Writers and Editors

• Barcoding Guidelines for the U.S. Book Industry (Book Industry Study Group, BISG) Barcodes are the machine-readable codes found on the packaging of almost every product we buy. They consist of a series of numbers and patterns that allow for easy and quick retrieval of information about a particular item. For a book to be sold by large retailers and brick-and-mortar stores, it must have a barcode. This barcode includes the book’s unique ISBN (International Standard Book Number) and often its retail price.
      Barcodes assigned to books can be classified into two types; those that incorporate prices and those that don’t. The price, when included, is represented by a five-digit code. The initial digit of this code signifies the currency in which the book is priced. Bowker.com is the only official source for ISBNs in the US, and having one from them will make your book searchable by the big retailers.
• Barcodes for Books: What They Are and Why They’re Important (The Book Designer, 9-21-23)
• Frequently Asked Questions About Barcodes (Bowker)
• Identifier services for publishers (Bowker) Whether you're a self-publishing author or general trade publisher maintaining a backlist of thousands of titles, Bowker offers critical resources to satisfy your needs, including assignment of unique identifiers, collection and distribution of metadata, and related publishing services. MyIdentifiers.com – also available for the Australasian market (myidentifiers.com.au) – makes it easy to purchase ISBNs, barcodes, QR codes and the full range of other services Bowker offers to help connect publishers with book buyers.
• FAQs about barcodes (IDAutomation.com, Your source for quality symbology)
• 2D barcodes launch in 2027 (GS1 Digital Link, Bar Code Graphics: US Barcode Authority) More change ahead! The venerable UPC barcode will be replaced by QR codes.
• Placing an ISBN barcode block on your book cover (Yaquin Press) Never buy a barcode. You can generate them for free.
• Barcodes for Books (Wendy J Woudstra, Publishing Central). Answers basic questions: What Is a Bookland EAN Barcode? Where can I get one? Where Can I Get a Bookland EAN? Do I Also Need a UPC Code? Where Can I Get a UPC Code? Don't Barcodes Contain the Mark of the Beast?
• Barcodes for Books: Labels for Book Publishing (Electronic Imaging Materials) “The barcodes found on the back of books are called Bookland EAN or EAN-13 bar code symbols. The EAN barcode is created from the ISBN for the book. Although the EAN barcode is much like that used for general retail merchandise, the numbering system used to generate the bar code for books is different.”
• Barcoding Guidelines for the United States (Book Industry Study Group, BISC)
• Register Your Book: The Essential Guide to ISBNs, Barcodes, Copyright, and LCCNs, a book by David Wogahn. See his post on Jane Friedman's blog, Why Self-Publishing Authors Should Consider Establishing Their Own Imprint.

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Guest post by William H. Reid

 

Small group presentations are sometimes best served by good mic/speaker combinations, not just a mic.

(1) SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE, CHEAP.

Consider a "teacher's microphone" (also used by tour guides) with a small speaker worn around the neck or clipped to a pocket. Check them out on Amazon & elsewhere for $25 to $75. The mic is usually a "head mic" with a light headset and a little microphone placed near the side of the mouth, connected (sometimes wirelessly) to a small speaker worn around your neck. Battery operated (usually rechargeable), hands-free, self-contained, easy to walk around. ZOWEETEK makes several and sells one with very good ratings on Amazon for $35.80. There are many others.

(2) LESS SIMPLE, NOT SELF-CONTAINED, MORE VOLUME, BETTER SOUND.

If you're planning to stand in one place, such as at a podium, you'll need a mic (and maybe a mic stand if you don't want to hold the mic), a simple speaker/amplifier, and a cable to connect them (there are also wireless systems) and bring an extension cord for those times when the electrical outlet is far away. (Tape to secure the cord is a good idea if people are walking by). That sounds like a lot, and may often be overkill. The simplest version, bare-bones, should cost about $100-125.

(3) SIMPLE, NOT SELF-CONTAINED, WALK-AROUND.

If you're not speaking from a lectern, it's great to be able to walk around. A hand-held mic is fine, either with a cable (though that limits mobility) or with a wireless connection to the speaker/amp. Wireless mic/speaker combinations are great, and not very expensive (probably starting under $100, but check the ratings for quality) for book club/readings purposes. If you already have a non-wireless mic or speaker/amp, consider a wireless adapter on each (starting at about $50 per set) to free you up.

(4) HANDS-FREE, NOT SELF-CONTAINED.

If you need both hands away from the lectern or mic stand, consider a "head mic" (similar to what singers often wear on TV, but without the earpiece), clip-on or lavalier (old-school). Those generally come with a little transmitter pack that clips onto a belt or pocket, and the simplest ones transmit to a wireless receiver on the speaker/amp. Sets, including a simple speaker/amp, suitable for small-group speaking may start under $100, a little more with better sound. For any of the above, be sure the system is clear enough and loud enough for your purpose, and that any wireless version works within the distance you anticipate (usually "Bluetooth" distances of 20 to 100 feet).

(5) MIC ONLY.

If the venue is large or professional enough to have its own public address (PA) system, they probably have a mic for you, but you may want to bring your own. (Be sure yours will plug into—or communicate wirelessly with—the venue's PA).

 

Forensic psychiatrist William H. Reid is the author most recently of A Dark Night in Aurora: Inside James Holmes and the Colorado Mass Shootings, which draws on 23 hours of unredacted interview transcripts never seen by the public and Reid's own research to bring the reader inside the mind of a mass murderer. The result is a chilling, gripping study of abnormal psychology and how a lovely boy named Jimmy became a killer.

 

See also Public Speaking, PA Systems, and You (The Small Venue Survivalist)

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Useful for journalists and the sources they need to find.

• Anewstip: Connect with global media influentials. A one-stop PR platform that helps entrepreneurs, PR professionals and marketers search for relevant media contacts (journalists, editors, etc.)
• Cision (formerly PR Newswire): Offers a media database and journalist query service.(formerly PR Newswire)
• ExpertClick (slightly different format) Connecting experts with the news media
• Expertise Finder Search engine to help journalists find university-based subject experts and sources for interviews and articles.
• Gorkana (Cision One) Provides media intelligence, including journalist queries and alerts.

• Media Kitty (disappeared on me)
• Muck Rack Combines journalist queries along with media monitoring and analytics. Optimize your media relations with easy-to-use PR software
• PitchRate Free PR leads. A free PR tool that connects journalists and the highest rated experts.
• Qwoted  Connects journalists with expert sources for media requests. "Suddenly, Connected."
• ResponseSource A media database and journalist request service that makes it easy to connect with the media in the UK and Ireland.
• SourceBottle Find a source. Be a source.
• Yearbook of Experts Experts, authorities, and spokespersons.

Any more to list (with links)?

 

Source: Jmcolbert at aol dot com (on ASJA discussion group)