CLP  ISBN Services . . .

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a machine-readable identification number. It links to information on the book’s title, author, subject, price, publisher, edition, format, intended audience, and market. All of this information is used to distinguish between books, so no two books will be exactly alike and customers will always be sure that they are ordering the correct book. For more information on ISBNs visit http://www.isbn.org/standards/home/isbn/us/isbnqa.asp.

Do I need an ISBN?
An ISBN is designed to tell bookstores where they can purchase your book. If you only want to sell your books on CLP or only want to buy a few copies for yourself, you probably do not need an ISBN. However, if you ever want to sell your book in a traditional bookstore or another online bookstore (like Amazon) you should consider an ISBN.

I purchased a block of ISBNs directly from Bowker. Can I use them on my Cambridge Lighthouse Press book?
You are welcome to use your own ISBNs for your CLP book. However, CLP cannot generate the bar code for you and your book will not be eligible for ISBN Plus distribution.

What do I get when I buy the Basic ISBN service from CLP ?
When you purchase CLP ’s basic ISBN service for $34.95, you get:
 
    1. A scannable bar code automatically printed on the back cover.
    2. Your book listed in Books In Print, the searchable database that librarians, booksellers, publishers, students, faculty, researchers, library patrons and bookstore customers use to find the exact titles they need.
    3. The ability to take a bunch of your books into the local bookstore for them to sell.

With the Basic ISBN service, you do not get:
Your book will not necessarily be listed as "current inventory" in bookstores.

What do I get when I buy the ISBN Plus service from CLP ?
CLP offers the ISBN Plus expanded distribution service for $149, which includes:
 
    1. All of the features of the Basic ISBN service (see above)
    2. Your book entered into Ingram's database, the largest US book wholesaler. This gets your book into the same wholesale channels as major US publishers and will allow book retailers like Amazon, B&N, and Borders to sell your book.

When you purchase ISBN Plus, a proof copy of your book is added to your shopping cart. The proof will be printed within 5 business days and shipped to you for your approval.

I just bought an ISBN. How long before the barcode is on the back of my book?
ISBN barcodes should be generated within 24 hours. They may be generated earlier if you have purchased a copy of your book. Real-time ISBN generation is on its way, which should provide some important feedback about ISBN placement on your cover before ordering.

My book is published, but I want to make some changes. Will I lose my ISBN?
If you have a Basic ISBN, simply create a new edition and your ISBN will automatically be transferred to the new version of your book.

If you have an ISBN Plus, you will have to pay a revision fee in order for your ISBN to be associated with the new edition of your book.

How long does it take for my book to be listed in Books In Print?
Basic ISBN and ISBN Plus services.

Your book is updated in Books In Print within 24 hours after you have assigned your ISBN. However, your book is considered "pending" for about two weeks. During this pending process, your book is checked against the Books In Print database to make sure there are no errors or duplications. This is all to protect you, the author, to make sure your book is accurately listed and totally unique. After two or three weeks, the pending process will be over and you can look up your book.

Most bookstores update their database with new additions to Books In Print once a month. Although you should be able to see your book in Books In Print after two weeks, it may take six weeks or longer to see your book listed in bookstores.

IMPORTANT: This is not the same as being included in an online bookseller's inventory.

How long does it take for my book to be listed on Amazon?
It can take between six and eight weeks after you have purchased the ISBN Plus for a book to be listed with online booksellers, like Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

How do I get my book cover to show up on Amazon and Barnes & Noble?
You can find information about updating your book cover and description by visiting the bookseller’s sites.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/publishers
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/help/pub_submit_content.asp?userid=2UJ86XYWKF


How do I get help at Cambridge Lighthouse Press ?

There is more information on how to find answers to your questions here: http://www.cabridgelighthousepress.com/support/.

If you can't find the answer you are looking for there, you can get help from other community members in the CLP Support Forums. Odds are that someone else has reported the problem and it's been resolved and posted to the forums for all to see.
 

  











 
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