Self Publishing Frequently Asked Questions

We are happy to provide you with information and assistance on the many areas of expertise required for Self Publishers but here are some notes which may be of interest and useful contact information to get you started

What is an ISBN?

The International Standard Book Numbers system identifies any book published anywhere in the world. The unique 13-digit number (10-digit prior to January 2007) should be printed on the reverse of the title page of a book along with copyright and publisher information. The ISBN has a sequence that identifies both the publisher and the publication – the first number identifies the language of the book (0 or 1 for English), the next few digits identify the publisher, then the publication has a unique number and the last number is a check digit.

In Australia the ISBN agency is held exclusively by Thorpe Bowker (www.thorpe.com.au/isbn). This web site also has a very useful general guide for Self Publishers.

What is Cataloguing-in-Publishing?

Cataloguing in Publication (CiP) is a free service offered to publishers by the National Library of Australia to provide a bibliographic record for a book before it is published. The CiP record is derived from information supplied by the publisher and includes author/s, title, ISBN and price. Library of Congress Subject Headings and Dewey decimal classification numbers are assigned to facilitate subject access. The record is created and arranged according to internationally established standards.
The CiP record is added to the Australian National Bibliographic Database (ANBD) which provides advance notice of new publications to libraries, booksellers and the general public. When the book is published the CiP data is printed on the reverse side of the title page. For electronic publications, the CiP data appears near the title and other publication details. The CiP data printed in the book is an abbreviated form of the online record.
For a CiP on-line application, visit the National Library web site at http://www.nla.gov.au/services/cip_form.html

What about Copyright and Permissions?

Copyright protection is a complex area and you should seek advice on any areas you are not sure of. However, the most important thing to know is that in Australia, your work is automatically protected by law as long as it is in a substantive form (i.e. written down) but that you cannot claim copyright on ideas – so if you have an idea for a book, get it down in writing before you tell anyone about it! One exception to this is if your work is created during a part of your employment, then copyright will usually belong to the employer.

Copyright is indicated by a copyright notice which consists of the symbol © (or the word ‘copyright’), the name of the copyright owner, and the year of first publication.

For further information about copyright, contact the Australian Copyright Council at www.copyright.com.au.

For copyright clearance on any third party material you may wish to use, the following organisations can help:

Australian Picture and Copyright Association (APACA) – pictorial clearances
Australian Performing Rights Association/AMCOS (clearance for music and song lyrics)
Copyright Agency Limited (CAL) – a starting point for text clearances
VISCOPY – clearances for works by visual artists

Is Your Book Worth Publishing?

If you are aiming to make money from your book, it may be worth getting some impartial advice regarding the quality and marketability of your product before you sell the family jewels to pay for production! In a traditional publishing model, the publisher, who is taking the risk, assesses the book for you (and usually says no!).

The Australian Literary Agents Association(ALAA) lists manuscript assessors who provide advice and editing services. Another interesting web site www.worthyofpublishing.com offers a free service for writers to gain feedback from the market on their work.

Is Self Publishing Viable?

You may think that all the hard work is done when the book is written but it may just be the beginning! You may simply be producing a book for a small group of family or friends and are willing to cover these small costs yourself, but if you are contemplating a commercial venture, there are many areas to look at.

As with any business project, it is wise to have a business/marketing plan, however simple, to help keep you on track. If you need a free template to work with, the ANZ Bank has a range of business tools on their website including business and marketing plan templates which can be downloaded for free from www.anz.com.au/australia/business/toolkit.

The Victorian Writers Centre also has an excellent article about planning your Self Publishing project on its web site www.writers-centre.org. The article, under All About Publishing, covers the subjects of Readership; Distribution; Budgets and Finance; Editing, Design and Printing; Promotion and Marketing.

Another very useful site for general information is the Australian Society of Authors at www.asauthors.org.

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