SENSITIZE ©

You need to know about ISBN 13 if you're intending to write, publish, or even just recommend books.

From 1st January 2007 all new books have to have a 13 digit ISBN. 10 digit ISBNs can no longer be used on new releases.

This does not mean that a publisher's back catalogue has to be reprinted with the new numbers, but they will be referred to using the 13 digit number from 2007.

The majority of bookshops etc should have updated their systems to incorporate ISBN 13, and should be able to do searches for both sets. Though some may only use the ISBN 13.

So if you're an author, from January you should know the ISBN 13 for your book(s) and can convert them here.

More info here

Thanks Delph ...

Thank you Cathy. I'll try to remember this. As you are aware, I was ready to register a book of poems in Spanish this month but, after some analysis yesterday, I decided not to enter the Argentine National Poetry Contest for which it was needed but rather wait for the 2007.

Running out of numbers... Sounds like the situation with IP addresses...

Ta for this!

Hi folks...

I just had an interesting chat with a published writer friend of mine about ISBN 13 and the topic of copyright came up. If a publication released before January 2007, with a 10 character ISBN, is then re-released but with slight alterations e.g; an index added or extra photographs placed into it. Is it a new publication? My friend reckons it's still the same and copyright remains with the author / publishing house (where applicable), but technically it could be viewed to be a new work.

My friend says she had to pay approximately £70.00 for her 10 character ISBN and that if it's all being updated to 13 character it should be covered already. I'll be honest. I don't know a lot about this and would like to hear any thoughts published members of Sensitize have.

A publisher friend of mine tells me that she's been using both ten and thirteen digit ISBNs for a while now, so that she's covered whatever. I suspect all publishers know what they're doing, but us poor writers are always the last to find out...