BISAC Subject Heading Codes: The new BISAC Heading Package, version 2.5 is essential for doing business today.
Many companies in the supply chain require that all titles contain the proper and appropriate Subject Code as part of the submission for consideration. Updates to the 2.5 version include:
- Data on discounted codes
- Codes that have been combined
- Extensive usage notes
- Notes on the differences between version 2.4 & 2.5
- Merchandising theme codes
Understanding BISAC Subject Categories
If you sell to major book wholesalers and retailers, you already know that many of them require you to use "BISAC Subject Categories" for your titles. Or if you plan to deal with these buyers in the future, you need to know that.
The BISAC Subject Codes aren't useful only with wholesalers and retailers. They can also spur sales to consumers and libraries.
The BISAC Subject Headings were developed by the Book Industry Systems Advisory Committee of the Book Industry Study Group, Inc., to standardize book categories. With approximately 3,000 categories, the BISAC Subject Headings strike a balance between granularity and ease of use. They describe the content of the book.
(For other kinds of classifications such as "gift book" or "mass market paperback," you can use fields in ONIX and BISAC communications formats that describe language, audience, age and grade level, and format/binding/packing.
Because the BISAC Subject Headings were designed with electronic transmission in mind, each category has both a name (a.k.a., a "Literal") and a code. The codes are 9 alpha/numeric digits. The first three characters of the code are letters that represent a section (i.e., Drama, Juvenile Fiction, etc.). The next three characters are numbers designed to connect subheadings and sub-subheadings within a section (e.g., Art/History/Asian). The final three characters represent the specific subject category.
Staying Up-to-Date with BISAC Subject Headings
To keep up with changing market conditions, the BISAC Subject Headings are continually revised. Revisions become available twice a year and typically present not only new categories and/or subcategories but also discontinued categories. Stay up-to-date with the latest version to ensure your titles are properly classified and categorized.
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Conclusion
Understanding and utilizing the BISAC Subject Heading Codes is crucial for publishers, authors, and anyone involved in the book supply chain. These codes not only help with categorizing and standardizing books but also impact sales to wholesalers, retailers, consumers, and libraries. Stay up-to-date with the latest BISAC version to ensure your titles are properly classified and increase their discoverability in the market.
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