BowkerLink - Frequently Asked Questions

BowkerLink provides publishers with an automated tool to update or add to their title listings in Bowker's Books In Print and Global Books In Print databases. Publishers may also view and update their publisher contact information.

Is this absolutely free?

Listing your titles in Books In Print is absolutely free.

Why should I register with BowkerLink?

BowkerLink home page

I already send my information in an Excel or ONIX file. How can BowkerLink help me?

If you supply title information to Bowker in Excel or ONIX format, you can use BowkerLink to access your listings, check titles or make up-to-the-minute changes. You can do this online, and you will not need to create a new file or send a full update. Urgent changes to status, price or title information can be made immediately. (Just ensure that the change also appears in your next file to Bowker so we do not overwrite your work with incorrect information.) BowkerLink can also be used to enrich your title listings with cover images and descriptions ... all at the click of a button!
In addition, stay connected to book buyers, librarians and Bowker's retail customers by updating your company information in BowkerLink. You can add website and e-mail information, update your list of distributed clients or provide contact information to our customers. BowkerLink allows you to update or enhance this information at your convenience.

If all of my company information is in your Books In Print database do I need to resubmit it into BowkerLink?

No, you will not need to resubmit your information. BowkerLink is a system used to view, add or update the information we have in our Books In Print database.

I publish too many titles to fill out a form for each; can I send you a file instead?

If you publish over 100 titles a year, Bowker will accept a data feed from your company as long as it meets the specifications listed here Data Submission Guides Page

Where can I get barcodes?

Bar codes are available through Bowker's website:� BowkerBarCodes (www.BowkerBarCodes.com).� Our bar code service is simple, easy-to-use and especially helpful to smaller publishers.� You can create and download the bar codes you need, when you need them.� Bowker can also provide advice regarding price add-ons, formats, and other bar code-related questions.

What do I do if I cannot find the answer to my question(s) in the FAQs?

For questions related specifically to BowkerLink, please e-mail bip.bowkerlink@bowker.com.

Registration FAQ

How do I register?

Simply follow these directions...
the BowkerLink home page:
Below the gray Login button, you will see-New User? Click here to register.
Read the Statement of Use and click on YES-I Agree to continue to register. For questions, please refer to Statement of Use FAQ.
On the next screen, you will need to type in your Publisher Name. Entering the first word or two is sufficient and often more effective. Examples are provided on screen for you to follow.
Click on the Search button below the Publisher Name line. A list (or possibly just your company) will display. Click on your Company Name to display the registration form.
Fill in the registration form and click on the red Submit button. You will receive your Username and Password by e-mail.
It may take up to 3 business days to activate your password. Please try logging into BowkerLink again after 3 business days have passed.

How do you confirm the registrant is the publisher?

The registrant is compared with the publisher and personnel information listed in our databases. If there is information in the registration form that conflicts with the information in our Publisher Authority Database, the publisher is contacted to verify authorization.

I'm not in the United States, can I register?

Yes. First, Books In Print and Global Books In Print contain listings of bibliographical information for international titles available in the USA or internationally. In addition, Bowker sells its products worldwide to retailers and libraries so your titles are exposed to many facets of the book industry through a single web application including other Bowker products like inventory status checks, library catalog information, and sales data reporting services. Your data is circulated to all of these customers free of charge as there is no cost for submitting data to Bowker.

May I register additional users under our company?

Yes. You may register up to five users when filling in the registration form. For those who have already registered and wish to add additional users, the account administrator may login to BowkerLink, click on My Account in the menu bar, then on Detailed Account Information and enter additional users there.
My Account

I'm a distributor. May I register in BowkerLink to update or add titles for publishers that I distribute for?

No. Only publishers can view, update or add titles. If you would like to provide this information on behalf of your publishers, please contact their BowkerLink administrator. Administrators can add usernames and passwords and, therefore, provide you access to their title records.

When registering, after I entered my company name and click on search, I received this message: No data found for this company . . . Please check spelling and try again. What should I do?

The name you searched was not found. Be sure you followed the search examples.

Tips on Finding Your Publishing Company Name Personal Names	Universities	Publishing Names which begin with an Article
Enter the last name first followed by a comma and then the first few letters of the first name for example: Valerie Smith - search Smith, Va	Enter only the first word or two from your institution's name to see a list of institutions and companies that begin with those words, for example:University of California, Department of Biology - search University of Calif	If for example your publishing name is The Right Choice Publishing Group, drop 'The' and then click Search.Still cannot locate your Company Name to register?If you still cannot locate your Company Name by using some of the search methods provided, email PAD@bowker.com. Include your ISBN prefix in the request.

