Many used book sellers want to know the meaning of the ISBN codes used to categorize books, CDs, and DVDs in the publishing industry.
The ISBN, which is short for “International Standard Book Number,” is a distinct number, usually printed just above the UPC barcode on the back cover. It is presented with hyphens throughout.
As a used book seller, this is the number you’ll primarily use when looking up book values online, as well as when posting books for sale online.
The meaning of the ISBN:
This 10- or 13-digit code will help speed up your search for profitable titles to sell, and is essential for listing your products for sale on websites like Amazon.com, Half.com, and eBay.com.
Bookstores reorder their book inventory using these numbers. Each publisher orders large blocks of ISBNs to be attached to the individual editions of the books they bring to market. Therefore, the hardcover and paperback versions will be similar, though different, for each publisher.
Without the ISBN there would be chaos. It would be almost impossible to organize the tens of thousands of new titles and updated versions of previously published works.
The ISBN was introduced about 40 years ago. ISBNs were initially 10 digits long for more than 30 years. On January 1, 2007, the ISBN system changed to a 13-digit format. Now all ISBNs have 13 digits. Currently, new ISBN-13s start with the numbers “978”. Within a few years, those new ISBNs will start with “979”.
The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify a title or edition of a title from a specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributors.
The different parts of the ISBN are easy to decipher. Each ISBN consists of ten or thirteen digits and is always preceded by the letters “ISBN” when printed. The ten-digit number is divided into four parts of variable length, with hyphens separating each part. Sometimes the ISBN ends with an “X”.
The four parts of an ISBN:
1. Country/Group Identifier: Identifies a national or geographic grouping of publishers.
2. Publisher Identifier: Identifies a particular publisher within a group.
3. Title Identifier: Identifies a particular title or a unique edition of a title.
4. Check Digit: A single digit at the end of the ISBN that validates the ISBN.
Each country has its own designated agency that assigns ISBNs to publishers and self-publishers in that country. According to the Bowker.com website, Bowker is the company that operates the US ISBN agency, they are not authorized to generate an ISBN for publishers and self-publishers located outside of the United States and its territories.
Bowker claims to be the world’s leading provider of bibliographic information and management solutions designed to help publishers, booksellers and libraries better serve their customers. For more background information, or if you are a self-publisher and need to order ISBNs for books you plan to publish, visit http://www.isbn.org for more information.
While the underlying meaning of the ISBN is an officially recognized way to keep track of the millions of books on the market, the ISBN gives you an easy and cost-effective way to check the current values of used books, CDs, and DVDs that you own. could. Sell on popular online websites. By carefully typing the 10- or 13-digit number into the Amazon.com search engine, you’ll have instant access to how much the typical book shopper is willing to spend for that particular book, and you’ll be able to make an informed purchase. decide in a matter of seconds how much profit you can make by reselling that book online. Knowing the meaning of the ISBN will help you make more money selling books online.
