What's the difference between an ISBN and a barcode?
- An ISBN is a unique identifying number for a book edition.
- A barcode is the scannable graphic on the back cover.
- The retail barcode usually encodes the ISBN (and price).
- Each format and edition needs its own ISBN.
- You need both to sell print through retail channels.
An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the unique number that identifies a specific edition and format of a book — print, ebook, and audiobook each need their own. A barcode is the scannable graphic printed on a print book's back cover that retailers scan at the point of sale; for books it is typically a Bookland EAN barcode that encodes the ISBN, often with a second small barcode for price. In short: the ISBN is the identifier, and the barcode is the machine-readable version of it used in stores.
Chapter i·Why it matters
Self-publishers preparing a print book need both an ISBN and a barcode and often confuse them or assume one includes the other. Understanding that the ISBN is the identifying number (assigned per format) and the barcode is the scannable graphic that encodes it helps authors get their book retail-ready correctly. Knowing each format needs its own ISBN, and that a print book needs a barcode to be scanned and sold in stores, prevents distribution problems and ensures the book works in retail and library systems.
Chapter ii·What to include
- ISBN as the unique edition identifier.
- A separate ISBN per format and edition.
- Barcode as the scannable graphic.
- The barcode encoding the ISBN (and price).
- Both needed for print retail.
- How providers often supply the barcode.
Chapter iii·Example
A self-publisher assigns her paperback its own ISBN and her ebook a different one. For the paperback, her print provider generates a Bookland EAN barcode that encodes that ISBN, which she places on the back cover. The ISBN identifies the edition; the barcode lets a bookstore scanner read it at checkout — two related but distinct things.
WriteLoom keeps your editions and metadata organized, so ISBNs and barcodes line up across formats.
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