Word source file." It's not clear if they have reduced the multiplicity of formats down to the one and failed to amend all references to the multiple formats, but the ambiguity is not good for you, the author.

It's not ambiguity. They retail a number of ebook formats. They distribute only EPUBs.

 

I have seen no evidence of Smashwords doing any such thing. Where? When? *frown* I don't see anything there mentioning Smashwords, OR specifically saying that retailers using the same ISBN for multiple versions of ebooks having caused problems?

It's right on their website: they direct Canadians to our national agency. And believe me, I've spoken directly with them; this is causing them huge headaches.

Right... but that's with a free ISBN from Smashwords, right? *frown* That Smashwords will be listed as publisher is clearly stated. Of course they allow you to use your ISBN in multiple places, if you buy it yourself and provide Smashwords with the required number.

But this is what I'm talking about: the free ISBNs. And if I am providing them with my own ISBN, they should NOT be using it in multiple places if the final formats include different coding, for added features such as text-to-speech. So if I upload my ePub to B&N, and then to, say, Kobo, it's my responsibility to determine if additional coding is added for device-specific options.

For example, I can upload a mobi format to Kindle, which they will convert to Kindle. In doing so, they add Kindle-specific options and coding (in fact, the Kindle is a mobi format with additional code). So if another site were to come along that sells the mobi format, I couldn't use the same ISBN for that mobi file because it's not the same file anymore: there is different code in the final Kindle file.

Now, here's where we run into confusion. You're saying that Smashwords should be requiring different ISBNs for each DRM version of an ebook distributed to an external retailer? So each ebook should have two ISBNs - one for B&N (B&N-specific DRM) and one for other retailers (Adobe DRM)? You also seem under the opinion that each format retailed by Smashwords - regardless of lack of distribution chain - should have its own separate ISBN? Ouch. And you think Smashwords is doing us wrong there?

You're confusing an economic issue with a technological one. The problem is arising because your national agency charges a lot of money for individual ISBNs ($125) but a mere dollar if you buy them in a blocks of 1000. So it's cheap for these companies to offer you a free ISBN and advantageous to do so. And, yes, each digital format requires its own ISBN, so at minimum you might need 5 - 10 ISBNs per title (more if you add a print version), and so now an author would need to buy at least a block of ten numbers at the discounted rate of $250. So authors are eager to save themselves the money. But there are potential future ramifications of this, and I'm just trying to raise awareness, and you're attacking me like I have some ulterior motive for doing so. I don't. It's just that so many of us rush to publish without asking the hard questions, and we may end up with unpleasant surprises down the line.

Use Smashwords if you like (or any other aggregate -- I don't care -- just be aware of what you are doing and why.

Your (assumed) opinion would also seem to go against Bowker's official stance:
It's not ambiguity. They retail a number of ebook formats. They distribute only EPUBs.

Offering a title on their retail site is still distribution. So if they convert your Word doc into a PDF, they either have to sell it without a ISBN or they have to give it a different ISBN than their ePub version. And if you are supplying your own ISBN, then you have an obligation to ensure a designated ISBN is assigned to the PDF they are selling on their site.

iBookstore will deal directly with indie authors - my three titles are up direct. While I haven't done the final step, Kobo also seems to work with smaller publishers.

My mistake; you're right about iBookstore, although you must have a Mac for some inexplicable reason. Kobo, however, will only deal with publishers who have at least ten titles; I was directed to seek out the services of an aggregate: Smashwords, Author Solutions, Fast Pencil or eBookit (this from an email Kobo sent me). After I objected, Kobo then agreed to work directly with me but only if I also supplied them with the UNIX code. So the way I see it, if my customers can read an ePub bought from B&N (I don't know if they can; I've only done limited testing using Adobe Digital Editions), then once I have my B&N account set up I'll direct my Kobo customers there. I can't be bothered with this gatekeeper nonsense. And one has to wonder if Kobo will even be in business in a year with their approach to indie authors.

