Q: One of my clients in Lusaka Zambia has written a book, I’m not sure whether ISBNs are used in African publishing to distinguish one book title from another.
A: In Zambia, the ISBN seems to be administered by a consortium rather than a government agency. If he can show citizenship or residency, he can probably get ISBNs for free (I’m guessing). If he goes without an ISBN, essentially the book will not be orderable outside of Zambia and Amazon will assign a bogus pseudo-ISBN (“Amazon Stock Index Number” ASIN) to it
Address: Booksellers & Publishers Association of Zambia, P.O. Box 51109, Lusaka Phone 1: (+260) 977 746477, Phone 2: (+260 1) 253 952 Email: dongo.banda@gmail.com Contact Name: Ms Dongo Banda
That being said, I consider it to be in bad taste to re-use a title that has been previously published in your own country in the past 10 years. It happens in fiction so much that it doesn’t even raise an eyebrow
One of my authors wrote a book called “Coven” and there are literally dozens of them out there, no one has ever complained
On the western highlands of Scotland, a springtime storm pummels the coast while Kristie’s brother is out fishing. When he fails to return home, Kristie turns away from her list of chores to search the loch in an effort to ease her pregnant sister-in-law’s fears. Instead of finding Domnall, she discovers a naked and battered man washed up on shore and worries he could be a thieving reiver or worse–an Englishman.
When the handsome outsider wakes, he is unable to remember who he is or how he came to be there. Although the feisty and melancholy Kristie isn’t keen on him remaining, her young neighbor, Jock, takes to the playful stranger and names Creag after the rocky crags where the loch meets the sea. Not long after the lad speaks of selkies, magical seals who shed their skins to live as humans, Creag dreams he is swimming deep beneath the waves.
Kristie is desperate to keep the farm running for her missing brother while Creag’s sleep is filled with strange visions–glimpses that may reveal secrets to his past, but he may soon wish they were only a dream.
**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**
TIME OF MYTHS Shapeshifter Sagas {Western European Myths from the Middle Ages}
Also Available Widow (Time of Myths: Shapeshifter Sagas Book 1)
Lady Rayne has few options as a young widow. Either her father will marry her off to a wealthy nobleman–no matter how old and disagreeable he may be, or she will become a nun like her aunt at Grimsford Abbey. The choice is easy: her interest in writing is not supported in the dark halls of her father’s home. Rayne eagerly anticipates becoming a scribe and learning the art of illumination and book making. But first she must travel along the treacherous roads of East Anglia.
Far from the confines of Norwich, Rayne hears fables of an enormous ghostly hound called the Black Shuck. She tries to ignore them until she finds herself staring into its expressive brown eyes. With every heartbeat, her chances of reaching Grimsford Abbey disappear. If only she could live to tell the tale.
**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**
Along the breathtaking and unforgiving coast of Snæland, Ásta’s ancestral farm is plagued with bad luck. The kinless maiden’s turf walls continue to be found damaged, and there aren’t enough farmhands to maintain the property. Claw marks in the dirt revive old memories of the wolf attack that left her scarred, and she begins to fear the whispers are true—that Fenrir, son of Loki and king of the wolves, has come to claim her and her land.
Torin often leaves his uncle’s farm in the southern hills to track and ensnare valuable gyrfalcons. His secret ability to turn into the birds he trains means his falconry skills are unparalleled, earning him precious silver and gold. If the ghosts of his past didn’t haunt him daily, pushing him to numb his senses with drink, Torin might have married by now—as his uncle often reminds him. He knows the time has finally come to find a wife and settle down.
During the Althing, the gathering of the year, Ásta’s ability to maintain her property comes into question while Torin wonders if a woman in jeopardy of losing her farm is really worth the trouble.
**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**
It’s Leif’s eighth summer going viking with his father on their ship the Kraken—and he’s had enough. For as long as Leif can remember, his father has claimed to be a descendant of Ægir, god of the sea, and has exploited their shape changing ability—all this to amass enough gold to gain entrance into the ocean god’s halls. Leif hopes that time’s drawing near so he can free himself from Ragna’s domineering shadow.
On the green hills of Éire, Eilish is content learning traditional folk cures from her father until a Finn-Gall raid disturbs the peace. Desperate to protect Eilish from harm, her father cuts her hair and disguises her in his old clothing before she’s ripped from the only home she’s ever known. Sold as a thrall in Duiblinn, she must hide out as a young man on a ship full of barbarians.
Now Eilish, who fears she’ll become Ægir’s next sacrifice, and Leif, who isn’t prepared to stand up against his father’s powerful wrath, must face the tides of change—no matter how ominous they may seem.
**CONTENT WARNING: Due to mature content, recommended for readers aged 18+**
About the author Natasha was born in Nevada City, California. Being an only child, she resorted to using her imagination while exploring the forest surrounding her home (a nasty habit she hasn’t been able to break). Her natural interest in fantasy ignited when her parents read The Hobbit to her as a youth, and from then on anything seemed possible. Once awarded with a Hershey’s bar ‘the size of a Buick’ in her high school English class for creative writing, her passion and interest in literature has never dimmed.
She now lives in Littleton, Colorado, with her husband, two children, and two dogs.
The 2012 Richard Boes Memorial Award goes to Randall Reneau for his book Deadly Lode ISBN 978-147913179-2). The award is a $200 cash prize for best debut book by a veteran (fiction or memoir) and is sponsored by Modern History Press. An excerpt from Renau’s book will appear in an upcoming issue of Recovering The Self: A Journal of Hope and Healing. The contest is administered by Reader Views Inc., which includes a general book award contest as well.
Daryn Watson’s review at Reader Views noted: “Deadly Lode is a great fiction novel and a very easy, enjoyable and quick read.”
Richard Boes (R.I.P.)
Richard Boes enlisted into the US Army and served in Vietnam in 1969 – 1970 with the First Air Cav. He is the author of two books, The Last Dead Soldier Left Alive (2007) a firsthand inquiry into why thousands of Vietnam veterans have committed suicide and Last Train Out (2008). Right up to his death Richard was writing a third, In the Valley of Dry Bones. He passed away on Feb 21st, 2009 at the VA Hospital in Albany, NY.
On December 22nd, 2012 Tyler R. Tichelaar and Victor R. Volkman spoke withDeltina Hay, author of The Bootstrapper’s Guide to the Mobile Web and The Social Media Survival Guide, is a web developer, publisher, and small business owner. She is the founder of Plumb Web Solutions, helping small businesses and publishers with website creation; search and social media optimization; and content marketing. Deltina informed us on several points of interest including
How is the mobile web different than the regular Internet?
Why do I need a mobile version of my website?
Mobile apps are all the rage, but do I need one?
I hear some people are offering their books as mobile apps. How can I do that?
What should I do differently when marketing to smartphone users?
What are QR codes, and how can I leverage them to sell my books?
How can I leverage location-based services like foursquare and Google places?
What should I know about the future of mobile marketing – such as augmented reality and NFC chips
How do I choose platforms: Android or iOS (iPad/iPhone)
Q: One of my clients in Lusaka Zambia has written a book, I’m not sure whether ISBNs are used in African publishing to distinguish one book title from another.
