What Are BISAC Codes? A Plain Guide for Self-Publishers

BISAC codes are standard subject labels that tell the book trade what a book is about, such as "Fiction / Romance / Contemporary" or "Cooking / General." Each label pairs with a short alphanumeric code, and distributors, wholesalers, retailers and some libraries use these codes to file, shelve and recommend your book.

When you set up a book with most distributors, you'll be asked to choose one or more of these subjects. Your choice affects where your book appears in store catalogs, so it's worth a few minutes of care.

What does a BISAC code look like?

A BISAC code has two parts that always travel together:

• The code itself. Three letters followed by six digits, for example FIC009000.
• The subject heading. A readable path from broad to narrow, for example "Fiction / Fantasy / General."

The three letters show the top-level section. FIC is adult fiction, YAF is young adult fiction, JUV is juvenile fiction (children's books), SEL is self-help, CKB is cooking, POE is poetry and BIO is biography and autobiography. The digits point to a specific subject inside that section.

Codes ending in 000000 are usually the "General" heading for the whole section. For example, FIC000000 is "Fiction / General." The more specific codes narrow things down. FIC009000 is "Fiction / Fantasy / General," and the codes that follow it cover particular kinds of fantasy.

BISAC stands for Book Industry Standards and Communications. You'll often see the codes called "BISAC subject headings," "BISAC categories" or just "subjects." The glossary entry on BISAC codes gives a short definition if you want a quick reference.

Who maintains the BISAC list?

The Book Industry Study Group (BISG), a US trade organization, maintains the list. BISG updates it from time to time. New subjects get added, some get renamed, and a few get retired and pointed to a replacement.

You can browse the current list on BISG's website. Because the list changes, don't copy codes from an old blog post or an old book's metadata without checking them. A code that existed a few years ago may now be inactive. Some distributors reject retired codes, and others quietly map them to a different subject.

Outside North America, many publishers and retailers also use Thema, an international subject scheme. Most self-publishing dashboards aimed at English-language markets still ask for BISAC. Some distributors convert your BISAC choices to Thema behind the scenes for international stores.

How do bookstores and retailers use BISAC codes?

BISAC codes are part of your book's metadata, the descriptive data that travels with your book through the supply chain. That data includes your title, author name, ISBN, price, description and subjects.

Here is what happens to the codes after you submit them:

1. Distributors pass them on. When you publish through an aggregator or a print distributor, your BISAC codes go out with the rest of your metadata to every connected retailer and wholesaler.
2. Retailers map them to their own categories. Most online stores have their own browse tree, and many build it from BISAC or map BISAC codes onto it. Your code decides which branch of that tree your book lands in.
3. Bookstore buyers and wholesalers use them for filtering. A buyer looking for new thrillers can filter a catalog by subject. If your thriller is coded as general fiction, it may not show up in that search.
4. Physical shelving. Bookstores often use the subject to decide which section a book goes in. Some public libraries also arrange shelves by BISAC-style subjects instead of a classification number.
5. Recommendations and "also in this category" lists. Stores use subjects as one signal for grouping similar books.

BISAC codes are about classification. They tell the system what shelf you belong on. They're different from keywords, which are search terms readers type. You need both, and they do different jobs.

Do BISAC codes matter on Amazon?

They matter less on Amazon than at other stores. Amazon has its own browse categories, which are much more detailed than BISAC. In its current setup, KDP has you choose Amazon categories directly rather than typing in BISAC codes. Amazon's interface and rules change, so check what your KDP dashboard asks for when you set up your book.

If you also publish through other distributors, you'll still need BISAC codes for those channels. Even if you sell only on Amazon, thinking in BISAC terms first helps you pick sensible Amazon categories. Our guide on how to choose KDP categories covers the Amazon side in detail.

How many BISAC codes can you choose?

Many distributors let you choose up to three BISAC subjects. The exact limit and how each one is used depend on the platform, so confirm it in each dashboard. Some ask for one main subject and let you add more. Others weight the first subject more heavily than the rest.

A good working rule:

• First code: your main shelf. This is where a bookseller would put your book if they could only choose one place.
• Second code: a strong secondary fit. A real alternative shelf, such as a subgenre or a related subject.
• Third code: optional. Use it only if it is accurate. A weak third code doesn't help and can confuse retailers.

Distributors that work through ISBN-based catalogs rely heavily on BISAC. If you're publishing print through IngramSpark, the subject fields go into the catalog data that bookstores and libraries see. Our IngramSpark publishing guide walks through where those fields appear during title setup. Draft2Digital also asks for subjects when you set up a book. See the Draft2Digital guide for that flow.

How do you pick the right BISAC codes?

Work from the reader's point of view, not from what you hope will sell.

1. Start with the top-level section. Decide whether this is adult fiction, young adult fiction, juvenile fiction, juvenile nonfiction or one of the adult nonfiction sections. Age group comes first. A YA fantasy belongs under YAF, not FIC, even though "fantasy" appears in both.

2. Pick the most specific accurate subject. "Fiction / Romance / General" is accurate for a romance, but a narrower subject puts you on a smaller, better-matched shelf. Go as narrow as the book truly fits, and no narrower.