Interestingly enough, when I asked Kobo which aggregate they recommended, they wouldn't do so, but when I pressed the point and asked which company appeared to have the best track record with their clients, it wasn't Smashwords.

I was considering publishing with Smashwords, but after the Kobo fiasco, and the fact that I keep hearing more and more dubious things about their service, I think I'll stick with Kindle.

What was Kobo fiasco? I'd be curious to know.

 

Kobo lowered prices on ebooks and Amazon price-matched, and by price-matching lowered some writer's books from the 70% royalty to the 35% royalty. In other words the price match knocked them down below the $2.99 threshold.

That's still not a reason to avoid Smashwords. Just opt out of Kobo distribution if it bothers you.

 

Ironically, even Bowker has a "multiple formats" option when you're filling out the title card for an ebook isbn (I was just doing this for two of mine last night, because All Romance prefers you use an ISBN as well, but only one per title, not per format). So while Bowker may be squawking, they clearly allow for the practice (it's a drop down menu item, not one you add yourself).

LAC also uses a drop-down menu for users to choose from among multiple formats, but that's just for the convenience of the user: you still only get to choose one format per ISBN. Are you saying that Bowker allows you to assign more than one format per ISBN; that "multiple formats" is an actual option? I can't imagine them doing that. Could you please clarify?

Michelle

 

Michelle obviously has some concerns with the way Smashwords operates. Certainly she needs to make the best decisions for her.

We have:
-an unsourced contact at LAC
-a Bowker article that at best is tangentially related to her issues with Smashwords
-an unsourced Kobo contact alluding to an unnamed superior aggregator to Smashwords.
-an inaccurate attempt to limit what the word "Edition" means.
-warning authors about things that are very clearly stated in Smashwords' documentation

The above points do not mean her post is completely off-base - I have no doubt that buried in all the noise are a valid point or two. But I certainly am not about to change my high opinion of Smashwords based on such an approach.

 

Is it correct that I'll need a bunch of ISBNs for every title, just to accommodate the many different ebook formats? This is what's confusing me at this point.

If you ask Michelle, you need more than one. If you ask Bowker, the information is contradictory. If you do what many of us have done and get a single free Smashwords ISBN per book (and you don't need one to upload to pubit or Amazon directly), the answer is absolutely no. There are no guarantees that Bowker won't have a cow at some point and change things, but the evidence of current practice is in the fact that it's actually been working this way for a year with little or no problems for us.

 

LAC also uses a drop-down menu for users to choose from among multiple formats, but that's just for the convenience of the user: you still only get to choose one format per ISBN. Are you saying that Bowker allows you to assign more than one format per ISBN; that "multiple formats" is an actual option? I can't imagine them doing that. Could you please clarify?

Michelle

Yes, "Multiple Formats" (expressed in exactly those two words) is an actual option in the drop down menu on the Bowker title card. Along with a myriad of single formats (pdf, mobi, kindle, doc, html, epub, whatever - there are a bunch), you can also just choose "Multiple Formats" for the format field of an ebook.

 

This thread brings up some interesting issues I hadn't considered.

Does an ISBN apply to 1) the file uploaded to a vendor, or 2) the product downloaded from the vendor to a customer? The uploaded file is not the same as the downloaded file.

I can upload the same file to two different vendors, but the downloaded customer file will be different for each vendor.

Looking down the road a bit, I can foresee a time where our books can be represented in dozens of different files. For ISBN purposes, is a file with an author's bio at the end unique from one without it? How about one where I feature chapter one of another author's new book at the back?

Each time we make a correction or revision to a book and upload to Amazon again, that's a new file kept on Amazon servers. How do ISBNs work for print where there is a revision to text? New ISBN, or do we have different text in different print books represented by the same ISBN?

ISBN was developed for a text world, and it seems to have worked pretty well. We have a potential for far more confusion in a digital world, and perhaps ISBN isn't the answer. But I suspect there will eventually be a movement for a standardized digital label for each unique file containing a book. It may even be more important for independents since we lack the first order key of publisher ID. Everything else gets a number, think eBooks will escape?