By Edward Nawotka
In today’s lead story Liz Bury considers the state of the ISBN debate as regards to the proliferation of e-books in various formats. The debate going on is whether or not it is necessary to issue separate ISBNs for each e-book in each format. More ISBNs mean better analytics on the retail end, but require added logistics. What’s more, there have been suggestions that e-books sold in different regions each need their own ISBNs, and if this happens, could it to the possibility of issuing individual ISBNs for each format in each region? The result would likely be an exponential growth in the number of ISBNs issued. The outcome would be very granular sales data. Better data can lead to many things, such as better control over distribution, more precise marketing, even in the right hands, better ability to combat pirates.
Suddenly, the 13-digit ISBN doesn’t look like so much trouble after all.
So, the question is this: Is the trouble of separate ISBNs per book, per format, per region necessary? Is the trouble of implementation worth the upside?
Let us know what you think in the comments below or via Twitter using #ppdiscuss.
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“E-book ISBN Mess Needs Sorting Out,” Say UK Publishers
4 months ago
[...] DISCUSS: Do we need separate ISBNs per e-book per format per region? [...]
Jan B
4 months ago
I believe it is necessary to differentiate each version/format/whatever; think of it from a buying point of view – you want the Kindle eBook version of a book, but if all versions have exactly the same ISBN, you’ll easily end up with a 500 page paper doorstop… Or, presented with a long list of choices, will the average reader know which version is the right one for him?
I think, however, that the ISBN should be for the basic book/content itself – then some kind of additional identifier(s) for each format. e.g. ISBN 1-2345678-901-23-a (b,c,d, etc).
ISBNs are already very expensive to purchase, and even a small publisher would end up having to use ten, possibly more, for each title. It isn’t just the ebook format, it’s also delivery – is it a download, or on CD, or DVD, or as a DVD plus video version, and so on.
Contact Us
4 months ago
[...] Do We Need Separate ISBNs per E-book per Format per Region? [...]
Tom Walker
4 months ago
Note that amazon/Kindle doesn’t require ISBNs for ebooks. That’s a message right there. We don’t use ISBNs for our audiobooks or ebooks. Audible, the largest seller of audiobooks (exclusive for iTunes and amazon), doesn’t require ISBNs.
We sell major retailers such as Target with single UPC codes for assortments. All of this saves a ton of money. If you want to know what sells, Amazon and Audible provide incredibly helpful granular detail beyond most people’s ability to use. As they say at Harvard Business School, if the differences are small and hard to get at, they probably aren’t worth getting at. I think that’s true here.
Publishers don’t need another way to get tripped up over particularity, which only increases costs and therefore retails.
You can see we sell retailer assortments this way to Mom and Pops, up to Walmart, Target, and others. A retailer can order our 50 pack audiobook assortments, 3 basics offered, for 50 at $6.99. $350 retail approx. Get 50% off. For prepayment they get another 10% off and free delivery to their store–one display.
That works. Takes the cost out. If we messed with all the ISBNs etc. we’d be at $19.99 and losing money like most small publishers.
See http://www.discountaudiobooks.com
Theresa M. Moore
4 months ago
See my previous comment to the adjoining article. The fact is that no one is going to buy ISBNs who cannot afford them, and many are not going to use them anayway. Maybe it’s time to give up trying to assign them in the first place. The agency is going to run out of numbers eventually, and the granular data cannot be parsed statistically as it is. Allow the individual publisher to do as his budget requires and that means less books will be ignored because they do not have ISBNs. There are a great many oysters of literature just waiting to be shucked and cannot be because of this godawful number business.
Bookguy
4 months ago
I agree that we need different ISBN’s but I hope we can do it within the 13 digit format. I don’t want to go through that change again.
How about expanding on 978 and 979 and adding 970-977 or something similar. You can let each publisher choose their own ebook formats, they each get 8 and they can do with them as they like. For example 970 could be Apple books and 971 could be Amazon Kindle. Or any similar replacement for 978/979 could be used.
Erik
4 months ago
I agree we need separate as well, each region and such, that’s hard to say, although I agree with Jan B. From a consumer and discovery standpoint, you may not know what you are finding. The other issue is that as eBooks advance, become enhanced eBooks and such an identifier is going to be important. Think of the education market, where a mix of isbn and identifier could be used to purchase on the chapter level or discover on that level.
I think there is a bigger picture here and it’s how to standardize it across the world, but make it efficient and workable. If workflows become congested, then we are in a world of trouble and it will be isbn13 all over again where retailers, wholesalers and even pubs had issues.