Making the publication

Decide the publication objects

Paperback, hardback and ebook are different publication formats. Decide what you are actually making before design and metadata harden around assumptions.

Different editions or formats can need different identifiers and files. A simple unchanged reprint is not the same thing as a revised edition.

ISBNs identify publications

The ISBN system identifies particular editions and formats in the book supply chain. The International ISBN Agency's guidance distinguishes changes such as format, substantial revision, language or publisher from a straightforward unchanged reprint.

An ISBN is not copyright registration and does not certify quality.

Metadata is part of production

Title, contributors, publication date, format, identifier, subject/category, description, price and availability are part of how a publication is discovered and traded.

Book Industry Communication treats accurate and timely product information as supply-chain infrastructure. Retail platforms can impose additional field and category rules.

Design and files

• cover sized for the actual format and page count;
• interior layout/typesetting appropriate to the content;
• image resolution and permissions;
• front and end matter;
• consistent title/contributor information;
• print-ready PDF or platform-required files;
• EPUB or other digital format where planned.

Build accessibility in

For digital publication, accessibility is part of the EPUB standards environment, including accessibility metadata and conformance requirements.

Do not leave accessibility until after the files are finished if structure, images, navigation or metadata need to change.

Proof the actual output

Check a proof after layout, not only the manuscript. Look for pagination, headers, image placement, line breaks, contents links, metadata and cover/spine errors as well as text corrections.

For print, a physical proof can reveal issues that are not obvious on screen.

Remember legal deposit

The British Library's current guidance says publications distributed in the UK and Ireland are subject to legal deposit. Operational instructions can change, so use the current British Library page when the publication is ready.