I talked to the Finnish ISBN Agency yesterday, and at 3:37pm local time (after their office had closed) I sent in my electronic requests for the ISBNs I'll need for my July releases. This morning at 9:12am, 12 minutes after their office opened, I received through email a block of 100 ISBNs to cover these and any future publications (it'll take a couple years to use those all up I think, although I am using up 20 just for everything being released next month - every individual book within the box set needs its own ISBN, as do the electronic versions, according to the Agency).
(I'm dealing with an Agency. Somehow that seems cool.)
Cost for this?
0,00€, although I do have to submit six copies of all published material, details here.
Check out what you have to do to get ISBNs in the States here.
This isn't just to stick it in the face of JB over at B/X Blackrazor (although it does make a way cool post title, don't you think?). Obviously submitting six copies of everything is a bit of its own hassle, but it is interesting how these things work in different areas of the world.
Anyway, I've been doing cover layouts and preparing retailer pitches now that I've got my ISBNs. I'll get back to the wordsmithing and editorialing a bit later in the afternoon. One goes crazy if one doesn't break up their workload.
There are still lots of revisions and things to do for the box set, but if I had to, like if I was knocked on the head and went into a coma for four weeks, when I woke up I could have a rushed bunch of files to take to the printers to get everything made within 24 hours.
Luckily I have about a month to make it not-rushed...
(I'm dealing with an Agency. Somehow that seems cool.)
Cost for this?
0,00€, although I do have to submit six copies of all published material, details here.
Check out what you have to do to get ISBNs in the States here.
This isn't just to stick it in the face of JB over at B/X Blackrazor (although it does make a way cool post title, don't you think?). Obviously submitting six copies of everything is a bit of its own hassle, but it is interesting how these things work in different areas of the world.
Anyway, I've been doing cover layouts and preparing retailer pitches now that I've got my ISBNs. I'll get back to the wordsmithing and editorialing a bit later in the afternoon. One goes crazy if one doesn't break up their workload.
There are still lots of revisions and things to do for the box set, but if I had to, like if I was knocked on the head and went into a coma for four weeks, when I woke up I could have a rushed bunch of files to take to the printers to get everything made within 24 hours.
Luckily I have about a month to make it not-rushed...
Yeah, shelling out $1,000 USD for 100 ISBNs sucks.
ReplyDeleteDude. I just finished posting how I've blown my own May deadline waiting for the goddamn ISBNs.
ReplyDeleteNo, I'm not enraged (your post actually put a smile on my face), but I am f'ing disappointed.
Count your blessings, man.
: )
But old Europe is socialist and unfriendly to business and controls everyone with oppressive regulations and the US the home of the brave and the land of the free!
ReplyDelete/sarcasm
Every progress post reminds me that I should be having one less beer every outing to ensure I have the cash when you're done.
I don't know which is more obscene, that you paid nada, or that JB pays outrageous amounts, for an ISBN. No, I do know. The US prices are effectively a tax on small publishers, to keep them out of the publishing market. For shame!
ReplyDeleteThe Paladin is right. For shame! Congrats on the ISBN's. Looking forward to the book!
ReplyDeleteHere in the US, one could always let Lulu be the publisher of record and get a free ISBN from them. (And their distribution service in this case is free and will make the book in question available to Amazon.) Not sure how well this works for folks, but it's definitely a low-cost (no-cost?) alternative for those without a lot of start-up capital.
ReplyDelete