3. Look at comparable books. Find recently published books that a reader of yours would also buy. Many retailer listings and publisher catalog pages show subject information. If several comparable titles share a subject, that's a strong signal.

4. Avoid "General" when a better fit exists. General codes are fine as a fallback, but they put you on the most crowded shelf with the least specific audience.

5. Don't stretch for a busy category. Coding a cozy mystery as a thriller because thrillers seem popular will put it in front of readers who expect something else. That can lead to poor reviews and returns.

6. Keep codes consistent across formats. Your ebook, paperback and hardcover usually have separate setups. Use the same subjects for each unless a format really differs, such as a workbook edition.

7. Write them down. Keep your codes with your other metadata (ISBNs, description, keywords) so you can enter them the same way on every platform.

If you write your book in Inkora, the publishing kit includes suggested BISAC categories along with the description and keywords. Treat the suggestions as a starting point and check them against the current BISG list before you submit.

BISAC code examples by genre

The table below shows common starting points. These are the broad or widely used headings. Most sections have many narrower subjects underneath them. Codes and wording can change, so verify every code in BISG's current list or in your distributor's subject picker before you use it.

Genre or book type	Example BISAC code	Subject heading
General adult fiction	FIC000000	Fiction / General
Romance	FIC027000	Fiction / Romance / General
Contemporary romance	FIC027020	Fiction / Romance / Contemporary
Fantasy	FIC009000	Fiction / Fantasy / General
Science fiction	FIC028000	Fiction / Science Fiction / General
Thriller	FIC031000	Fiction / Thrillers / General
Mystery	FIC022000	Fiction / Mystery & Detective / General
Horror	FIC015000	Fiction / Horror
Historical fiction	FIC014000	Fiction / Historical / General
Literary fiction	FIC019000	Fiction / Literary
Young adult fiction	YAF000000	Young Adult Fiction / General
Children's fiction	JUV000000	Juvenile Fiction / General
Children's nonfiction	JNF000000	Juvenile Nonfiction / General
Self-help	SEL000000	Self-Help / General
Business	BUS000000	Business & Economics / General
Personal finance	BUS050000	Business & Economics / Personal Finance / General
Memoir	BIO026000	Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs
Cookbook	CKB000000	Cooking / General
Poetry	POE000000	Poetry / General
True crime	TRU000000	True Crime / General

Here's how a few real-world choices might look.

A contemporary small-town romance. Main code: Fiction / Romance / Contemporary. Second code: a more specific romance subject if one fits, such as a subject for the book's setting or theme.

An epic fantasy for adults. Main code: the most fitting subject under Fiction / Fantasy, such as epic fantasy if that's the shape of the book. Second code: another fantasy subject that fits, such as action and adventure. Avoid YA codes unless the book is written and marketed for teens.

A YA science fiction novel. Main code: a science fiction subject under Young Adult Fiction. Second code: a related YA subject, such as dystopian, if it applies. Don't mix in adult FIC codes. Age-group signals that disagree with each other confuse retailers.

A memoir about career change. Main code: Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs. Second code: a business or self-help subject only if the book offers real guidance a reader would shop for.

A family cookbook. Main code: a specific cooking subject, such as a regional cuisine or a dietary approach, if one fits. Second code: Cooking / General, or another specific cooking subject.

A picture book about bedtime. Main code: the most fitting subject under Juvenile Fiction, such as bedtime and dreams if it's available in the current list. Second code: a related juvenile subject, such as family or emotions.

Common problems and fixes

You picked a code that turns out to be retired. Your distributor may reject it or map it to something else. Fix: look up the current replacement on BISG's site and update your metadata in each dashboard. Changes can take time to reach every retailer.

Your book is showing up in the wrong section. This usually happens when the main code is too broad or slightly off. Fix: put your most accurate, specific subject first, then resubmit. Check again after the update has had time to reach the stores.

Different stores show different categories. Each retailer maps BISAC onto its own browse tree, so some variation is normal. Fix: make sure you entered the same codes on every platform. If one store still looks wrong, check whether it lets you choose its own categories separately, as Amazon does.

You used "General" for everything. Your book sits on the most crowded shelf. Fix: replace at least the first code with a narrower subject that genuinely fits.

The age group is mixed up. A children's book coded as adult fiction, or adult content coded as YA, can lead to the book being shown to the wrong readers, or to problems with the retailer. Fix: correct the top-level section first (FIC, YAF, JUV, JNF), then pick subjects within it.

You chose codes for reach, not accuracy. Readers who expected a different kind of book leave poor reviews. Fix: re-code to match what the book actually delivers. Your description and cover should send the same signal.

You lost track of what you entered where. Fix: keep one metadata sheet. Inkora can export ONIX 3.0 metadata, a standard format for book data. That gives you a single record of your subjects and other details to work from when you fill in each store's form. You still upload and enter details in your own store accounts.

The short version

BISAC codes are the book trade's shared subject labels. Choose the most specific accurate subject first, add one or two genuine secondary fits, and check every code against the current BISG list. For the wider setup process, see our guide on how to self-publish a book.