On the registration page Publisher Number (if known): is asked for. What is this and do I need to enter it?

The Publisher Number is a Bowker assigned internal number. Entering the Publisher Number is optional and should only be used if you were notified of the number and instructed to enter it by a Bowker staff member. Otherwise, leave this space blank. Your registration will still go through correctly.

I just registered for BowkerLink. However, when I try to log in with my username and password I get the following message: *** Access Denied: No verified company for this ID.*** What's wrong?

Help Login Page

I registered for BowkerLink, but never received the e-mail verifying my username and password. What should I do?

Even though your password will be e-mailed to you immediately, it may take up to 3 business days to activate your password. If it has been longer than 3 business days please e-mail us at bip.bowkerlink@bowker.com

Bowker Statement of Use FAQ

What does the Bowker Statement of Use mean for my copyrighted material?

A summary of the statement of use is provided below for easy reference:
Bowker Products are defined as electronic products and services created from Bowker's databases, computer programs, and supporting data content that are sold and distributed under the name and mark Bowker.
By sending us your materials to be included our database, you agree that:
1) Bowker has the right to control the content and materials in the Bowker Products (for example, bibliographic records, cover images, annotations, author biographies)
2) Bowker has the right to control the format and delivery of the Bowker Products (for example, print, CD, online, electronic raw data)
3) Bowker has the right to include other materials along with yours in the Bowker Products.

By agreeing to the Statement of Use, do I give up the copyright of my publication?

No. Bowker supplies data about books. We are not requesting any copyrighted text from your title. In this document, Bowker is requesting the right to supply the data about your titles to our customers. In the industry, the information about your title is referred to as bibliographic data or metadata. These terms include title, author, price, cover image, etc, but does not include the physical book, video, audio or e-book that you are publishing. While we request an Annotation for each title, this can be Marketing Copy about your title, but it need not be copyrighted content from your title.

By agreeing to the Statement of Use, does Bowker distribute my books for me?

No. Bowker supplies data, not books. In this document, Bowker is requesting the right to supply the data about your titles to our customers. In the industry, the information about your title is referred to as bibliographic data or metadata. These terms include title, author, price, cover image, etc, but not the physical book, video, audio or e-book that you are publishing.

Technical FAQ

What types of computers are compatible with BowkerLink?

BowkerLink can be accessed with any IBM compatible or MAC compatible machine.

What Internet Browsers are compatible with BowkerLink?

BowkerLink is compatible with all Internet Browsers, however, be sure your Browser is current.

For Internet Explorer, the version should be 5.x or higher.
For Netscape, the version should be 6.x or higher
For Mozilla/Firefox , the version should be 1.x or higher

Ensure Cookies are enabled on your browser.

I am using a MAC computer with AOL as my Internet Browser. The text is small and difficult to read. How can I increase the text size?

There are 2 options that can increase your text size.

If you are using Internet Explorer, you can choose VIEW, TEXT SIZE and then select LARGEST from within Internet Explorer
If the above does not correct this, you will need to decrease your resolution on your monitor. Go into your CONTROL PANEL and select Monitors & Sound. For the monitor setting, decrease the resolution to either 800 x 600 or 640 x 480.

What do I do when I receive an error message?

Notify our technical support staff by phoning 1-888-269-5372 or emailing techsupport@bowker.com
Technical Support is available Monday - Friday 8:00 AM - 8:00 PM EST Providing the exact error message and steps taken before receiving the error message will ensure that your issue is researched thoroughly.

When I login to BowkerLink and click on a link, I am returned to the Login Screen. Why does this happen?

BowkerLink requires that Cookies be activated. To activate your Cookies for your Internet Browser, follow the steps below:
1. For Internet Explorer 5.x
a. Open Internet Explorer
b. Click on TOOLS, INTERNET OPTIONS:
c. Click on the Security Tab at the top of the window
d. Click on the CUSTOM LEVEL: button at the bottom
e. Scroll through the listing until you see the heading Cookies
f. Be sure you have ENABLED checked under both options listed under Cookies
2. For Netscape 6.x
a. Open Netscape
b. Click on EDIT, PREFERENCES
c. Double click on ADVANCED
d. Select Cookies from the list and be sure there is an X in front of Enable All Cookies
3. For other Internet Browsers, you can still do the above, because many browsers use your Internet Explorer or Netscape settings.

