Glossary
BISAC
Also called BISAC subject headings, BISAC code
BISAC subject headings are the standard list of categories the North American book trade uses to file a book by subject, kept by the Book Industry Study Group.
What it means
BISAC stands for Book Industry Standards and Communications. The Book Industry Study Group (BISG) keeps the list of subject headings and publishes it for free. Each heading has a code and a name, under major headings such as Fiction, Science or Travel. BISG updates the list and lets people suggest new codes.
You pick BISAC codes when you set up a book with a distributor or printer that sends it to the trade. A historical romance and a space opera sit under different fiction headings. A memoir and a book on gardening sit under different nonfiction headings. A picture book sits under juvenile fiction.
Outside North America, the book trade often uses Thema, an international subject scheme, alongside or instead of BISAC.
Why it matters when you sell direct
Bookstores, libraries and distributors use BISAC codes to shelve and find your book. Picking the most specific code that fits helps the right buyers find it.
On your own store, readers do not see BISAC codes. They look for genres, tropes and topics in plain words. So BISAC matters for your trade listings, and plain categories matter for your store.
How Lanternbee handles it
Lanternbee does not use BISAC codes. Titles carry genres and tropes in plain words, which readers see on your store. Set your BISAC codes with your distributor or printer.