Adding a Book
To add a new book, click "Add Book" on the Books page. Before anything else you'll be asked two questions — whether the book will be sold in stores, and whether your print files are ready. What we ask for after that depends on your answers.
If you're printing copies for yourself
A book you're not selling in stores has no store listing, so we don't ask you to write one. You need:
- Title
- Imprint
- Print specifications — trim size, binding, paper, laminate and interior colour
- Page count
That's it. No description, no contributors, no categories, no keywords, no retail price and no wholesale discount. You can add any of them later from the book's edit page if you want to, and you'll be asked for all of them if you turn distribution on.
If you're selling in stores
A store listing needs everything above, plus:
- A valid 13-digit ISBN
- Description
- At least one author contributor, with a biography
- At least one BISAC subject category
- Audience
- Keywords
- List price and wholesale discount
- Publication date
- A completed payout profile on your Publisher page, so royalties have somewhere to go
Turning distribution on later
You can switch a book from bulk orders to selling in stores at any time, on the book's edit page. Everything in the list above becomes required at that point, and the book can't be saved until you've filled it all in — the page tells you exactly what's still missing. Each value you add is recorded in the book's change history.
ISBN Format
An ISBN is required to sell in stores, and not needed otherwise. If you provide one, it must be exactly 13 digits and must have a valid check digit. The system will validate this automatically. You can use an ISBN you purchased or a free ISBN from another source.
A free ISBN carries conditions on who is allowed to sell the book, and those conditions decide whether you can turn distribution on. Read Free ISBN before you enable it.
Duplicate ISBNs
You can add multiple books with the same ISBN (for example, to create a new edition). However, only one book per ISBN can be enabled for distribution at a time.
Page Count
The minimum and maximum page counts depend on the binding type you select.
Publication Date
The publication date can be any date. If you have an ISBN, the publication date should match the publication date tied to your ISBN on Bowker.
Contributors
You must add at least one author contributor. Each contributor needs a first name, last name, and role (such as Author, Illustrator, or Editor). The first contributor listed will be displayed as the primary author. You can add up to 5 contributors per book.
Biography
The author biography must be between 50 and 2500 characters.
Distribution Channels
If you enable distribution, your book will be available through retail and wholesale channels. The wholesale discount you set affects your royalty per sale through distributors. Distribution Channels covers what each channel is and how to choose.
A higher wholesale discount makes your book more attractive to retailers but reduces your per-copy earnings. A lower discount gives you higher earnings but may limit retail availability.