My username and password does not work in Books In Print - why?

Books In Print requires a subscription and is a separate database from BowkerLink. Books In Print requires its own unique username and password.
BowkerLink is the free website where publishers can add or edit their data to the Books In Print database and view their own data as it exists in Books In Print. BooksInPrint (link to www.booksinprint.com) is the website where customers who pay for a subscription to the Books In Print database can view all titles published in North America. GlobalBooksInPrint (link to www.globalbooksinprint.com) is similar to Books In Print, but also shows internationally published titles.
These interfaces do not have the same screens for displaying titles as each screen is based on the functionality needed for that website. The BowkerLink screens are basic forms for data entry and are designed for publishers to view their ISBN logbook and key their data. The Books In Print screens are designed for users to create a query on a set of titles that they want to view and then page through the results in a standard format.

At this time, BowkerLink users can gain access to Books In Print only by purchasing a subscription to this product. Bowker understands the desire for publishers to view the way their title appears to their customers and is currently investigating enhancing BowkerLink screens to show the Books In Print view after titles have been added.

I have lost my Username and Password to BowkerLink. Should I just create a new one?

Bowker prefers that you e-mail techsupport@bowker.com to receive a copy of your Username and Password. Please do not create a new one as it will take several days for your registration to go through the system. Please do not create more than one Username per person.

Search, Add & Update Titles FAQ

Once I have my username and password, how do I update/view/add titles?

Once your username and password are active go to the BowkerLink home page.
Enter your username and password and click the login button.
Help Screen — Search Title
Help Screen — Add Title

I added a new title in BowkerLink. How long will it take until it is in your database?

It usually takes 1-2 business days before new titles are added to our database once they are submitted to us via BowkerLink. In the case of data issues, an editor may contact you before the title is added. If your title is still inView Pending Transactions or you do not see it at all in BowkerLink after 4-5 business days, please e-mail bip.bowkerlink@bowker.com concerning the title so we can check to see what may have happened. (Please include the ISBN number and title in your e-mail).

How long does it take until my title is in Books In Print and Global Books In Print?

For the web product, it will take 7-10 days for your title changes to appear. For the CD product, it will take about a month.

What is the View Pending Transactions link used for?

Help Page — View Pending Transactions

Is adding a title in BowkerLink the same as sending you a paper ABI (Advance Book Information form)? Do I still need to send the ABI form?

Please do not send us paper ABIs if you are submitting your new titles in BowkerLink. Bowker no longer offers the paper ABI service.

How do I delete a title?

If the title is Out of Print or Publication Cancelled, you may indicate that by updating the Title Status on the BowkerLink Title Information screen. You cannot delete a title using BowkerLink as Bowker generally does not delete information from our database. If you find an item that should not be in our database for any other reason, please e-mail us at bip.bowkerlink@bowker.com and advise us why you would like to delete a certain title. (Please include the ISBN number and title in your e-mail).

Can I generate a list of our Books In Print titles from BowkerLink for my company?

You may print off a list of your ISBNs and titles from your screen. However, there is not an option available to print a checklist like those previously sent out by us. You may view a list of all your ISBNs and titles by clicking on the Search button below the search criteria (leave the criteria blank/defaulted).

Do I really need to complete all of these fields?

The fields listed on BowkerLink are important to retailers, libraries and schools. Bowker regularly has customers looking for particular types of books. Recently a customer inquired about Audience and Age From and Age To not being populated on particular titles. They stated that they would not be able to purchase books if that information was not in Books In Print. If you take time to complete each box, you will be providing the maximum details about your title to your potential customers and, therefore, improve your sales.

When I log in to BowkerLink I find no titles listed under my publishing company. However, I've had titles listed in Books In Print for years. What happened?

This may occur if the titles have an incorrect or outdated publisher name. You should contact us via e-mail at bip.bowkerlink@bowker.com concerning this.

Where can I find the Advanced Book Information (ABI) form?

BowkerLink replaces the paper ABI form. You will need to add your information online. Help Page — Add Titles

Title Information and Additional Title Information FAQ

Bowker has recently tried to improve the help screens and navigation of those screens for the user. In this revision, we have combined the FAQ with the help links in order to list all of the relevant information for you in a single place. Please use the links below to navigate to the field you want to read about.
Title Information Screen Fields
Additional Information Screen Fields
Upload Cover Images

Publisher Information FAQ

How do I update my publishing Company Name with Bowker?

