I have a lengthy blog post on When to Assign a New ISBN. However, I guess it doesn’t quite answer every question that could arise. There are, after all, so many variables in what constitutes a unique book format/edition.
After reading that post, one of my Facebook friends asked the following:
I’m self-publishing a book, and I’ve already purchased my ISBN’s. I’m planning to reserve 500 copies for a signed, numbered, slipcased edition (same book, fancy packaging). Does this limited edition get a different ISBN number? And if so, how do I indicate that, since the physical book itself will be the same plus the additions?
My answer?
As I said in the earlier blog post, “The key to the decision is whether it will matter to your readers which particular edition, format, and binding they get. If it does, assign a new ISBN.”
So, in your case, the answer is…yes, assign a new ISBN to the special edition. Otherwise, there is no way to control which one would show up in the online catalogs used in bookstores and by distributors and wholesalers. Confusion would reign, and you might even lose sales.
What if a bookstore employee looks up your book’s title for a client and finds that high-priced special edition first…and stops right there? The potential customer, not expecting that kind of price, might just drop the whole idea and buy somebody else’s book.
As for how to indicate this, I’d just call it a collector’s edition.
He then came back with a second question:
Is it standard, in a case like, this, to put both ISBN numbers on the copyright page? Obviously I can’t put both in the bar code on the back of the book, but I won’t need to, as I’ll sticker the (shrinkwrapped) slipcase with a separate bar code with the different ISBN number and the higher price…. I guess.
Good question.
There’s a lot of variation in what is displayed on a copyright page (beyond the minimal basics) and how it is displayed. I can find several different approaches on the bookshelves within arm’s reach of my desk right now.
I don’t know that it’s standard but it’s certainly not uncommon to list all assigned ISBNs for a specific book on the copyright page. Usually something like this:
ISBN: 978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X (paperback)
978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X (hardcover)
978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X (e-book)
978-X-XXXXXX-XX-X (collector’s edition hardcover)
I guess doing that does let browsers know that there are other editions and formats of the book.
Do you list all assigned ISBNs on the copyright page?
