Judith Briles, Michele DeFillipo and I had a great time last week talking about the rules for children’s books. Listen to the recording for the full 55 minutes of advice, but here are a few of the highlights:

• READ TO ME picture books should only have a few words on a page if you want parents to read it to their kids, librarians to hold the book up for story time, or teachers to be able to read it to a crowd of antsy 4 year olds.
• I CAN READ books should have no more than 45 words on a page and lots of pictures.
• CHAPTER BOOKS FOR READERS have art (usually one color) at the chapter openers and don’t be afraid to use the occasional word that kids have to look up.
• Children’s hardcover picture books are $15.95 – $17.95
• Children’s paperback books are $7.95 MAX. (And should be closer to $4.95 if you are unknown or the pages are short)
• Chapter books are $3.99 – $4.99.  No more.

Want to hear more? Click on the radio below to listen to last week’s MENTORING MONDAY call.  The calls are every Monday and available to everyone.  Call in next Monday and join the fun.  Free consulting and some laughs?  How cool is that?

Mentoring Mondays

Cost: just your phone call and your time.
Call in to: 646-307-1300 and use access code: 8508894.
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If I find out the identity of the person who is telling people that they don’t need a price specific barcode, I am going to smack them.

Here is a pic of a barcode WITHOUT a price embedded in the barcode:

Book buyers and bookstores who see this barcode will often instantly put it in the “no” pile because it does not have a price embedded in the bar code.

What does a barcode with a price embedded in the code look like?  I am glad you asked!

 See the 51995 number over the shorter bars?  That means that the book is $19.95.  The ISBN-13 barcode (also called an EIN) should include a price in it.  It will start with a “5” and be followed by the remaining numbers which will make up the price.

This is NOT OPTIONAL if you want to get into bookstores.  Ingram, Baker and Taylor and Barnes and Noble will ask your sales rep if your book has a price embedded barcode. If the answer is no, the chances are that the book buyer will also say “no”… to your book.

Get a price specific barcode.  It is a requirement.  Do it.  Do it now.