fbpx

Category: Book Publishing Numbers

Open post
BISAC subject codes

BISAC Subject Codes

BISAC Categories: Help your reader find your book!

When it comes to self publishing, properly categorizing your book is critical when it comes making sure your reader can find it. To assign specific subject codes to your book you'll use the BISAC (Book Industry Standards and Communications) subject codes. These are codes that the whole book industry, from bookstores to libraries, use to understand where your book fits on their shelves so that readers can easily find it.
These codes are updated periodically and the most recent list was published in December of 2020. According to the BISG.org blog, "This year’s update added 155 codes and modified 123 literals, with two inactivations across more than half of the 54 top-level sections. A total of 23 sections had at least one addition to the code list."
You can assign BISAC subject codes to your book in several places including in your ISBN setup, IngramSpark and KDP. There are literally hundreds of BISAC codes and it's important to get as specific as possible. For example, if you're writing a business book for nonprofits, you have these options for categorizing your book:
  • BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities / General
  • BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities / Finance & Accounting
  • BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities / Fundraising & Grants
  • BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities / Management & Leadership
  • BUSINESS & ECONOMICS / Nonprofit Organizations & Charities / Marketing & Communications

Pro Tip: Did you know that BISAC categories are different than Amazon Categories?

When you make your category choices in KDP, those are BISAC categories and Amazon uses those to decide which Amazon category to put your book in. In this initial set up you can only choose two categories, however you can easily request that Amazon increase the number of categories that they place you in by simply contacting them through your Author Central account.

Choosing the right BISAC categories is very important. Your choice factors into everything from appearing in keyword searches to where your book sits on the shelf. Visit the Book Industry Study Group website to view the full list of subject codes.

Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

Help for Independent Presses

Book Design & Production

Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

Open post

The benefits of having an ISBN number.

What is an ISBN number and why do you need one?

ISBNs are the global standard for book identification. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number, and is a unique 13-digit numeric identifier linked to a book. It identifies the publisher (that is you if you are self-publishing) as well as the specific book title, edition and format.

Do you need one? There may be instances where you don't need an ISBN number, however there are so many advantages to having one that it is strongly recommended.

Some of those advantages include:

  • It establishes the publisher of record
  • It improves the likelihood your book will be found and purchased because, by having an ISBN, your book is included in databases that booksellers and libraries use to find books
  • It links to essential information about your book
  • It enables more efficient marketing and distribution of your title
  • It helps you analyze sales

An ISBN is not necessary if you do not intend to place the book in stores or libraries.

The Alliance of Independent Authors (ALLi) had a very informative and helpful blog post in their Self-Publishing Advice Center last week that I recommend reading. It explains in-depth about the ISBN number, why you need one - and why you may choose not to have one.

If you are publishing multiple forms of your book, for example, a hard cover, paperback, and an eBook, each of those will need its own ISBN number. ISBN numbers are available for purchase from Bowker. On their website, they offer several options for purchasing them. If you plan to write multiple books and offer them in multiple formats, my recommendation is to start with the block of 10 because it brings the cost per ISBN number down substantially. ISBNs never expire, so you will have them available for future use as needed.

If you would like to learn more about book publishing numbers and other self-publishing resources, check out the book design resources page on my website.

Want more tips like this? Subscribe to my monthly book design newsletter.

Help for Independent Presses

Book Design & Production

Have you written a nonfiction or fiction manuscript? After it has been professionally edited, I can design the interior pages and cover, plus guide you through the maze of book publishing and printing. To get started, contact me to discuss your project and my helpful guide for authors.

Scroll to top