Will be replacing some camera pics with scanned pics in part autobio ebook; Does edition change? Does ISBN change?
I have updated the paperback version of my book titled: Autobiography of an Indian Software Techie and Spiritual Aspirant – Part 1, with scanned pics instead of some camera pics to improve quality of printing of these pics. I have also used scanned pics instead of camera pics in the front cover page. I uploaded the book on Pothi.com on 22nd May and it got approved the next day, 23rd May. I placed an order for it on the same day. I expect to receive the delivery in around 10 days from order date.
Now that I have some better quality scanned pics for some documents, I felt it is appropriate to update the ebook too with these scanned pics instead of camera pics. This includes updating the front cover page of the ebook to use scanned pics. I plan to start working on that shortly.
As some of the book's pics, including cover page pic, will change with underlying matter being the same but pics being better quality, and without any text change in inner content (except minimal change in Title-Verso page), these two questions crop up:
1) Does the edition (in Title-Verso page) change?
2) Does the ISBN number (in Title-Verso page) change?
Edition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edition_(book)#Revised_edition states:
Publishers sometimes denominate a new iteration of a work a "revised edition" or the "(N)th edition, revised" when the previous iteration has been editorially revised or updated yet the author or publisher does not want to denominate it the "(N+1)th edition" ("N" being the number of the previous edition) for some subjective reason. Conversely, a new iteration of a work that is not substantially different may be denominated a "new edition" or the "(N+1)th edition".
The qualitative difference between a "revised edition" and a "new edition" is subjective. This is analogous to the way that software publishers may denominate an iteration "version 3.7" and the subsequent updated iteration "version 4" instead of "version 3.8". The subjective judgment of the degree of the significance of the change made with the new iteration or the perceived marketing advantage of designating the new iteration as a specific number determines how the new iteration is numbered.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi: I find the the software publishing version example to be very useful as I can relate to it. I view the proposed ebook change as a minor version change. So from 1.0, I would change the version to 1.1, if it were software.
But here I have to go with book publication world norms, and so I think "First edition, revised" is the suitable term I should use. This differentiates it from "First edition" but also indicates that the difference is not that much so as to make it a new edition ("Second edition").
ISBN
Here I need to follow the norms given by isbn.gov.in which is the Indian government agency that allotted me the ISBN number.
In its user manual document, http://isbn.gov.in/usermanual.pdf, on page 12 under section "6.2 Changes to publications", it states:
"A separate ISBN is assigned if there have been significant changes to any part or parts of a publication in relation to former editions of the publication, or if there are significant changes in the physical or digital characteristics of the publication in the new edition."
It does not give a pictures quality change as an example of change requiring new ISBN. But it does say that change to "product form features (e.g., from ‘normal’ text font to dyslexic text font; from EPUB version 2 to EPUB version 3)" requires a separate ISBN.
I think some scanned pictures (better quality) replacing camera pictures in the ebook would qualify as "product form features" change. So I am reluctant to use the same ISBN number for this "First edition, revised" book as for the "First edition". Note that the edition being a revised first edition may itself be viewed as requiring a new ISBN.
But I do not want to apply for an ISBN now, in the same month in which I was allotted ISBN for the "First edition"! So I think I will go without an ISBN for this "First edition, revised" ebook. In a future year, if I update the ebook significantly I will change the edition to "Second edition" and then apply for a separate/new ISBN for it.
Any suggestions/dissent from readers are welcome (dissent may please be expressed politely :-) ).
P.S. ISBN for paperback version is a different matter. I will be applying for it after I find the paperback copy printing of pics to be satisfactory.
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
Now that I have some better quality scanned pics for some documents, I felt it is appropriate to update the ebook too with these scanned pics instead of camera pics. This includes updating the front cover page of the ebook to use scanned pics. I plan to start working on that shortly.
As some of the book's pics, including cover page pic, will change with underlying matter being the same but pics being better quality, and without any text change in inner content (except minimal change in Title-Verso page), these two questions crop up:
1) Does the edition (in Title-Verso page) change?
2) Does the ISBN number (in Title-Verso page) change?
Edition
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edition_(book)#Revised_edition states:
Publishers sometimes denominate a new iteration of a work a "revised edition" or the "(N)th edition, revised" when the previous iteration has been editorially revised or updated yet the author or publisher does not want to denominate it the "(N+1)th edition" ("N" being the number of the previous edition) for some subjective reason. Conversely, a new iteration of a work that is not substantially different may be denominated a "new edition" or the "(N+1)th edition".
The qualitative difference between a "revised edition" and a "new edition" is subjective. This is analogous to the way that software publishers may denominate an iteration "version 3.7" and the subsequent updated iteration "version 4" instead of "version 3.8". The subjective judgment of the degree of the significance of the change made with the new iteration or the perceived marketing advantage of designating the new iteration as a specific number determines how the new iteration is numbered.
--- end wiki extract ---
Ravi: I find the the software publishing version example to be very useful as I can relate to it. I view the proposed ebook change as a minor version change. So from 1.0, I would change the version to 1.1, if it were software.
But here I have to go with book publication world norms, and so I think "First edition, revised" is the suitable term I should use. This differentiates it from "First edition" but also indicates that the difference is not that much so as to make it a new edition ("Second edition").
ISBN
Here I need to follow the norms given by isbn.gov.in which is the Indian government agency that allotted me the ISBN number.
In its user manual document, http://isbn.gov.in/usermanual.pdf, on page 12 under section "6.2 Changes to publications", it states:
"A separate ISBN is assigned if there have been significant changes to any part or parts of a publication in relation to former editions of the publication, or if there are significant changes in the physical or digital characteristics of the publication in the new edition."
It does not give a pictures quality change as an example of change requiring new ISBN. But it does say that change to "product form features (e.g., from ‘normal’ text font to dyslexic text font; from EPUB version 2 to EPUB version 3)" requires a separate ISBN.
I think some scanned pictures (better quality) replacing camera pictures in the ebook would qualify as "product form features" change. So I am reluctant to use the same ISBN number for this "First edition, revised" book as for the "First edition". Note that the edition being a revised first edition may itself be viewed as requiring a new ISBN.
But I do not want to apply for an ISBN now, in the same month in which I was allotted ISBN for the "First edition"! So I think I will go without an ISBN for this "First edition, revised" ebook. In a future year, if I update the ebook significantly I will change the edition to "Second edition" and then apply for a separate/new ISBN for it.
Any suggestions/dissent from readers are welcome (dissent may please be expressed politely :-) ).
P.S. ISBN for paperback version is a different matter. I will be applying for it after I find the paperback copy printing of pics to be satisfactory.
[I thank wikipedia and have presumed that they will not have any objections to me sharing the above extract(s) from their website on this post which is freely viewable by all, and does not have any financial profit motive whatsoever.]
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