Everything you need to know about ISBN numbers

As if self publishing your own book wasn't hard enough - at some point you have to think about ISBN numbers. These confusing collection of seemingly random digits are more important than you think, so I've broken down everything you need to know in a complete, comprehensive guide.

Let's start at the beginning...

What is an ISBN?

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. They were 10 digits long, but since 2007 they are now always 13 digits long. While they may look random, they aren't at all and are made using a specific formula that makes them unique to each book.

From here on, we will be referring to the numbers as 'identifiers', because each number identifies something about your book. Bookstores, libraries, publishers and any other buyers use these identifiers to find your book and quickly find out more information they might need.

Each ISBN is split into 5 parts, sometimes separated visually by a hyphen. 

• The prefix "978" or "979"
• Country identifier
• Publisher identifier
• Title identifier
• Check digit

You might have seen ISBN numbers that don't quite follow this structure. In those cases, the ISBN numbers have been purchased in bulk, 10,000 or more at a time. Big companies like Amazon do this to redistribute to their clients who self publish through them. The identifiers are the same, but refer to Amazon's details rather than the details of each single book. Buyers can immediately tell by looking at the ISBN whether you have bought the ISBN in bulk as part of a large company, or if it was a single purchase and you are a self publisher. 

Now you know what an ISBN is, the next question is;

Should I buy an ISBN?

There are different options when it comes to ISBNs.

• Use an ISBN assigned by your publisher 
• Buy an ISBN yourself
• Buy a universal ISBN

Each method has it's own pros and cons. To see which one will work best for you, take a look at this breakdown below.

Assigned ISBN from your publisher

Online publishers such as Createspace give you the option to use one of their assigned ISBN numbers. This is often free, or at least the cheapest choice. However you may be limited to where you can distribute your book. The imprint will appear as 'Createspace' rather than your own name. You cannot transfer this ISBN to another publisher if you leave Createspace. If you don't plan to distribute outside of Createspace then this may be a good budget option for you.

Buy your own ISBN

Used by serious and professional authors, this option offers more flexibility than using an assigned ISBN. Your name will appear as the publisher and you can distribute to more channels. If you move to another publisher however, you will have to get a new ISBN

Buy a universal ISBN

Similar to buying your own ISBN above, this option also allows you to have your own name as publisher and distribute to more channels, but furthermore, with a universal ISBN you can move to another publisher and keep the same ISBN.

This option is the most expensive, costing around £90 or $99 USD

You might ask; 'What does it matter if Createspace are listed as the publisher?' Well, you might not mind, but bigger bookshops will not stock books that are listed as published by Createspace. If you're seriously trying to become a best-selling author, using an assigned ISBN could hinder you. 

It's worth noting as well, that you need an ISBN for each format of the book you are publishing, even if it is the same title. Here are some common scenarios which would require a new ISBN.

You add a hardback version = New ISBN

You added a page = New ISBN

You changed the title = New ISBN

You change the price = Same ISBN

You translate into a different language = New ISBN

You correct a spelling error = Same ISBN

You print a large-print format for blind readers = New ISBN

eBooks technically aren't required to have an ISBN number, yet you can still have one if you think you would benefit. They not only give the impression that you are more professional, but also make it easy for resellers and buyers to identify your book and it's details. Some big bookstores will not list your eBook on their site unless it has an ISBN.

Where do I buy my ISBN?

If you choose to use the assigned ISBN, Createspace will offer this when you create your title. But for the other options, you can buy them directly through the only companies who control them; Bowker in the US, and Nielson in the UK.

www.bowker.com

www.isbn.nielsenbook.co.uk

There are a plenty of third party sites who sell ISBNs, but I would steer clear of them. Not only do they cost more money, but you do not know what identifiers they are really using.

It's also good to know that not only can you save money buying the ISBN numbers directly, but you can get a good discount by buying in bulk too.

Where does my ISBN go?

Now you have your ISBN, you'll want to use it of course! 

