Wednesday, November 1, 2017

The next step...and the next...and the next...


One of the next steps in this publishing process is the purchase of ISBN numbers. Like a bar code, it's a unique identifying number for each and every book in the world and for print versus "e" versions of the same book... Also, sometimes from retailer to retailer. That means one book may have to have a different ISBN for each platform. Amazon, iTunes, Google Play, Kobo... I think. I'm pretty sure. I'll be researching that again. The point is that I'll need several ISBNs for any given book depending on who requires a unique number. Yesterday I was able to purchase a block of ISBNs at a sizeable discount, so I'm very pleased that I won't have to limit distribution of my books.

As I've been mucking about in the back matter of each book, the issue of linking to online retailers for ease of purchasing the next book has come to light. But linking to Apple from a book bought via Amazon or to Google Play from a book bought via Apple is a big no-no. So that now means, either I add no links at all or I create a separate file for each retailer containing links to the next book. It's not a lot of extra work. And I have to think a sale or two or ten is worth it because I've made it so easy and is worth an extra ten minutes, right? Yeah.

(Just one more thing--or do I count creating each version as a thing of its own??-- to add to my growing to-do list...)

(I better actually create that to-do list.)

In other news, I'm still enjoying hockey. My team won in overtime on Monday and will play the last game of a road trip in Winnipeg tomorrow. Go STARS!!

On Saturday, my writer peeps will gather at my house for the monthly get-together since our writers group does not meet in November. I'm excited to see everyone and talk writing, books, and publishing.

Hope you have a great rest-of-the-week.



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