Quick Facts

About ISBN, EAN, SAN, CIP What's Important and What's Not

As you wrap up the writing and are thinking about printing your book, you begin to hear about lots of potentially confusing requirements. Here's our "cheat sheet" to simplify it all.

ISBN You do need an ISBN number and bar code if you plan to sell your books in a bookstore.

EAN This is the same thing as an ISBN bar code.

SAN You do not need a SAN.

CIP You do not need a Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication number, but you can include one if you want to and have published enough titles to quality with the Library of Congress.

PCN You do not need a Library of Congress Pre-assigned Control Number, but you can include one if you want to.

Copyright You own the copyright as soon as you originate the material. You register your copyright after your books are printed.

Library of Congress Depository Requirement You can meet this requirement as you register your copyright, with one submission.