When I first decided to be a self-published (aka indie) author, that was probably the easiest decision I made on this journey. Every decision that had to be made after that was really difficult. Starting with acquiring ISBNs.
Let me start by saying, if you don’t already know, ISBNs are crucial to becoming an indie author. Sure, you can get free ones but they almost always come with a catch that is in the form of shackles, keeping you forever tethered to the place where you acquired that ISBN. So, the better option will always be to own your ISBNs outright. The place to go is Bowker | Publishing Services. Now, they will tell you their bestseller is the 10-pack:
I will tell you that while, yes, if money is tight, then I suggest buying the 10-pack, it’s what I did. But if you can afford it, and if you’re like me, with dozens upon dozens of novels planned to publish, that 100-pack is the way to go. A 10-pack can go quickly! And here’s why:
Each format of ONE book title gets it’s own ISBN. These formats include (but are not limited to): Ebook, Paper back, hardcover, audio book
Each “special edition” also gets its own ISBN. So, for example, if you release a different edition with a unique cover, or perhaps add new chapters, or make any significant changes to the exterior or interior files of that book, then new ISBNs it is!
Now, imagine you want to release a 6-book series and do the trifecta of ebook, paperback and hardcover? That would mean you’d neex 6 x 3 = 18 ISBNs to do it! Already, 10 isn’t enough. Of course, you can avoid this, and many do by doing the following:
Accept a FREE ISBN from Amazon or get their free ASIN (a unique identifier to Amazon ebooks). However, if you do this, then you cannot put your ebook on any other platform. It must remain tied to Amazon. This is true of any other place like Barnes & Noble, Ingram Spark, Draft2Digital, etc. You accept their free ISBN, then you are tied to using their site to direct traffic for sales.
Don’t release your book in every format. Just choose ebook or just choose paperback.
Now, why the hell am I telling you all this? Well, because when I created a MyIdentifier account, which you must do prior to purchasing ISBNs through Bowker, I was faced with a question I hadn’t even thought of. Well, let me say, I had thought of it, in so far as knowing I didn’t want to use my own name as I’ve seen many will do.
What is your imprint name?
I pride myself in doing extensive research before I dive head first into anything but I must say, I don’t recall this being a part of the “get ISBNs 101” tutorials and videos I’d watched up until this point. I could be wrong but yeah, I was faced with the question and the fact that whatever I chose could never ever ever be changed. At least, I don’t think it can be? Someone correct me if I’m wrong.
So, what’s the big deal about an imprint? Well, it’s almost like another fingerprint. It’s how the ISBN you tell them (ie Amazon or IngramSpark) that you own is connected to you. The imprint name (how you use caps counts btw) and your ISBNs are linked together. If you mistype something, then it will bring up some error (I imagine?) and you won’t be able to get your work listed. I remember in the early days when I used Amazon to publish my first book, I was not typing “pd books” correctly to match how I had typed it in Bowker and an error kept showing up. I was damn near frustrated! Who cares if I write it like this “PD Books” or like this “pdbooks” or even like this “pd books”? Well, they do!
How did I come up with pd books on the spot?
My mom. You have to understand, she truly was my best friend. I shared everything with her. When she got sick in the last few years of her life, I spent every single day by her bedside after work. No matter where she was; nursing home or hospital. I traveled as far as was necessary and I made sure I laid eyes on her and held her hand daily.
So I knew, when I saw that question staring back at me, without thinking I typed out pd books. My mother’s name is…was… Pamela Drayton. Or Pamela Diane Marie Drayton. Anyway, pd books just sounded so cool when I saw it typed out. I hadn’t really thought about it before, as I said earlier. Besides knowing two things:
It was not just going to be my name.
It was definitely not going to be “self published”
Both options I was not going to go for. And then I thought about the self-published authors I know and look up to. They didn’t use their names as their imprint either. They had a unique name. One that meant something special to them in some way. So, I patted myself on the back for being such a genius and completed my account! Done! Or so I thought. But no, I was definitely far from done.
No sooner had I come up with an imprint name I loved that I started work on my first ever cover for the paperback of Daxton and realized something was missing from the spine. Again, I do my research and when I looked at all the books on my shelf there was one thing they all had that mine did not have: an imprint logo! 🤦🏾♀️
Turns out my work was far from over! Now I had to get back in touch with my L-O-V-E of fonts and figure out a logo two-ways. Yeah, turns out, depending on the design you’re going for, you might need more than one option. And since the only way I could best convey “pd books” was by using the words, I realized having the logo horizontal would make it much too small to see on the spine.
I needed a vertical option. I got to work right away!
At the end of the day it has to be legible no matter how small or large it is so I went with the chunky options. It’s neat. It’s clean. It’s good enough for me.
I never got to show or share the meaning behind “pd books” with my mom but I am sure she’d approve of my choice.
Now, about my name… For, what’s in a name, really?
Okay, first off, I have a pretty LONG name. Having middle names is a thing in my family. We all have at least one or two. Hence, my mom with Diane Marie. I have one name on my birth certificate, even though I know from my mom she wanted me to have two, but we’ll go by my legal name and then there’s my now married name. Anyway, I have options galore. And because of these options I had a bit of an idea. And it’s one that many authors who want to dabble in multiple genres have straight away: Pen names to separate myself.
The last thing you want to do is mess up some algorithm somewhere. So if you’re going to write romantasy and say, horror, when someone searches for your name, if they are looking for one but see the other, it could lose you some sales. It can cause confusion. Unless you’re like a mega big book seller, keeping your genres separate is very important. So, here’s what I had decided (even before I got the option of my married name):
E.L. Drayton - fantasy work
Erica Drayton - microfiction
Erica L. Drayton - mystery
However, I have since removed my fantasy work from Amazon, effectively attempting to rebrand myself and my name. Of course, this will be difficult to undo in places like Goodreads where when it’s here it’s there forever. But I digress.
So, when I share the covers of my fantasy books you’ll see them say “E.L. Drayton.” I don’t want you to be confused by that so I hope this answers that for you.
If you’re wondering, will I continue use E.L. Drayton for my fantasy work? Possibly. I am in the middle of writing a historical fantasy serial and the thought has crossed my mind about what name I will use. Luckily, I don’t have to make that decision today!
Next week, I thought I might share a bit about Stonehaven the world. Give you a peek behind just how large I originally (and still?) planned for it to be!