Journal
Notes from inside the press: how a book gets written, edited, designed and published.
24 items, page 1 of 2
Publishing
Four ISBNs for one novel
Hardback, paperback, ebook and audiobook are four products to the book trade, and each needs its own number.
Publishing
What an ISBN is, and what it isn't
An ISBN is a product code for one version of one book. It is not copyright, not a licence to publish and not a guarantee that anyone will stock it.
Publishing
Going wide or going exclusive with an ebook
Some ebook programmes require exclusivity to a single retailer in return for their benefits. Whether that trade is worth it depends on the book and the plan.
Publishing
An author bio that does its job
An author bio is read in seconds and asked to do several things at once. Most of them fail by saying too much about the wrong things.
Publishing
Writing the description on a store page
The description on a store page has one job: to help the right reader decide. It is not a synopsis, and the first two lines do most of the work.
Publishing
Why we don't take unsolicited submissions yet
A closed list is a promise about capacity, not a judgement about anybody's book.
Publishing
Reviews you can ask for, and reviews you shouldn't buy
Reader reviews matter to how books are found. There are honest ways to encourage them, and paid shortcuts that break retailer rules and mislead readers.
Publishing
Territories and world English rights
Rights to a book are divided by language and territory. Understanding the terms makes contracts easier to read and sales easier to plan.
Publishing
Selling translation rights
A book can be published in other languages by licensing translation rights. Here is how those deals are generally made and what a licence tends to cover.
Publishing
Choosing a publication date months ahead
A publication date is not when the book is finished. It is the date everything else is planned backwards from, and it needs setting well in advance.
Publishing
One ISBN per format, and why the rule exists
A hardback, a paperback, an ebook and an audiobook are four products to the book trade, and each needs its own ISBN for sound practical reasons.
Publishing
Getting ISBNs in the UK and Ireland
In the UK and Ireland, ISBNs come from one agency. Where you get them decides who is named as your publisher, which matters more than most authors expect.
Publishing
Legal deposit, and why your book goes to the British Library
Publishing in the UK comes with a legal duty that many new publishers do not know about. It is simple to meet and it puts your book in the national record.
Publishing
Metadata is not marketing
Categories, keywords and the description do a duller job than a campaign, and they do it every day for years.
Publishing
What pre-orders are for
Pre-orders are not only early sales. They are a signal to retailers, a planning tool for the publisher and a way to give interested readers somewhere to go.
Publishing
What producing an audiobook involves
An audiobook is a separate production, not a by-product of the print edition. It needs rights, a script, a narrator, careful proofing and its own ISBN.
Publishing
Proof copies for reviewers
Proof copies are sent before publication so that reviewers, booksellers and others can read in time. How and when they are sent matters as much as the book.
Publishing
Royalties and net receipts, in general terms
A royalty sounds like a simple percentage. What it is a percentage of makes all the difference, and the terms are worth understanding before signing.
Publishing
A launch that isn't a party
A book launch is usually imagined as an evening with wine and speeches. The launch that matters is the weeks of work that make the book available and known.
Publishing
Keywords that match how readers search
Search keywords are one of the few pieces of metadata a publisher writes freely. They work best when they sound like a reader, not like a catalogue.