ironic?

[lagilman]

When I was at Roc, I had memorized the ISBN numbers for a baker's dozen-plus of books at any given time (at least ten recent releases, plus a number of on-going titles), and could type them into the computer without hesitation.

I have no idea what my own ISBNs are. I don't even know, without looking, what the Luna prefix is (I just checked. It's 0-373).

All this means is that I don't have to enter my own numbers into a computer on a regular basis, or stare at sheets of similarly-coded titles on a monthly basis. But it still bemuses me.

Of the published novelists reading this, anyone out there memorize their own ISBNs?


ETA: and a small thing that's been driving me insane: the past tense of copyright is copyrighted NOT copywritten. Okay? Thank you.

Comments

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

Ha!! This actually came up last night while designing/buying postcards for promotional purposes. I also have no idea what my own ISBNs are. Or the DAW prefix for that matter.

Aren't they changing the system so that instead of a 10 digit ISBN there will be a 13 digit number or something?

[bentleywg.livejournal.com]

ISBN-13 for Dummies (http://www.bisg.org/isbn-13/for.dummies.html).

[jhetley.livejournal.com]

Nope. I let Amazon or Barnes & Noble handle such details.

[lagilman]

the Ace prefix is 0441. Roc is 0451. DAW is 08....somethingorother.


Arrrggghh. *shakes useless info out of head*

[quarkwiz.livejournal.com]

Harper is 006. Or 0380 for many trade titles. Or for a few rare kids' titles, 0688. (Never understood that aberration.)

[jpsorrow.livejournal.com]

DAW is 07564 I believe.

[lagilman]

Just off the nearest shelf, I have 0-88677-1 and 0-7564-0240-9 from DAW. Somebody ran through all the iterations of their old prefix! :-)

[karenmiller.livejournal.com]

Remember by izzbins???? I can barely remember my name!!! Hahahahahahahaha!

That was an insane cackle, btw.

[lagilman]

That was an insane cackle, btw.

It translated. *grin*

[karenmiller.livejournal.com]

I thought it might ...

[kradical.livejournal.com]

I generally know prefixes, something that goes back to my days of keyboarding book reviews for Library Journal a decade and a half ago, but I don't recall the individual ones for my books. If I need 'em, I copy 'em off the Amazon links in my web page's bibliography. *grin*

[lagringa.livejournal.com]

After 20+ years of bookselling, I memorized pretty much every dang prefix there was.

But this new 13 digit ISBN system is going to test my poor aging boomer brain, I fear...

[ex-fashioni.livejournal.com]

Not a clue. I'm so clueless about it, I didn't even realize that publishers had designated prefixes. I wonder if MTV Books has their own or if they share the same as Pocket Books. Huh...

[lagilman]

Generally, every imprint has their own prefix, with the next set of numbers indicating a specific edition of a specific title. If they reissue your book without changes, it keeps the same ISBN. If they make any changes, or issue it in a different format, it gets a new number. It's all about inventory, donchaknow.

[otterdance.livejournal.com]

"Of the published novelists reading this, anyone out there memorize their own ISBNs?"

I have to stop and think to recall my own phone number! Nope, I just keep the books around for the rare occassions when I need to know them.

Lynn

[debg.livejournal.com]

No clue.

My short-term memory, thanks to middle age and the MS, is tricky enough. Nic has the ISBNs entered into his computer, in various tracking spreadsheets; he can deal.

Also, "copywritten"? Are you kidding me...?

[lagilman]

Also, "copywritten"? Are you kidding me...?


Alas, no. I give them partial credit for understanding (or trying to understand) the concept, at least....

[debg.livejournal.com]

Oy. Just, oy.

[tanaise.livejournal.com]

I looked at the Luna prefix quizically and then said, "Oh, of course! It's a Harlequin imprint."

I am such a nerd.

[vincam.livejournal.com]

Of the published novelists reading this, anyone out there memorize their own ISBNs?


Are you kidding? I have to look at a keypad to remember Dale's cell phone number.

ETA: and a small thing that's been driving me insane: the past tense of copyright is copyrighted NOT copywritten.

That's right up there with pluralizing with apostrophes and confusing "then" and "than."

[ramblin-phyl.livejournal.com]

I type the ISBN once on promotional bookmarks. After that I don't think I even look at it again. Readers don't remember ISBNs, they remember titles and author names. ISBN is for computers to talk to each other, not real people.