Your ISBN should appear on your barcode. When you bought your ISBN they will have provided it as a barcode, so use this file to place onto your book cover. (Or give it to your designer for them to place)

The barcode should be on the back of the book, near the bottom. There's no point trying to be different and placing it somewhere else or in a weird shape, because all that will do is confuse buyers and sellers, and prevent them from quickly scanning your book for information.

For example, here is a recent book I illustrated, with the barcode placed on the back.

You might also include the ISBN number without the barcode inside the book, on the page with your copyright and legal information, like this;

So that's it! You know know everything there is to know about ISBN numbers and hopefully, you're armed with enough information to start buying yours. If you have any more tips about ISBNs, or would like to ask a questions about them, please feel free to leave a comment and I'll get back to you.

Releasing a children's book for Christmas - are you prepared?

Ho ho ho - it's almost time for Santa to come and visit! 

And what does Santa bring to good little boys and girls? Books of course!

But when should you start marketing your Christmas themed books? Should you say 'holidays' instead of Christmas? And should your book have a festive 'message'?

Don't worry if you're asking all these questions and more; they are all relevant if you want to be a successful Christmas author. I recently teamed up with author Adam Reed to create a magical, festive themed book to rival the popular 'Elf on a Shelf' series, and he kindly took some time to give us some advice on this blog.

Adam was originally looking to start a holiday tradition with his family and only came across one option - an elf. As he looked at it and dug into the story he was taken aback by how creepy it looked, how intimidating the story was to children, and how stressful the “tradition” came to be for parents.  

With that, he struck out to create a fresh, new Christmas tradition not only for his family, but for children and families all over the world.  In doing so he vowed to take all the negatives of the elf, and turn them into positives, creating a magical story, an adorable plush, and a holiday brand that would bring a new meaning to family traditions at Christmastime for years to come.  He hopes that with REINDEER IN HERE he has done just that.

So let's start with the writing.

Writing a Christmas tale is much, much different than writing at any other time of year. The competition is already high - with some popular and classic Christmas stories dominating the market. How can you make YOUR Santa stand out from the thousands that already exist? Why would a parent choose to buy YOUR book instead of the ones that everybody already know and love?

One tip is to make sure you're original. Instead of the over-done story about Santa and the night before Christmas, why not think of a unique twist to place over the top? Perhaps Santa rides a skateboard instead of a sleigh. Perhaps Santa is female. Adam gave his story a twist by creating a whole new world of imaginary characters and traditions revolving around a brave little reindeer who saves Santa's day! And popular classics like 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas' apply this rule to their stories too. It's what makes them sell out each year.

Another tip is to include all those Christmassy feelings that you associate with that special time of year, without being too obvious and cheesy. It's easy to fall into the trap of writing about being good for Santa, or hearing bells jingling or even seeing snow fall, but most kids hear this in every Christmas book, TV show and song already. Try thinking about what makes you feel festive instead. Maybe it's the smell of hot mulled wine, or having to wear knitted mittens. Write about the tastes, smells and sounds of Christmas that you often overlook or take for granted and you're sure to create a vibe that excited children can't resist. 

Christmas words are, of course, going to be in your book, but some authors struggle in their attempt to make their book appeal to everyone. It's important not to alienate children but at the same time you have to be true to what you are writing about. Have a think about exactly who is going to buy your book and let that be the decider on your language. If you're writing a religious book about the importance of traditional Christmas values and Jesus's role at that time of year, then your audience will be different to a book that is writing about elves and presents. You can't market it to every single child in the world, because they aren't all the same, but you can use language and illustrations to make your book diverse and relevant. If your book isn't a traditional Christmas book, then you can still create that festive feeling in your illustrations instead. Adam's book uses a bit of both to really capture the magic of December.

"If you look at the illustrations, we really tried to make Christmas unique and magical on every level. While there are traditional Christmas colors, there are a lot of very bright unexpected colors. I wanted the North Pole to be magical, I wanted the illustrations to pop off the page and I think we accomplished that.  Early copies of the book have been reviewed extremely positive, and children seem to be reacting to the bright colors, and magical feel of the entire story and visuals.  It was a very deliberate decision to design it that way."