Click on Publisher Information located in the gray menu bar at the top of the screen. Go to the Company Name section of the page. Overwrite the existing text with your new Company Name. Scroll to the top or bottom of the screen and click on the gray Submit button.
Bowker will contact your company via e-mail for verification of this change before the new information is loaded into our system. This process may take up to 3 business days.

Why do I see special characters in my company name?

Bowker inserts \ and # characters into publisher names for data indexing and sorting processes. These items (#, \) only appear internally and should not be removed.
Example: Bowker customers can search John\Wiley & Sons#Limited under Wiley, John, John Wiley, or Wiley & Sons.
This means customers can locate your company without knowing your full company name.
If you attempt to make changes to your Company Name, Bowker will still add the special characters in order to allow our customers to search by either the First Name or Last Name of your company.

Why do I see the country United States, United Kingdom, etc. in my publisher name?

All publisher names appear on the Publisher Information screen followed by their home country. This is a Bowker system default only and will not appear in any Bowker products. You do not need to edit your home county on this screen.

My Parent Company and Imprint names are missing what should I do?

Note that Bowker does keep listings in the database for corporate Parent Companies that are not publishers (i.e video or printing companies).
Click on Publisher Information located in the gray menu bar at the top of the screen. Go to the Company Name or Imprint Information section of the page. Add the missing information in the appropriate boxes. Scroll to the top or bottom of the screen and click on the gray Submit button.
Bowker will contact your company via e-mail for verification of this change before the new information is loaded into our system. This process may take up to 3 business days.

What is a distributor?

Distributors

sell to both retail and wholesale outlets. In the case of the book industry, a distributor would sell to the largest retailers (Barnes & Noble, Borders, and Walden) and to the largest wholesalers (Ingram and Baker & Taylor - the only other remaining 'national' wholesalers are Partners and Bookazine).
generally look for a 65-70% discount from retail.
catalog your titles and do the sales presentations and follow up.
provide some assistance and direction in varying degrees with promotional and marketing programs (this varies greatly and so do the costs). In most cases, the more marketing the publisher itself does, the greater the sales effect generated.
may or may not warehouse entire inventories.

My Distributor is not listed what should I do?

This list is reserved for exclusive distribution contracts that you hold with other companies. Bowker does not record wholesalers (e.g. Ingram, Baker & Taylor). in this section. Bowker does request that you list international as well as local distributors.
Click on Publisher Information located in the gray menu bar at the top of the screen. Go to the Distributor Information section of the page. Add the missing information in the appropriate boxes. Scroll to the top or bottom of the screen and click on the gray Submit button.
Bowker will contact your company via e-mail for verification of this change before the new information is loaded into our system. This process may take up to 3 business days.

How can I update the publisher Contact Information?

Click on Publisher Information located in the gray menu bar at the top of the screen. Go to the Contact Information section of the page. Add the missing information in the appropriate boxes. Scroll to the top or bottom of the screen and click on the gray Submit button.
Note that this information is separate from the information under My Account. Also, Contact Information does not appear in Bowker products.

How do I change the address of my publishing company with Bowker?

Click on Publisher Information located in the gray menu bar at the top of the screen. Go to the Address Information section of the page. Click on the gray Add Address button below the existing address. For PO Boxes, you should only enter the numbers NOT the text 'P.O. Box'. Scroll to the top or bottom of the screen and click on the gray Submit button.

How do I enter/update the discount information in my publisher information?

The discount information provided must have a Start Range, End Range and the percentage of the discount. All three elements need to be entered or your changes will not be saved to our database. Please note that this information will not appear on your individual titles. You will also need to enter a Pub Disc Code indicator when entering each title into BowkerLink.

Entity	Type	Mix	Basis	Order Type
Bookstores	Normal	Books	Quantity	Returnable

Example:

Range Start	Range End	Discount
5 (books)	10 (books)	20% (off)
11(books)	20 (books)	30% (off)
21(books)	or more	40% (off)

I submitted changes to my publishing company information in BowkerLink. How long will it take until it is in your database?

It usually takes 3 business days. However, this information is researched and updated by an editor and data issues may cause this to take longer. In the case of data issues, an editor may contact you before the information is updated.

How can I contact you regarding a change that I submitted that is not updated?

Fill out the Comments & Questions for Editors box at the bottom of the Publisher Information page or e-mail us at PAD@bowker.com. Include your Bowker # as it appears above your Company Name on the Publisher Information page in any requests.
Publisher Information