Publishing: The publishing process
BMJ 2003; 327 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.0311412 (Published 01 November 2003) Cite this as: BMJ 2003;327:0311412
- Mohammad Al-Ubaydli1
- 1author of Handheld Computers for Doctors (ISBN 0 470 85 899 0; www.handheldsfordoctors.com)
The system of international standard book numbers (ISBNs) has helped book buyers around the world to get hold of books from sellers and publishers.
ISBN
Getting an ISBN for your book takes a little effort and a little money, but most of all it takes a little time for all the paperwork to be processed. So it is one of those jobs that you should do as soon as you can. Start by visiting www.whitaker.co.uk/newpublishers.htm and register through their standard service. The £71 ($94; a87) fee gets you 10 ISBNs. You can then apply these to any 10 books that you publish. If you publish more, you can buy more numbers in blocks of 100 or more--depending on how ambitious you feel--but you cannot buy individual numbers. The only remaining cost is for posting the completed form for every book.
Judging a book by its cover
The cover of your book is important, and everyone from the bookstore manager to the reader will base a large part of their buying decision on how much they like the cover. So get a good cover. If you have artistically talented friends then ask for their help. Look at other books for inspiration on good cover design. And think seriously about getting a professional to design the cover (see www.elance.com).
Printing
A good printer is like a good plumber because the costs and results can vary considerably and so can the reliability of the person you are dealing with.
Finding a printer
A good starting point is the London Book Fair, where many printers display their goods. Alternatively, searching …
Log in
Log in using your username and password
Log in through your institution
Subscribe from £184 *
Subscribe and get access to all BMJ articles, and much more.
* For online subscription
Access this article for 1 day for:
£50 / $60/ €56 (excludes VAT)
You can download a PDF version for your personal record.