Bowker provides bibliographic data to the book industry.
This company provides identification numbers for books. These identification numbers help libraries, bookstores and distributors manage inventory. One such identification number is the ISBN (International Standard Book Number), commonly found printed on back covers of books.
Bowker maintains the Books in Print database, an easily searchable repository with over 7 million titles available for purchase by librarians, booksellers and others in the book industry. Librarians use this resource to locate information about specific titles or order books directly.
Bowker offers several additional services pertaining to books and publishing, such as packaging design, barcode generation and print-on-demand services.
Bowker is an invaluable resource for books and publishing, providing data to help publishers and authors better understand book market dynamics, track trends and make informed decisions regarding pricing, marketing and distribution decisions. Bowker also provides resources that assist authors self-publish their books to reach wider audiences.
Bowker is of great significance in relation to books and marketing for several reasons. First, Bowker is the exclusive provider of ISBNs in the US – these identifiers are required for all books sold commercially – which gives them an exclusive monopoly in an important part of book publishing and marketing ecosystem. Bowker provides data on book sales and trends that is invaluable to publishers, authors, and marketers in understanding the book market and making informed decisions regarding marketing and publishing strategies. Bowker offers various services designed to assist authors and publishers market and sell their books commercially, such as an online bookstore, distribution services and self-publishing platforms. All these factors make Bowker an integral player in the book industry as a vital partner for anyone selling books commercially.