The BISAC Subject Heading List

Have you ever looked at the category words on the back of a book, above (or below) the bar code? Have you ever contemplated the Browse category tree at an online bookseller? Do you remember learning about the Dewey Decimal system in school? These are all ways we categorize a book by topic.

Part of your job as an author is to give the publisher information about what category or genre your book probably belongs in. Subject or genre information helps the publisher with marketing because it tells retailers what store section will best fit the book (thus, where it may sell best and where it will be most discoverable by the target audience). This information is also used to assist with search terms in an online store. With so many new cross-over subcategories arising today, your publisher will make the ultimate decision, but you can point them in a possible direction.

This column will look at the BISAC Subject Heading List. BISAC is an acronym for Book Industry Standards and Communications, and you can learn more about it here: https://www.bisg.org/bisac/tutorial-and-faq

The subject heading list is an industry-approved list of subject descriptors, with more than 50 major sections, that was developed to aid in electronic transfer of information about books. The subject headings have at least one level of sub-headings below them. For example, RELIGION / Christianity / General is one descriptor (with two sub-headings) you could use for non-fiction books about the Christian religion.

Christian fiction for juveniles (ages 0-11; preschool-grade 6) belongs under the subject descriptor JUVENILE FICTION / Religious / Christian. The sub-headings available are: General; Action & Adventure; Animals; Bedtime & Dreams; Comics & Graphic Novels; Early Readers; Emotions & Feelings; Family; Fantasy; Friendship; Historical; Holidays & Celebrations; Humorous; Learning Concepts; Mysteries & Detective Stories; People & Places; Relationships; Science Fiction; Social Issues; Sports & Recreation; and Values & Virtues.

Christian fiction for young adults (ages 12-18; grades 7-12) belongs under YOUNG ADULT FICTION / Religious / Christian. These are the sub-headings available: General; Action & Adventure; Comics & Graphic Novels; Fantasy; Historical; Mysteries & Detective Stories; Relationships; Science Fiction; and Social Issues.

Christian fiction for adults belongs under the FICTION / Christian category. But the list of genres under that is not very extensive. All you have available to choose from is: General; Classic & Allegory; Collections & Anthologies; Fantasy; Futuristic; Historical; Romance; Suspense; and Western. So, where would you put contemporary women’s fiction? For romantic suspense, you have to decide which is primary (the romance or the suspense) and use the other as a second subject heading.

Isn’t it interesting that there are fewer BISAC subject headings available as the target age for the fiction gets older? However, note that you can also use these heading lists as inspiration for keywords. So go ahead and label your contemporary women’s fiction with FICTION / Christian / General. Then use your back cover copy to include other appropriate headings as keywords. Maybe “Friendship” or “Humorous” would apply to your work? Use your creative energy to include these keywords in natural sentences in your book descriptions, advertisements, and anywhere else that you promote your book.

The BISAC committee recommends that a book have no more than three subject headings assigned to it. CreateSpace only lets you assign one. Amazon Advantage lets you pick up to two. Amazon KDP lets you pick up to two. Subject headings added in addition to the primary heading should be logical and not conflicting. So you’ll have to decide which subject heading is the most relevant.

Leave a comment: What BISAC code would your current WIP fall under?