Sparky Bites Publishing

Your Book’s Permanent Collar Tag

An ISBN is your book’s unique identifier — the number used by bookstores, libraries, retailers, reviewers, and distributors to track, list, and categorize your book.

Think of it as:
Your book’s official collar tag in the global publishing world.

Why You Need One:

• It proves your book is a real, published product. 
• Retailers won’t list you without it. 
• It allows your book to be sold anywhere — not just one platform. 
• It’s required for print and optional-but-smart for ebooks.
   

Why NOT to Use Amazon’s Free ISBN:

Amazon’s free ISBN does not belong to you. It belongs to Amazon.

That means:

• Amazon is listed as your publisher 
• Your book looks less professional 
• Bookstores will not stock it 
• Libraries may reject it 
• You are tied to Amazon’s ecosystem 
• You lose the ability to appear as a legitimate press
   

It’s like letting a stranger put their collar on your dog.

It works… but it’s not truly yours.

Why Get Your ISBN Through Sparky Bites Publishing:

• You get a real ISBN (Bowker registered) 
• You get a custom imprint name 
• It does not tie you to Amazon 
• It keeps your book professionally independent 
• You get distribution flexibility 
• You avoid Bowker’s overpriced single-ISBN fees
   

At Sparky Bites, we buy ISBNs in bulk to save authors money and give you the freedom to run off-leash.

The Quick-Scan Tag That Helps Your Book Get Found

Barcodes convert your ISBN into a scannable graphic so bookstores, libraries, and distributors can track your book.

Why You Need One:

• Required for physical bookstore sales 
• Required for library systems 
• Required for distribution 
• Keeps your metadata clean and consistent
   

Without a barcode, your book is basically standing at the checkout counter without ID.

Why Get Your Barcode Through Sparky Bites:

• We format and size it for your exact trim size 
• We embed the correct price (optional) 
• We position it properly on the cover 
• We ensure it’s clean, crisp, and meets print standards 
• We correct misprints that Amazon/Canva often mess up
   

A wrong barcode kills a print run.
We make sure yours works perfectly.

Your Book’s GPS for the Publishing World

Metadata is the behind-the-scenes information that tells bookstores, search engines, and retailers what your book is about.

This includes:

• Title + subtitle 
• Author name 
• Series info 
• Description 
• Keywords 
• BISAC categories 
• Pricing 
• Trim size 
• Page count 

If an ISBN is your collar tag, metadata is your microchip — it helps people find your book in the giant digital wilderness.

Why Metadata Matters:

Good metadata means:

• Higher discoverability 
• More accurate ranking 
• Proper shelving in stores 
• Better search results 
• Stronger sales potential
   

Bad metadata means:

• Your book gets lost 
• You’re miscategorized 
• Search engines ignore you
   

Why Let Sparky Bites Handle It:

• We optimize for search 
• We match your genre correctly 
• We prevent Amazon mislabeling 
• We set up series info for continuity 
• We correct formatting issues 
• We give your book the best chance to outrun the competition
   

Metadata is technical and overwhelming.
We make it simple.

Your Book’s Body Shape

Trim size is the physical size of your printed book (e.g., 5x8, 6x9, square children’s book).

Different genres expect different sizes:

• Memoir: 5.5x8.5 or 6x9 
• Novels: 5x8 or 5.25x8 
• Children’s books: often square or landscape 
• Nonfiction: usually larger
   

Why This Matters:

Retailers expect certain sizes per category. Readers expect it too.

Wrong trim size = your book looks amateur.

Why Sparky Bites Handles Trim Size:

We select industry-standard sizes so your book looks like it belongs on bookstore shelves — not like something printed at home.

Your Book’s Entire Outfit — Front, Back, and Spine

A cover is not just the front.

It includes:

• Front cover 
• Spine (requires exact page count for width) 
• Back cover (with description, bio, barcode, imprint)
   

Why You Need It Done Right:

Amazon and IngramSpark reject thousands of books for:

• Wrong spine width 
• Misaligned elements 
• Low-resolution images 
• Incorrect bleed 
• Improper barcode placement
   

Why Sparky Bites Does This Better:

We create:

• Custom-designed covers 
• Accurate spines 
• Professionally arranged back covers 
• Clean imagery and typography 
• Print-ready files that never get flagged
   

Your book deserves a cover that turns heads — and works technically.

How the Inside of Your Book Looks, Breathes, and Reads

Interior layout includes:

• Font choices 
• Margins 
• Line spacing 
• Chapter headings 
• Page numbers 
• Drop caps 
• Editing out widows/orphans 
• Print-ready setup
   

Why It Matters:

Nothing says “self-published” faster than a messy or default interior.

Professional formatting elevates your story and keeps readers immersed.

Why Sparky Bites Handles It:

We format with industry standards, consistent styling, and clean readability — whether it’s a children’s picture book or a 400-page novel.

Your Book’s Voice — But Fully Engineered

Audiobook files must meet strict specs:

• RMS levels 
• Peak levels 
• Noise floor 
• Bitrate 
• Loudness standards
   

Amazon/ACX rejects nonstandard files instantly.

Sparky Bites produces compliant files every time — whether AI, human, or mixed.

Your Book’s First Appearance in Motion

Short story trailers and author announcements require:

• Copyright-safe music 
• High-resolution imagery 
• Clean animations 
• Proper pacing 
• Correct output settings
   

We handle all of it.

Three Reasons:

1. Professional Independence - You retain your imprint, your identity, your freedom. No platform owns your book.
2. Technical Accuracy - ISBNs, metadata, barcodes, formatting — these things matter. If one goes wrong, you can’t publish.
3. You're Not Alone. - Publishing is confusing. We translate everything into clear, simple steps and walk with you through the whole forest.

You keep writing.
We handle the rest.