ISBNs: one per edition
An ISBN is a 13-digit identifier for a specific edition and format of a book. A paperback, a hardcover and an ebook of the same title are three editions and need three ISBNs. A new cover with the same interior does not need a new one; a revised edition with substantial changes does.
You can buy ISBNs from the agency for your country, which registers you as the publisher of record, or accept a free ISBN from a platform that offers one. A free platform ISBN usually lists that platform as the publisher and may not be usable elsewhere. Owning your ISBNs costs more up front and gives you one identity across every store. Either choice is fine as long as you make it knowingly.
Imprint and publisher name
Stores ask for a publisher or imprint name. It can be your own name or a trading name you choose. It appears on the store page and in library and bookseller databases, so pick something you are happy to keep. It does not need to be a registered company for most platforms.
The metadata every store asks for
Write the description once, carefully, and reuse it everywhere. Store pages that disagree with each other look careless and confuse search.
- Title and subtitle, matching the cover exactly
- Contributor names and roles: author, illustrator, translator, editor
- Description: 150 to 300 words that confirm the genre and promise of the cover
- Two or three categories, chosen from the store's own list
- Keywords or search terms, written the way readers search
- Language, page count and the date of publication
- Age range and reading level for children's and YA titles
- Series name and number, if the book is part of one
- Price per format and the territories where it is for sale
Files each platform accepts
Print platforms want a PDF interior with embedded fonts and a PDF cover built to their template, with bleed. Ebook stores want an EPUB; Amazon accepts EPUB and converts it. Audiobook stores have their own audio specifications. Our platform guides list what each one asks for: Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, Lulu, Kobo, Barnes and Noble Press, Draft2Digital, Apple Books and Google Play Books.
- Interior PDF per trim size, fonts embedded
- Cover PDF per printer, built from their spine width calculation
- EPUB validated and checked in a reader
- Ebook cover image at the size each store specifies
- Author photo and bio for store author pages
Choices that are hard to reverse
- Title and author name: changing them after publication usually means a new edition and new ISBN
- Trim size: it fixes the cover and the interior, so decide it before design
- Free platform ISBN versus your own: the publisher of record cannot be swapped later
- Exclusive ebook programmes: read the terms on how long you are locked in
- Pre-order dates: missing a pre-order deadline can carry penalties on some stores
Keep a publishing record
Make one document that lists every ISBN, every platform login (stored securely), the files uploaded and their version numbers, prices by territory, and the dates things went live. When you fix a typo in a year's time, this record is what tells you where to upload the new file.