ONIX Services for Publishers

Our Books In Print database is distributed in various print and electronic formats to major booksellers such as Barnes & Noble, Borders, Powell's Books and others. Your listings are automatically available to our extensive list of information-seeking and book-buying customers. This is a major benefit for publishers and is provided gratis.

For publishers seeking to reach other retailers, wholesalers, or distributors, Bowker also offers ONIX conversion services under the Data Services Review program. This service was developed as an opportunity for Bowker’s Data Services department to engage directly with publishers and distributors and approach bibliographic data issues from a shared viewpoint.  It goes beyond the normal Bowker processes.  This service is for publishers who want to have more control of their data and how it appears in the marketplace.

ONIX + Quality Data

Neither Bowker nor the publisher wants to work in a vacuum when making decisions about how information is stored in their databases or circulated in the supply chain.  This process brings Bowker and the publisher together in a new way, with a focus on how data is handled -- from input to export -- on both sides. 

The result is clean data within Bowker’s database and, in turn, any customer databases.  Good quality, accurate data means cleaner title reports and invoices, saving you time and money.

This service will establish:

1. Better, cleaner data from the publisher
   
   
2. Open lines of communication and common language between Bowker and the publisher (ie: You say imprint, we say publisher.  Tomato, Tomatoe!)
   
   
3. Better data handling -- cleaner data means faster processing.
   
   
4. ONIX conversion tools.
   
   
5. Populating backlist titles with more complete bibliographic data, such as subject codes, in order to service your customers better.
   
   
6. Clean data including frontlist data with standard titles, series names, etc in order to allow web customers to search more quickly on the data.
   
   
7. Design and implementation of the program to ensure that data needs of key customers are met.

If you are interested in going further in this process, we will need a $2500 audit fee in order to cost out the annual contract. The fee is nonrefundable, but would credit toward your contract rate should you sign with us. Other information we need to start the audit is as follows:

• Contact information
• Publisher Name including a list of imprints, divisions and distribution clients
• Sample file (recommended size is 10% of total), including images. Sample file must be the same format that we will be receiving once we go into production.
• Format of data sent to Bowker (if there are several choices, list all)
• Will data be sent to us or pulled from publisher ftp? (push is preferred)
• Frequency of updates (weekly is preferred)
• Typical size of updates
• Title Counts Backlist, Active, Forthcoming (annual expectations)
• List of fields, areas of work that Bowker needs to assist with. Determine if backlist needs cleaned up or ISBN prefix list needs researched.
• List of intended customers for ONIX output

For further information, email your details to patricia.payton@bowker.com.