A bar code is essential to get a book on Amazon.com and to make it ready for possible retail sales. If you are using Lightning Source, Ingram Spark or CreateSpace as a printer, they will supply a bar code at no charge, so you won’t have to go through this process.

You will need to get a scannable bar code for the back cover of the author’s book. It is easy to get an appropriate EAN Bookland bar code once you know both the U.S. and Canadian retail price and the ISBN that will be used for that book.

The bar code is generally placed on bottom right of the back cover of the book. If you are working with LightningSource as your printer, they will provide a bar code free of charge.

You can also generate your own bar code with free software at:
www.generator.barcoding.com

If you are concerned about accuracy and want someone to do it for you, you can have the bar code emailed to you for $10 through www.createbarcodes.com

Here is the process to follow:

1. Go to http://www.createbarcodes.com and click on “New User” to get to the application form.

2. Fill out the application on the next screen which calls for your company name and address and click “continue.”

3. The next screen asks for your name, phone, email, and credit card number and also allows you to set up a password that you want to be sure and note below:
Username ______________________________
Password _______________________________

4. At this point you are registered, and can click “Use Wizard” to enter more information and order your bar code.

5. On the first screen of the wizard, select the second choice “ISBN Bookland EAN” and click next.

6. On the next screen, select the first choice on the next screen “ Standard ISBN Bookland EAN” and click next.

7. On the next screen, enter your 13 digit ISBN. Make sure first box reflects your first three digits of your ISBN correctly. If not, click to see scroll down options, and select the correct one.

In second box, type in number beginning with the “0” and including the dashes after the “0” as follows “0-XXXXXXX-X” leaving the final number off because it will automatically fill in the last box correctly. You do not need to place the dash before the “0”, only after it and then after the next seven digits.

In Supplemental Data box, complete as 5XXXX with the price where as “X” (for U.S. pricing). In the box below this put in your actual price, if desired (this is optional).

The preview to the right should show it as it will appear. If you do not see your ISBN number in preview, or are getting a warning, your information was not typed in properly with dashes. Click next.

8. On next screen, you choose the magnification. If your book is small – 5 1/2’” by 8 1/2” or smaller, use “80,” which will give you a finished bar code box size of 1.75 x 1.0.” Otherwise, just click “next” and you will automatically use the most common size of 92%, giving you a bar code box size of 2.0 x 1.25.”

Choose the PC version as it is more universal regardless of system used (FYI-Mac’s can accept PC files whereas PC’s do not accept MAC files) Click next.

9. On the next screen, review the information to confirm it is correct and then click the next button to check out. You can pay the $10 charge with a credit card on the next screen.

10. Once you have paid, the bar code in JPG form will be emailed to you within a few minutes. You can always come back to your account to get your bar code again.

2-5 Get a Bar Code for a Book

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