Those hundred 10-digit numbers you got are still ok--you can convert 
them to 13, and there's no exttra cost. But you do need to have the 
isbn bar code on the books if you hope to sell them through commercial outlets.

Mark


At 06:17 AM 2/2/2008, you wrote:
>It depends how you are selling them, Douglas.
>I knew about this, I heard about it unofficially, no one seems to 
>have been told outside the larger organisations, but I decided to 
>keep the remaining diehard numbers as they are, as a reference 
>system within the press. We were awarded a block of 100 numbers, 
>shortly before they brought the charge in, and we have been 
>ploughing our way through them, feeling that 100 full books will be 
>quite enough of an achievement for our press. (We are in the 80's.)
>Authors often want ISBN's because they think it makes the book a 
>"proper" book, but if you are selling them at readings or through 
>smaller shops, or on the internet, who needs a number? at least, who 
>needs a 13 digit number anyway.
>In fact, the numbering system was brought in a generation ago for 
>indexing purposes.
>Now that you can search for (and therefore index) a book by its 
>title, author or even by other parameters, the whole concept of 
>ISBN's has been reduced to having only beauraucratic and academic benefits..
>Waterstones no doubt use the system, and Menzies (W H Smith) but if 
>youre distributing in other ways (and you can),  it doesnt matter a 
>hoot. (You can convert for Whitakers by adding the additional 
>digits  in front of the existing numbers & maybe it affects the check digit. )
>Glad you got to it in time, since you clearly mind about it being on 
>the book, but basically its another Dont Worry.
>Youre a writer and publisher, not a beaurocrat and um, er,
>cheers
>Sally
>Sally Evans
>http://www.poetryscotland.co.uk
>http://groups.msn.com/desktopsallye
>http://www.myspace.com/poetsallyevans
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Douglas Clark" 
><[log in to unmask]>
>To: <[log in to unmask]>
>Sent: Saturday, February 02, 2008 10:38 AM
>Subject: ISBNs
>
>
>>I just got a fright. I submitted my 10-digit ISBN for 'Love Poems' 
>>eo Whittaker as usual (It is three years since I published a book) 
>>to get a reply from Nielsen this morning saying that it had to be 
>>converted to a 13-digit number and giving me the URL to do it, 
>>which I have done. Fortunately my printer is currently making up a 
>>dummy for printing by the end of the month so I will be able to 
>>replace the incorrect ISBN by the new version. The change came last 
>>January 1st and I wish I had been informed before. Luckily Nielsen 
>>have got to me just in time.
>>
>>Was everybody else told? Was I thick not to have realised that 
>>there had been a change. Oh well. Now I have to generate 
>>replacement PostScript files.
>>
>>Douglas Clark ..................... Bath, Somerset, UK ......
>>http://usergroup.plus.net .......... http://www.dgdclynx.plus.com