What is a Book Barcode?

Pick up the nearest book and flip to the back cover. Do you see a white box with black lines and numbers? That’s a barcode. The numbers correspond to the book’s ISBN and the lines make it easy for retailers to scan and retrieve information about the book, such as its price or their inventory.

Here’s an example:

Why Do You Need a Barcode?

Print books need barcodes, especially if you want to see your book in bookstores or other retailers. Without the barcode, it’ll be next to impossible for brick-and-mortar retailers to sell your book.

What’s the difference between a Bookland EAN and UPC barcode?

A Bookland EAN barcode is specific to booksellers. A UPC barcode makes it possible to sell your book in other retail establishments, such as drugstores, department stores, and other non-bookstore retailers.

If you want both Bookland EAN and UPC barcodes for your book, it’s possible to combine them into one multi-purpose barcode.

How Mill City Press Helps

When you publish with Mill City Press, you’ll receive a combined Bookland EAN and UPC barcode on the back cover of your book, regardless of whether you choose to use your own ISBN or ours. We’ll place the barcode on your cover so you’ll be ready for sales through any retailer.