Part 2: Using an ISSN for Your Design Blog: How Do I Get One?

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So a few weeks ago ThisIsInspired explored the pros and cons (well, pros and con) of acquiring an ISSN number for your design blog. How do you go about getting one for your blog, though? In this next installment, I’ll show you how to get an ISSN for your blog and start enjoying those benefits.

NOTE: While the process is the same for any periodical publication, we’ll consider it from the standpoint of an online, digital serial.

First, How Much Does It Cost?

Getting an ISSN number for any publication, whether you’re MacAddict or ThisIsInspired (eg, big or small, millions of readers or just a few thousand) you still have to apply to the Library of Congress to have a number assigned and the record established.

And the BIG surprise is that for a government agency, getting an ISSN assignment doesn’t cost anything. There is no cost for the number and no cost for the paperwork required to file it. Apparently, the Library of Congress has only the highest educational ideals and feels at no cost it may encourage more people to write and teach.

How Long Does It Take?

Here’s where things get more governmental and official. Any paperwork that needs doing always takes a while, even when you do it yourself. Having someone else do it takes more time, and having a government office do it, well…

When I filed for an ISSN assignment last October for this magazine, if expected it would take a few weeks at the earliest, kind of like a file-taxes-early-yet-still-wait-six-weeks type of thing.

It took about seven or eight weeks for a reply to get back to me. I was just starting to think my application hadn’t been approved and they simply didn’t contact the rejects.

So you file, and then you just have to wait. Make sure you plan around this wait time if you need your ISSN for a certain publication date. Incorporate enough time for slow downs or hang ups in between as well.

What Actually Happens When I Request an ISSN?

When you submit your application for an ISSN, someone on the other end (imagine Michael Palin in “Brazil”) receives the application and then checks out the blog to see if it matches the other information you’ve provided. From their dimly lit, smoke-filled government office (or maybe they just work in a cubicle and eat donuts), they make sure the blog itself, if it’s already in publication, lines up with what you say it does, publishes what you say it does, and doesn’t violate any laws. If you’re awaiting an ISSN prior to publishing, they’ll at least verify what information you provide and do their best to make sure it’s accurate. Just because it’s free doesn’t mean it’s easy or they can be sloppy about it.

if you haven’t started publication of your blog yet while you wait for the ISSN, attach mockups or article samples with the application when you email it in. They need to review the content itself as part of the approval process, and obviously if you haven’t published anything yet they’ll have no content to read. Send in two or three samples of what content you’ll be publishing.

If you’ve checked and double-checked your application before sending it in, there’s no reason to suspect it will be rejected or they’ll have a problem accepting it.

What Happens Next?

You wait.

But don’t be inactive! In the meantime, it’s best that you stay busy keeping track of your blog, interacting with your visitors, building repartee and encouraging link ups and feedback. Spend the time writing and publishing new articles, building your Twitter list, Facebook group, Flickrstream, etc. Anything to let people know you’re in publication – even if the ISSN isn’t there yet.

If you’re waiting for an ISSN assignment before you begin publishing, by all means spend extra time organizing what content you already have line up. Proof your articles, check spelling, grammar, images, and links. Work up a few interviews, build a backlog of scheduled articles, etc. Don’t sit idle waiting for the government!

How Long Does An ISSN Registration Last?

Unlike other registrations – for cars, for patents, for copyrights, etc – ISSN registrations do not need renewal. Once you receive your number you’re golden, at least until you make any minor change to your publication.

The instant you change anything from the title (even just a little bit) to the direction you take your articles and writing, you have to reapply and get an entirely new ISSN. Every time you make a change, you get a new one and repeat this process. But this isn’t a problem at all if you know where you’re going with your blog before you request an ISSN.

Where Do I Get An ISSN?

Here’s the big question, and the big answer. To file an application, you download the PDF form the Library of Congress website, fill it out, and email it back to them. It’s painless and you can do it all on your computer, no printer required. Here’s the link for the application form in PDF:

ISSN Application Form

EDIT: As pointed out in the comments (thx Julie), the link to the ISSN PDF form changed, and the link above reflects the update. If you bookmarked when this article was published, please update the link. :)

Once you have the form filled out (just one page, so it doesn’t take much time), email it back to the Library of Congress at this email address:

issn@loc.gov

It’s that simple! Once you’ve finished the application process, you’ll need to know where to put it. You can hardly start plastering it all over the place willy-nilly – the ISSN needs to be more prominent than a TM symbol or copyright mark, but of course can’t be so overwhelming that your existing brand or identity suffers. In the the next installment, I’ll demonstrate practical, effective ways to implements your new ISSN and shows examples from popular blogs that do it right.