Ribbon Star Press

Publishing Blog / Shipping & Distribution

When you ship cartons of books to a bookstore, wholesaler, or distributor, each box usually needs its own carton label. It is a different label from the barcode on your book's back cover, and getting it wrong can slow down receiving or lead to fees and returns.

Our sister service, Book Barcode Buddy, creates book carton labels on demand for $5.99. Here is what a carton label does and what to check before you ship.

What is a book carton label?

A carton label (sometimes called a carton product label or case label) sits on the outside of a shipping box. It tells the receiving team what is inside without opening it. Across the book industry, these labels commonly follow the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) carton labeling recommendations, which use machine-readable barcodes alongside human-readable text.

What information goes on a carton label?

A standard book carton product label typically includes:

• Title and ISBN of the book inside the carton
• Quantity of copies in the box
• Carton weight
• Price of the book
• Barcodes encoding these details so the carton can be scanned at receiving

Each carton should contain a single title, and the label should match the actual contents of that box. Always check your recipient's own vendor or shipping guide, because retailers and distributors can add requirements of their own.

Carton label vs. book barcode

Your book's cover barcode identifies a single copy at the register. A carton label identifies a full box of copies in a warehouse. You generally need both if you sell printed books through retail channels, and one can't stand in for the other. If you are still sorting out your cover barcode, read ISBN vs. Barcode: Does Your Book Need Both?

A quick pre-shipping checklist

1. Read the vendor or shipping guide from the store or distributor receiving your books.
2. Pack one title per carton with the same quantity in each box when you can.
3. Weigh a packed carton so the label weight is accurate.
4. Print labels clearly and attach them where the recipient asks (often on a side of the box).
5. Keep the label file. If your next order uses the same quantity, you can reuse it.

Create your carton label on demand

Ribbon Star Press has created carton labels for authors for years. That service is now instant through Book Barcode Buddy: enter your book's details and get a print-ready PDF carton product label with barcodes, for $5.99 per label.

Create Your Carton Label

Want more help preparing for distribution? See our self-publishing basics or consulting services.