As an award-winning book designer and self-publishing expert with over 15 years of experience, I’ve worked with hundreds of authors to help them successfully publish and market their books. One question that often comes up is whether authors should use a no price barcode, sometimes called a 90000 barcode, for their self-published book.

“Sometimes called a 90000 barcode”

In my experience, using a no price barcode offers some important benefits for self-published authors that are worth considering. Here are a few of the key advantages:

Flexibility in Pricing

A no price barcode gives you maximum flexibility when it comes to setting and adjusting the price of your book. With a regular barcode linked to a specific price, you can’t change the price without generating a new barcode and having your book cover designer update the back cover. This means you also need to send your POD printer, i.e. Amazon KDP, or IngramSpark, this new cover.

A 90000 barcode removes this restriction, allowing you to test different prices, run promotions, and make changes to your pricing strategy much more easily.

Wider Distribution Potential

Contrary to some myths, using a 90000 no price barcode will not restrict your distribution or keep you out of bookstores. Many major bookstore chains and distributors are perfectly happy to work with a 90000 barcode and will simply cover it with their own sticker when stocking the book. This myth should not deter you from the benefits of price flexibility.

Simplified Logistics

With a 90000 barcode, you don’t have to worry about printing different barcodes for books being sold at different prices in different regions or sales channels. You can sell the same book with the same barcode across multiple sites, stores, and countries regardless of the price. This simplifies your printing and inventory management.

A Bygone Era

The perceived restrictions around no price barcodes are largely myths from a bygone era.

 

In today’s self-publishing environment, a 90000 barcode offers flexibility and simplicity without limiting your retail distribution in any way. Don’t let the myths deter you – give your book pricing freedom and professional credibility with a no price barcode.