Comments on: Adding an ISBN to your book? Blurb barcode explained

By: Andrea Rosenthal

Andrea Rosenthal — Wed, 06 May 2009 17:27:59 +0000

I received an answer from you with regard to my earlier question about whether or not subsequent printings of the book would look the same as my review copy. You replied that you constantly calibrate your printers to achieve consistent results, but I personally know two people whose subsequent orders were different and darker than their first, and whose subsequent orders had large barcodes in back whereas their first ones didn’t. And even though you told one of them that the barcode was “easily removable,” it wasn’t. How can I prevent this? How can I make sure the same printer prints my subsequent copies as my review copy? I want to order 50 books, so this question isn’t exactly frivolous.

By: Marilyn Kirsch

Marilyn Kirsch — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 18:13:43 +0000

I have read most of this blog and am totally confused.

If so many people do not like something, why not fix it?

I would like to add a bar code that specifically goes with my book.(and ISBN number)

How would this work if I might be given at random your barcode?????

By: CBN

CBN — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 10:48:43 +0000

I see this issue is still unresolved. I recently received a 13×11 book from the European printer and it had a printer’s barcode on the right-hand-side of the back cover. Nowhere in your Software was it mentioned that such a barcode would appear.

Just as well mine was a test book and I hadn’t set up to print my ISBN block at that location. The convention (and it is not a requirement as the first poster on this thread seems to think) is for the ISBN block to go on the lower right of the back cover. The lower left will have to do in my case, although I can see why many people producing show-books are really annoyed with you Blurb.

I think the biggest problem is that you hide the fact that a printer’s barcode could/might appear. I’ve never thought much of your so-called Booksmart software – a horrible, buggy, slow re-invention of the wheel – but the least you could do is place a warning in it about the printer’s barcode. To have not even done that after all these months and the above numerous complaints is pretty shoddy, to say the least.

By: HG Design Studios

HG Design Studios — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:55:29 +0000

As an additional resource, some BlurbNation book makers are registered publishers with Bowker the US distributor of ISBNs. So those who’d like help with an already purchased ISBN or would like to publish with our help, check out the BlurbNation Directory on this site. (I’m one, and a publisher.) I know this won’t help everyone, but it may be particularly usefull for those who know only that an ISBN has to be on a book to sell through retail venues (or in most cases now online as well.) Check us out, and ask us questions!
A BlurbNation Book Maker
Heather N Grimmer
HG Design Studios, LLC
Hg@hgdesignstudios.com

By: Lori Gebbie

Lori Gebbie — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 04:34:23 +0000

RE: Sticky Residue
Put a drop of oil on your fingertip and lightly rub it on the sticky stuff left on the book cover. The oil will break down the glue and you will be able to wipe it off in a few seconds. You can repeat this if you have a lot of sticker left, just let the paper soak up some oil, and it will pull off real easy.
Just use one drop on your fingertip at a time, you don’t need to flood the book, just a little bit will work :)

By: Kelsie Bates

Kelsie Bates — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:27:06 +0000

I am publishing up to 150 pages of poetry and I’m just curious on how I actually get the image of the barcode…how exactly do I make it? Is there a section in Booksmart that can help me with this? Thanks for your help.

By: Steven Sisti

Steven Sisti — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 22:30:06 +0000

WOW, glad I read this…I would have been really annoyed if a ISBN # was printed on the back of my image wrap. So the latest is “Some of our vendors are now using stickers”. What that means is the issue has not been resolved yet. If I were to order a 10 x 8 Image wrap book would there be, or would there not be an ISBN# printed on the back cover. I live near New York City. I could accept a sticker but the printed ISBN is a deal breaker