After publication

The book now has an operational life

After release, the useful questions change. Is metadata still correct? Is the book orderable? Is stock available? Are links working? Are there errors that need correction? Are payments and statements arriving as expected?

Treat the published work as something that may need maintenance rather than a finished file you never inspect again.

Correction, reprint or new edition?

A simple unchanged reprint normally keeps the existing ISBN. The International ISBN Agency distinguishes that from substantial revisions, new formats, new language editions and changes of publisher that can require a different ISBN.

Before creating a 'new edition', decide whether the publication has genuinely changed and update metadata consistently.

Rights and records

• keep contracts and amendments;
• keep royalty/payment statements;
• record rights granted and reversion dates/conditions;
• keep source and final production files;
• record ISBNs and edition history;
• keep permissions and contributor agreements.

Public Lending Right

Eligible UK/EEA contributors to qualifying published books can register for UK PLR through the British Library. The scheme uses library-loan data for payments and requires eligible books to have a valid ISBN.

PLR registration does not cause libraries to acquire the book. Acquisition remains a separate library decision.

Keep the backlist discoverable

Check that book information, purchase/order routes and author/project pages remain accurate. A book can continue to find readers long after its launch if the information around it still works.

Use later events, anniversaries, subject relevance or a new edition when there is a genuine reason to bring the work forward again.