Publishing
Keep a record of the rights you have licensed
A rights record helps you locate the agreement behind a use of your work. Keep it factual, linked to documents and clear about unresolved questions.
Write down what has changed
Begin with a change record. Separate typographical corrections, updated references, added material and substantial restructuring. A vague note saying “revised throughout” makes it difficult to assess whether readers, booksellers or libraries need to distinguish the new publication from the earlier one.
Consider the reader’s experience. Would somebody using the earlier version encounter materially different information, exercises or chapter references? Does the revision change the book’s purpose or audience? These questions help explain the edition, even before the administrative requirements are resolved.
Keep a copy of the previous published files. Comparing against a moving working draft makes the scale of revision difficult to judge. Identify the publication you are revising and the proposed release, rather than describing both as the current version.
Check identifiers and platform rules
The International ISBN Agency’s guidance distinguishes substantial textual changes from an unchanged reprint. Significant revision can require a new ISBN, while a price change alone does not. Consult the current guidance and your responsible ISBN agency for the actual case, including any change in format, title or publisher details.
Also check the distributor or retailer’s procedure for updates and new editions. The identifier decision and the platform’s workflow are related but not identical questions. Do not assume that uploading a replacement file is the right procedure for every kind of revision.
Make the edition statement and metadata agree. If the publication is described as revised, the title information, interior statement and supplier records should communicate that consistently. Avoid presenting two materially different versions as indistinguishable products simply because one listing is easier to reuse.
Plan the transition for readers
Decide how to explain the differences without exaggerating them. A concise note naming the new chapters or updated coverage is more useful than a general claim that the book is better. It helps owners of the earlier edition judge whether the new one answers a need they have.
Review links, promotional descriptions and references to specific pages. A new edition can make old page references inaccurate even when the underlying argument remains. If companion material exists, check whether it still matches the book it names.
Coordinate the release with stock and availability records. Keep the earlier edition identifiable in your own archive, and preserve a record of which files and metadata went to each channel. A clear transition reduces confusion about which version a reader has received and which one a correction refers to.
