By Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
The subject of ISBNs tends to make authors anxious. Sometimes writers are defensive about why they choose not to use them or choose to use the free ISBNs offered by CreateSpace and other retailers/distributors.
This isn’t a post debating the merit of ISBNs, although I do choose to use them myself. Briefly, there are a few reasons for my choice. One, I’m just old school. Another, as a self-publisher, I like the idea of my sales being counted (just as my trad-published sales are counted). For another, I like having my name listed as the publisher on record…not Smashwords or CreateSpace (nothing wrong with either of those guys and I use them both–just not their ISBNs). Most recently, my publishing through IngramSpark has required me to use a personal ISBN, so it worked out well that I already have them.
That being said! Bowker (the US agency that assigns ISBNs) annoys the dickens out of me. Here are some ways I believe the service could improve at Bowker. Or, let’s call it 7 ways for Me to Love Bowker Better:Continue reading