So you've written your story and you're sure it's a winner! Now it's time to cash in on the crazy Christmas sales. Here is my biggest piece of advice I can give you;

PLAN YOUR CHRISTMAS BOOK DURING THE SUMMER

It seems strange to be thinking about Christmas when it's sunny outside, but please don't underestimate this advice. As an illustrator I am inundated with requests to illustrate Christmas books during October and November and unfortunately I have to turn most away by explaining that they're just too late. Aside from the illustrations taking many months to complete, editing, formatting and publishing will eat away at your deadline so the sooner you can start the better. Adam knows this all too well. He says;

"The whole process was stressful and the launch is also stressful because its been two years of work to get here. Add to that that my wife just gave birth to our second child, and was on bed rest for weeks…it was the perfect storm of madness.  But I also know my personality, and I thrive under pressure and stress, it just motivates me even more to succeed one way or another.  

Ideally I wanted to do it in early November as I feel that most people start planning for Christmas in early November, but it was a very layered process to get the book written, illustrated, and edited — and then an even more intense process to find a packager, a plush maker, design both the plush and the packaging, then put them all together and get them to amazon in time for the holidays. It was almost an impossible task but I pulled it off."

So plan well ahead and expect your book to take longer than you thought. After all, it's better to be early than late when it comes to Christmas sales! Most parent start their Christmas shopping in November, but some start as early as September - so that means you should aim to have your book finished and ready for sale at the end of August! Try to make the most of sales and start pitching as soon as the cold nights start setting in. When you are advertising your book, remember that while kids may be your target readers - it's the parents who will be buying. Try to aim your advertisements at parents and families buying your books as gifts for children. 

Writing and marketing are huge tasks, but here are some other points you should be thinking about too;

The book's message.

Just because it's Christmas doesn't mean you can't apply all the usual rules of writing a story for children. Are you teaching a life lesson or just having a fun story with a twist at the end? there should definitely be a reason for your character's actions - just like any other time of year. Avoid pages that don't progress the story and make sure your plot is full of action and events to keep your reader's interested.

Illustrations.

What kind of illustrations are you looking for? They play a big role in picture books and you want to make sure they're clean, professional and appealing to kids. If you're looking for Christmas illustrations, make sure your illustrator has had experience drawing snowflakes or Christmas trees.

Research.

Do your homework! If you're writing about Reindeer like Adam did, make sure you know what shape their hoofs make in the snow or what their diet is. Including facts will make your story more believable and children will pick up on mistakes - so don't wing it!

Thankyou for reading, I hope this blog helped you write a Christmas tale that will be loved year after year after year! If you're looking for an illustrator for your Christmas tale, you can email me at izzybean@izzybean.co.uk and I'd be happy to discuss your project.

You can buy Adam's book as a beautiful box set that includes a Reindeer plush toy here; http://reindeerinhere.com/available-black-friday/

You can also find more about Adam's campaign - ShelfTheElf on his website here; http://reindeerinhere.com

Merry Christmas!

Izzy Bean's Top Ten Tips for Self Publishing Your Children's Book!

Self-publishing a children’s book is easy peasy, lemon squeezy! Almost anyone with a computer and some free time can do it. What is not easy, however, is self-publishing a children’s book that is actually good, and that sells well. 

I’ve been illustrating children’s books professionally for almost nine years, and along the way I’ve dealt with my fair share of first time self publishers. I’ve enjoyed every single one of them, but I have also realised that while most self published newbie authors never make their dream of being the next Roald Dahl, there are some essential tips that increase their chances of being read, reviewed and possibly even picked up by a big name publishing house. So before you reach for the pen or your laptop, here are my top ten tips to bear in mind when self publishing your first children’s book.

1. Read, Read and Read Some More

Chances are, if you’re passionate about writing, you’re passionate about reading. So you’ve probably already got this one covered. Just in case, read some more anyway! Reading any genre for any audience will help your writing skills regardless, but focusing on books that are written for your intended target audience is a must. Don’t just read them though, analyse them too. How many words are on each page? How many words in total? Are they complicated words? Do they have illustrations?

