This week: International Standard Book Number Edited by: NaNoNette  
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| Dear authors, I am NaNoNette and I will be your guest editor for this issue. |
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International Standard Book Number
The International Standard Book Number, ISBN for short is a 13-digit number that is assigned to every book - every new edition and variation gets its own ISBN.
Many of us here on Writing.Com are working toward publication of the things we write. Whether we're trying to publish the next novel of world-wide acclaim, our collection of short stories, or a book on crocheting ... our book will have an ISBN when it's published.
Why should you care about this number? It's just 13 digits.
You should care because book stores care about the ISBN. Without an ISBN, no bookstore will carry your book. Yes, you might have a neighborhood book store that will let you take part in a local author's night and you can hand-sell some copies, but no book store will take your book into its inventory without an ISBN.
You should care because libraries care about the ISBN. Libraries need the ISBN to catalogue and list your book.
Okay, so if all I need is an ISBN, why don't I just take the one automatically assigned if I choose to publish with Kindle Direct Publishing. That will solve my problem, won't it?
No. No. NO! NO! NO!
The answer is, unless you care, nobody cares. --- Because:
Purchasing managers for book stores and libraries only negotiate with the owner of the ISBN. If you self-publish using Kindle Direct Publishing or any other for-hire publishing "service" and you accept their ISBN, you do NOT OWN your ISBN. Nobody at Amazon is going to go to book stores (they are a book store, why would they undermine their own business) or to a library on behalf of your book. Not only that, they won't talk to book stores or libraries even if those try to contact Amazon in order to carry your book.
For-hire publishing "services" might do a little marketing for you. But, honestly, since you paid them to get published by them, their incentive to spend their time and resources on your success is minimal.
So does that mean you are trapped between the large publishing houses with all the "right" contacts and vanity publishing oblivion?
No. No. NO! NO! NO!
The answer is as simple as: Get your own ISBN. You can buy it. From one place and ONE PLACE ALONE. That place is called Bowker and it resides at https://www.myidentifiers.com/ on the internet.
Bowker is the only place where you can buy an ISBN that you own. If you get an ISBN from Kindle Direct Publishing or from any other source, you don't own the ISBN. Don't let anyone tell you differently. They don't have your best interest at heart.
But will Amazon even carry my book if I don't use the ISBN that they provide?
Yes. Yes. YES! YES! YES!
During the book creation process on Kindle Direct Publishing, you will have the option to choose "Supply me with an ISBN" or "This is my ISBN that I want you to use." (I made up the phrasing, but you will recognize the fields to fill out when you get to those.) Amazon doesn't care if you use theirs or your own. They will list and sell your book regardless.
Little tip: Don't buy just one ISBN. It's expensive. Buy 10. Ten ISBN numbers is somewhat of a sweet spot. Ten ISBN numbers cost about as much as two single ISBN numbers. Unless you are 100% certain that you will - over the course of your whole life - publish only one book, go ahead and get one ISBN, but if you're planning on more books, or your spouse or your child, get 10. An ISBN is eternal. It doesn't expire. Once you own it, it's a fact whether it has a book attached to it or not.
So:
Yes. Yes. YES! YES! YES!
Get your own ISBN, publish, get famous, and have your book carried by all book stores and libraries!
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SEVERAL OF THESE ARE FROM THE SAME MEMBER. SHE HAS COLLECTED AND CATALOGUED MANY PUBLISHING RESOURCES CREATED BY HERSELF AND OTHER WRITING.COM MEMBERS. AFTER LOOKING OVER THESE, GO DIG SOME MORE IN HER FOLDERS.
Thank you GabriellaR45  for the amazing work you have done at compiling and listing all of these resources.
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I received the following replies to my last For Authors newsletter "Don't Say That!"
Blaize wrote: I am glad that you brought up the subject of adjectives. I have noticed a wide sweeping trend for years now toward, "adjectives are bad." I never understood the logic of this perspective. I once had someone read the first draft of a chapter and the feedback I got from it was, "3 adjectives found. This makes weak writing."
I have a sizable vocabulary. I am going to use it. Just as the best chefs know how to utilize spices to best enhance the flavour of the meal, a writer trying to be better will utilize adjectives (and yes adverbs, too) to best enhance the imagery and emotional response of the story.
I love how you compare adjectives and adverbs to spices. There is a possibility to overdo it, but none make for very bland meals. Who wants that?
Quick-Quill  wrote: A great example of this one-size attitude is the fact we are in a instant gratification era. We have crimes and trials all solved in a hour or two. The younger generation feels they want to get to the point. There are movies, video games and youtube to watch. Even book trailers. I've fallen into this mind set too. I tried reading the great women writers of the past and I'm so bored with the adjectives I skip to the "good parts." It's an evolving generation. Young readers love it because they are just learning. As they evolve they out grow that need for big descriptions. I think there is a happy medium, it's a learning process.
I find some of the older writers to be boring because of their passive voice and lack of action. I think there has to be some of everything. As you see from the comment above yours, reviewers are also happy to "count" adjectives to be able to hammer out a quick 'one-size-fits-all' review instead of allowing the story to develop in their mind's eye.
hbk16 wrote: Adjectives are important in descriptions.They render the scenes live. It seems something basic and simple however adjectives put some pitfalls to any writer.Good issue!
Thank you for the comment. Yes, adjectives are a needed part of vivid writing.
LazyWriter wrote: I get what you're saying- language is such a rich tool when it comes to painting vivid pictures in the imagination. To be fair, though, I have received feedback telling me to "show, not tell", but that was more in regards to showing characters in action, so describing motions and dialogue rather than lengthy lines peppered with flowery language that tell the reader what's happening instead of matching it to what's happening, if that makes sense.
And as for the fairy with dusty red spots on its yellow see-through wings, in my opinion that's fine. It's when you start describing it as something like "the fairy fluttered it's dusty red-spotted yellow wings playfully and shyly" - maybe not an apt example but overusing adverbs definitely is a no-go in my book.
I think you nailed it. Shyly doesn't actually give much to look at. Playfully is enough for me to capture the fairy's attitude in that moment.
Vaelys wrote: Brilliant! Thanks for sharing. I love to use adjectives and sometimes, I must admit, I do get carried away. But all in all, I think they really do add amazing spice to the life of stories. About where that phrase comes from I know not. On another note, I can recall once seeing an article about Stephen King and I quote "the road to hell is paved with adverbs". Yet, I still enjoy using them thoroughly, as well as adjectives, albeit with somewhat more reserved application nowadays.
A Writing.Com member once published a page of Stephen King as her own here on Writing.Com and offered a sizable amount of gift points for constructive critique. "Her" writing was full-on destroyed by Writing.Com reviewers. After 24 hours, she uncovered her ploy.
That leaves me with the question: Are we willing to believe what Stephen King says when it has his name on it, or does he give good advice?
Christopher Roy Denton  wrote: Thank you for defending those poor helpless adjectives! I agree with your position.
Thank you!
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For Authors: June 05, 2019 Issue [#9525]
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