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Help Center - How do I post a book without an ISBN?

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When do you need to Post a book using the Post Books Without an ISBN feature?

  • When your book has no ISBN printed on it
  • When your book has an ISBN printed on it, but the ISBN is unknown to the PBS database (has not yet been added by regular updates)
  • When your book has an ISBN printed on it, but when you type it in on the Post Books page, that ISBN "brings up" a listing preview showing another booktype (or another book entirely!) 
    • Such as the paperback if you have the hardcover, and vice versa
    • Such as Large Print when you have the regular-font version, and vice versa
    • This can happen (for exampl) if the publisher assigns the same ISBN to multiple booktypes.

Please note: if your book has fewer than 50 pages, it may NOT be Posted this way. Items of fewer than 50 pages need to have an ISBN printed on them to be posted here. Please read more about this in What can be posted for swapping here?.

And: If your book does not match the listing information (title, author, booktype) in the database for the ISBN that is printed on the book, it must be posted without an ISBN

To post your book without an ISBN:

  • First, make sure to look over your book really well
    • Sometimes ISBN numbers can be found in unexpected places like the spine
    • The back of the book and in the publishing information in the front of the book are the most common places to find an ISBN.
  • If your book has no ISBN (or the ISBN you have doesn't work in the system):
    • Go to the Post Books page
      • From My Account: click the Post Books tab
      • From anywhere on the site: place your cursor over My Account on the toolbar at the top of the site and click Post Books in the menu that drops down.
      • From your Bookshelf, click the link "Post Books" at the top of the page, in the yellow bar.
    • On the Post Books page:
      • Click the "Post a Book without an ISBN" link at the top of the page, in the yellow bar.
      • Enter the information about the book in the form that comes up:
        • Mandatory information includes: title, author, book dimensions, Subject (genre), booktype
        • Optional information includes: Large Print, Homeschool, Publisher, # pages, Back cover Description (synopsis of the book content), Book Cover image.
        • Your Book Cover Image needs to be less than 5 MB in size, and in .jpg format.
  •  Notes about specific editions: Your title should contain specific information in parentheses in the title field  if your book is (see the examples using the example title of The Kite Runner
    • Large Print (example: "The Kite Runner (Large Print)" should go into the TITLE field)
    • MP3 audio (example: "The Kite Runner (MP3 Audio)" should go into the TITLE field)
    • Abridged Audio (example: "The Kite Runner (Abridged Audio)" should go into the TITLE field)
    • Unabridged Audio (example: "The Kite Runner (Unabridged Audio)" should go into the TITLE field)
    • Book Club Edition (example: "The Kite Runner (Book Club Edition)" should go into the TITLE field)
    • Foreign Language Edition (example: "The Kite Runner (French Language Edition)" should go into the TITLE field) -- specify the language

When you are done, your book will be listed in the database with a customized listing that has a "short ISBN" or "PBS ISBN", which is the 5 or 6 digit number that PBS assigns in place of the ISBN to keep track of the book in the system.


Related Links:

About non-ISBN items at PaperBackSwap
When I enter the ISBN on my paperback, the listing shows a hardcover!
How to post a book
I have a book on the Club Wish List but it doesn't have an ISBN
My book's on the Club Wish List, with a different/no ISBN