2. The PPP system, or POINT PER PAGE

I invented the PPP system to help authors focus on quality, not quantity. Each page of your book should have one major point that is essential to your story. It could be introducing a major character, an action that moves the story forward, or another event that is an important part of your story. If you have a page which you could take out without affecting the storyline, then leave it out. Tackle each page individually and ask; What is the point to this page? A 14 page book should have 14 points to the story. If one page has two points, consider separating it into two pages. (Without going into too much detail in this blog post, you can have secondry points that accompany your main point on each page, but more about that another day…)

3. Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead

You’ve spent countless hours writing your first story and you’ve finally finished! Right? Wrong! This is only the beginning, what you have just finished, is the first of many drafts. It may seem daunting, but you’re going to be re-writing this draft over and over, and only after you’ve re-written it enough to know it off by heart, and are possible even sick of the sight of it, then you’ll finally be ready to let people see it. Which leads us nicely onto the next tip…

4. Rely on Feedback from more than your friends and family

Your nearest and dearest love you to bits and everything you do in their eyes will always be great! While having them read your story and give you their opinion is not a bad thing, don’t rely on their feedback alone. Reach out to people who may be a little more honest and critical, maybe even find someone who you know will pick faults with your work. Why? Because you will get readers who will do just that, and you’re looking for honest feedback so you can test your story on a real person and use their feedback to improve your writing. As an additional tip, it’s worth noting that not all critiques could actually lead you to improve your story. There will always be someone who will find errors or have something negative to say about your work, even Harry Potter was turned down for being ’too complicated for children to follow’ by many publishers before being picked up by Bloomsbury. Your job is to listen to that feedback without feeling too offended, and also be the judge of whether it is useful or not.

5. Think Ahead / Do your Research

At least half of the first time authors I work for don’t think about who they are going to publish their book with until after it’s finished. There are many benefits to planning ahead, such as being able to save enough money, setting your launch around popular holidays or spreading some of the work to make it less stressful, but sometimes it will also cost you more money and effort if you don’t plan ahead. There are publishers who will only accept certain book sizes, and page numbers, which would mean a lot of wasted time if you create a beautiful book only to find you have to re-draw all the illustrations to fit a different ratio or cut out some of your pages.

Things to consider;
Hardback, paperback or Ebook?

Is the company charging you per book, or taking a percentage of sales?

Will the company let you distribute with other companies or are you limited to their customers only?

Do you need an ISBN number?

If you’re unsure who to self publish with, you can read my previous blog about Self Publishing here.

6. Make your characters relatable

Children come in all shapes and sizes, and no two children are the same. As an illustrator I’m very aware of making the characters appealing to real children.
Children have a strange sense of fashion – think trainers with fairy dresses, bright stripy socks with polka dot jumpers. Children wear glasses, have plasters on their knees, their noses are always running, they have paint on their hands. Some children have afros, some children have an abundance of bright red hair, others have ponytails. All of these details make your characters not only more believable, but a child will subconsciously be hunting for someone in the book who looks like them, and if they can’t find anyone to relate to, they might not be interested. So don’t limit yourself – let your imagination run wild!

It’s worth noting that in order to be realistic and relatable, you shouldn’t focus too much on gender specifics. While a lot of little girls love pink, there are plenty who are also obsessed with dinosaurs and play football. Children are more complex then gender stereotypes.

7. Make your title stand out

Aside from your cover, it’s the one thing that people will judge your book on. It’s the first thing they read, and your first chance to grab their attention among all the other titles. Make it fresh, catchy and different! There are a lot of books along the lines of ‘Simon Goes to the Park,’ but not so many named ‘Kit Kitten and the Topsy, Turvy feelings.’ If your title has three words, one of those should be your main theme, and one of them should be your character’s name. Ideally, we should get the general idea of what your story is about, just by your title alone. Here are three titles I recently illustrated, can you guess what the stories might be about?

