#Dont be afraid to ask me any selfpub questions! | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

nicosraf · 4 months

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Silly question maybe but self publishing stuff confuses me. I was just wondering what you did for the barcodes on your book. Is it one you paid for or did you just go with the one Amazon gives you? Sorry if this was random! I just see you as self-pub goals so I was wondering.

DO NOT BUY BARCODES !!! DO NOT BUY BARCODES!!!!!!!!!!

So when you're setting up to self-publish, youre going to need an ISBN. If you're in the US, you need to buy these (from Bowker.com typically), or you can get a free one from your publishing platform — Amazon KDP, Draft2Digital, Ingram, or any of the others.

(The only issue with the free ISBNS that you get Locked to this printer, so if you get an Amazon ISBN, then you can only sell your book through Amazon or through Amazon's "expanded distribution") (I do not recommend Amazon's expanded distribution, really).

When you set up the cover and input the ISBN, the platform will generate the barcode and attach it.

For ex., here's me inputting the ISBN for (the old) Angels Before Man and then uploading the cover. Because I didn't check the box, it generated and added the bar code for me.

Something you should take into account when you get/make a cover is actually that the barcode is going to be slapped on and could potentially cover some lettering.

Before anything, you should generate a template for the cover using the cover generator that the platform you're using provides. If you're working with an artist, I really recommend sending this file to them, as well. This is how it looks:

I hope this is helpful! But yes, do not buy bar codes. Your ISBN, whether its free or not, will generate the bar for you. Good luck!!!!

#publishing #Dont be afraid to ask me any selfpub questions!#I am not an expert but if i dont know then I can ask others for sure #and self pubbing is very hard the first time so I would love to try and save you a little pain #mine #ask #self publishing

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