1.    I Have Asthma, What Does That mean?

2.    Little Meerkat’s Big Panic

3.    The Lion Who Could Swim

8. Promote Your book… without paying a penny

You may dislike Facebook and all it stands for, but if you’re not utilizing it to promote your book, you’re missing out on one of the biggest advertising outlets available to you, which also just happens to be completely free. Sign up, create a pgae for your book, and start sharing! The same goes for Twitter, Instagram, Pintrest, Google Pages and more. While it may seem pointless at first, the trick is to interact with other authors and those who share similar interests, and post regularly. Try not to make everything you share about your book, alternate it with relevant articles and share other author’s books to gain interest within the community.

Aside from social media, there are plenty of other ways to promote your book on a budget, a lot of them far more effective than paid advertising. Such as arranging book signings or visiting local children. Teachers and Carers are always looking for guests to read to children in a safe environment. Get your illustrator to create some colouring and activity sheets and visit a local school, nursery, club or church to spread the word about your book whilst also helping your local community.

9. Join the Club

There are some great societies, clubs and groups for authors that are both free and paid for. The benefits of joining these groups is that you can learn a lot of tips and tricks direct from those who have been there and done that, and share your own experiences too. Make friends, chat and listen to others without trying to sell your book to learn invaluable advice and have real-life support. Check out the links below to find what groups I, and some of my clients regularly contribute to.

Society of Children's Writers and Illustrators

Kid Lit 411

Writer's Market

Write For Kids

Yahoo Groups

10. Get a great illustrator

If you’ve written a brilliant story, you need brilliant illustrations to go with it. Don’t undo all your hard work by settling for less than average illustrations because you know someone who will do it for free. It’s a common phrase, but you really do get what you pay for. Luckily, if you’re on a budget, there are ways to cut costs and still end up with a great illustrator!

Negotiate on price – an illustrator who really likes your script may be willing to drop their price to suit your budget.

Use one of your internal illustrations as the front cover

Use ‘spot’ illustrations instead of full page illustrations

Have less illustrations in your book and use illustrated borders around the text only pages

Find an illustrator that will allow you to pay in installments rather than all up front

Most importantly, your cover should really, really stand out. It is the first thing your customers will see, and yes, they will be judging your book by it! Take a look at some of these covers I illustrated, and if you like, you can contact me for a quote by emailing me at izzybean@izzybean.co.uk or see more of my work on my website at www.izzybean.co.uk 

Author Interview - GRANDMA PAINT POT talks about her process, inspiration and hurdles!

Author Interview

Grandma Paint Pot

Grandma Paint Pot (named so by her Grandchildren) was born and raised in South Wales, but now resides in Cornwall which gives her the inspiration for her book series - 'The Sea Creatures'.

A keen writer, poet and outdoor walker; Grandma Paint Pot is a nature lover and this shows in her beautiful writing which features an array of adorable characters from a Selfish Shellfish to a Starfish with a missing leg! 

Thankyou for taking the time to talk to us, can you start by telling us more about yourself?

I’m a mother of three and a grandmother to four lovely grandchildren. I was born and raised in the Rhondda Valley, South Wales. Now, I live in Cornwall, in a caravan. I love to spend time out of doors walking the coastal path and feeling close to nature. I have two Border Terriers - Charles Dickens and Oscar Wilde - and in June will be having a Springer Spaniel puppy. She will be called Lizzie Lou after the heroine in the novel I am currently writing. I have a BA (hons) in Literature and an MA in Professional Writing.

Great names! How did you start writing for children?

I’ve written poetry since the age of thirteen or fourteen. When my children were quite young I started rewriting nursery rhymes such as: What was Humpty doing, sitting on the wall, he shouldn’t have been up there, it was obvious he’d fall... My children attended the Welsh school and had several cousins around the same age. I wrote my first children’s story for them. It was handwritten into a blue scrapbook in the Welsh Language and every character in the story was named after the children. I drew all the illustrations. I have since translated it into English and changed the names accordingly to suit newer, younger family members. I might use elements of it in a future publication.

Do you have a process you follow when writing?

Usually, a germ of an idea might take hold and I play around with it in my head for some time. With my publication The Selfish Shellfish, I was playing around with this title for a poem, focusing on the tongue twisting alliteration. I then thought I could make up some other sea creature characters. When I had several characters the idea grew into something bigger. In my head, each character had a voice.

            I don’t commit anything to paper until I’ve thought out the entire story. Then I write it up, and after that I type it on the computer. More often than not the word count is far too much and that’s when I begin to edit it down and structure it.

What or who gives you inspiration?

Nature is the most inspirational thing there is. I can look at the sea, a river, flowers, trees, the earth, the sky and never fail to be moved. I love watching the birds and animals and life in general. The world seems so simple and straight forward and breathtaking and mysterious. It is lifetime of study.

I admire so many writers but, in my eyes, Julia Donaldson is a children’s writing phenomenon. She creates beautiful characters, beautiful stories, empathetic scenarios and puts them together in verse.

Did you encounter any problems when releasing your books?

As a self-publishing author (as with any author, I suppose) I have to create interest in my book via social media. This is something that causes me a few problems. How to connect with the right people? How to reach people other than friends and family? How to pitch your posts and blog in such a way that will engage and draw interest without coming across as pushy, boring and completely self-indulgent?  

What was the BEST part of releasing your book?

The best part about releasing my books was (firstly) holding a physical copy and then seeing copies on the shelf in bookstores. It gives a wonderful sense of achievement. Also, it’s an amazing feeling when people come up to me and say: my child loves your book. When asked what book they want at bedtime they always want to read The Selfish Shellfish.

...and the worst?

The worst part is facing rejection from some booksellers. It’s tough to take when someone says they don’t want to stock your book - for whatever reason. Some places will order my book for a customer if they ask for it specifically but the chances of that happening is unlikely. As a new, independent author my book needs to be on display to stand any sort of chance in such a saturated market.

It sounds like you love doing what you do! 

What were your favourite books when you were a child?

I grew up in the world of Enid Blyton. I loved everything from Noddy and Big Ears, The Famous Five to Mr Meddles Muddles and Brer Rabbit. But, if I had to pick one book from my childhood, it would be Joanna Spyri’s Heidi. I always wanted to live on top of a mountain, sleep in a bed of straw, eat fresh bread and cheese and run wild all day. It was my kind of heaven.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

I love going somewhere to write rather than staying at home. Often, I write in The Falmouth Hotel. I order a pot of coffee, sit in the window overlooking Castle Beach and write the morning away. This is one of the reasons I set The Selfish Shellfish on Castle Beach and some wonderful illustrations of the Hotel feature in the book.

            I also like to write in cafes or libraries or anywhere I’m not distracted by thoughts of chores I should be attending to.

Finally... 'The big debate'; physical books or eBooks - which do you prefer?

I much prefer a physical book. I buy ebooks for convenience. They make ideal traveling companions and, as I live in a caravan, they don’t clutter up my cubby holes. My books are also available as ebooks for these very same reasons, and because I want to cater for the ebook market. But physical books are special. They are personal and intimate. In my opinion, a person - young or not so young - is more likely to flick back through the pages of a physical book time and time again to enjoy the feel and colour of the book and to linger over the words, and each time the book is revisited they will see and understand something different and gain a bigger picture. 

Thanks for sharing with us Grandma Paint Pot!

Grandma Paint Pot is currently launching her latest book; Stanley Penwellington and the Exploding Seagulls

Until then, you can check out her books below!

The Selfish Shellfish (ISBN 9781781322147) is £7.99 

The Selfish Shellfish ebook (ISBN 9781781322154) is £5.99

Leonard Limpet Lost at Sea (ISBN 9780993090707) is £7.99

Leonard Limpet Lost at Sea ebook (ISBN 9780993090714) is £5.99

Buy from...

GrandmaPaintPot.com

Amazon

Or on sale locally in Falmouth at;

Falmouth Bookseller

The Falmouth Hotel

The Maritime Museum

Cornish Maid, Mawnan Smith

Meudon Hotel, Mawnan Smith

The Kingsley Village

Seawitch Stores, Mousehole

The End of the Earth, Hayle

Visit Grandma Paint Pot and find out more!

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