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How To Get An ISBN: Quick Guide for Self-Published Authors
Self-published authors need to get through many surprising hurdles before their books are ready to be published. One checkbox that most first-time authors don’t anticipate is getting an ISBN.
What is an ISBN number?
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. ISBN is a unique 13-digit code that identifies your book. Publishers use ISBN numbers to help identify their books.
The ISBN is unique to your book; no two different books have the same ISBN. The ISBN will help identify your book and prevent any confusion with other books with similar titles. If anyone wanted to publish a book using your title, the ISBN would be important.
In this article, you will learn:
- Why ISBNs are important
- What the numbers in an ISBN mean
- 3 fast steps to follow to get your own ISBN
- The pros and cons of free ISBNs
- The types of books that need ISBNs and the books that don’t
- Questions to ask yourself to find out if you should buy your own ISBN
Why Does Your Book Need An ISBN?
The ISBN number is allocated to the book by the International ISBN Agency. Information about your book is stored in the ISBN Agency; this makes your book easy to locate by wholesalers, retailers, and libraries.
In addition, having an ISBN number enables you to have your barcode printed on the back page of your self-published book. As indicated above, the barcode contains the same identification digits as the ISBN.
Although the 13-digit ISBN may appear random, the numbers actually carry metadata that tells a lot about the book. Let’s use an example to explain what each digit means:
978-0-679-80527-3
— EAN Prefix (978): The first three digits of any ISBN will always be 978 or 979. — Registration Group (0): It is one to five digits long. It identifies the country or region to which the ISBN is registered. — Registrant Element (679): It reveals the identity of the publisher of the book. — Publication Element (80527): This reveals the title, format, and edition of the book. Check Digit (3): It is a mathematical calculation that proves your ISBN was entered correctly.
Can I use the ISBN number for my book on my other books?
ISBN numbers cannot be used interchangeably between books. Every physical copy of a book must have its own ISBN number, which has been generated specifically for that particular book.
Getting Your Own ISBN For Self-Publishers
Acquiring an ISBN number for yourself will not be very difficult. You may either obtain your ISBN from your government, based on where you are residing, or from any organization that manages ISBN numbers for that country. In the U.S., the ISBN agency is Bowker MyIdentifiers.
Who can I contact to get an ISBN?
If you reside in the United States, you may contact Bowker MyIdentifiers to obtain an ISBN. However, if you are not located within the United States, you will have to find out who handles the ISBN process in your country.
Get A New ISBN In 3 Fast Steps
How can one acquire ISBN numbers for his/her book?
In order to get ISBN numbers for your book, you should simply follow the following three steps:
Step 1: Go to the Bowker website (MyIdentifiers) at myidentifiers.com and open your own account there. Step 2: Select a package that consists of the required number of ISBNs. If you think that you will be publishing more than one book, it is better for you to buy packages consisting of 10 or more ISBNs. Remember that for every different type of your book (such as hardcover, paperback, abridged, and other versions) you need different ISBN numbers. Step 3: Purchase your ISBNs.
After purchasing them, your ISBN numbers will appear under your own account. Then, all you have to do is go to ‘My Account’ and click on ‘My Identifiers’, entering all information about your book, including title, author name, publishing date, and pricing. After doing this, just submit the form.
Free or Discounted Options
The second option is the most widely used printing service that provides the author who uses this service with a free ISBN number. Beware: The author is not allowed to use the provided ISBN numbers to print the book anywhere else.
For the author to benefit from the free ISBN provided by KDP, he needs to select “Get a free KDP ISBN” in the “Edit print book content” section when entering his book on KDP.
Some other printing services that provide free ISBNs are Blurb, BookBaby, Smashwords, and D2D (Draft2Digital) Print.
Why would anyone decide to pay for an ISBN when they can obtain it for free? This is because when the author uses a free ISBN, the printing service or the distributor becomes the publishing company and not the author. For instance, when the author decides to use KDP Print, they become independently published and not the author.
KDP Print, IngramSpark, and BookBaby also provide discounted ISBNs to their customers who utilize their printing services. In case the author purchases a discounted ISBN from any of these companies, he becomes the publishing company and not the printing company.
How To Determine If You Need An ISBN
These are some questions that you can ask yourself to find out whether you require an ISBN:
– Will you be physically printing your book? (If yes, then an ISBN is required regardless of whether it’s a free one or a purchased one.) – Who will be distributing your ebook? (Ebook distributors often require ISBNs.) – Do you wish to see your name or that of your publishing firm as a publisher on the title page? (If yes, then purchasing an ISBN might be the best decision to make.)
If you are using a distributor who does not require an ISBN, you have no plans to physically print, and it does not matter to you whether you show up as the publisher, you might not need an ISBN.
Which Books Need An ISBN?
There can be a number of reasons why your book needs an ISBN number. These include:
– Publication of printed books instead of ebooks only – Every time you come out with a new edition, you would need a new ISBN – Printing a book in more than one format (like softcover and hardcover) – You need a new ISBN for each one
Some ebook distributors may require you to get an ISBN number, but most of the main ebook distributors do not. You need to check whether the ebook distributor you use needs one.
Which Books Don’t Require An ISBN?
Your ebook, whether PDF, EPUB, MOBI, etc., will or will not have an ISBN number according to how you distribute it. In case you sell your ebook through your website or via Amazon Kindle Direct Publishing, then you do not necessarily need to use an ISBN number.
If your audiobook is distributed digitally, for example, by using a service such as Audible or Apple Books, then you do not need an ISBN number. However, if your audiobook is recorded in physical form, then you will need an ISBN number.
ISBN Costs: A Breakdown
How much does it cost to get an ISBN number for a book?
An ISBN number costs between $0 to $125 for books sold in the United States. Prices are higher in other countries.
Where you live determines how you can obtain an ISBN for your book. You can obtain an ISBN for free depending on where you are from. Canadian citizens get their ISBN numbers free of charge from the library archives in Canada. The United States and the UK do not have such a provision.
Publishers from the United Kingdom acquire their ISBNs from Nielsen. Nielsen will charge you £89 for an ISBN number, or you can purchase ISBNs in packages of 10, 100, or 1000 at a discount rate.
How do I get an ISBN number for free?
You can also get a free ISBN from a book printer offering a free ISBN, such as KDP Print, BookBaby, and Blurb. Alternatively, you could also try getting an ISBN from your country’s ISBN agency if you come from a country that provides a free ISBN service, like Canada.
An individual ISBN for publishers based in the United States through Bowker is priced at $125. However, if it’s too expensive for you, other print distributors offer discount prices on ISBNs for their clients.
Below are some of the most popular printer-distributors providing ISBN discounts, along with the price per ISBN:
— BookBaby: $39 — IngramSpark: $85 — KDP: $99
Another option for purchasing ISBNs is through a pack of ISBNs with discounts offered by Bowker, which is priced at $295 for a 10-ISBN pack, making each ISBN $29.50.
Locating A Book’s ISBN
ISBN is usually found on the copyright page of the book. Ensure that your book has its ISBN on the copyright page if you wish to have it appear professionally.
Where possible, make use of the correct dashes in your ISBN in order to easily identify the country code, publisher code, title code, and check digit number.
Bar codes on the back of a book also have the ISBN. Where possible, have two bar codes, with the second bar code having your book’s price.
Common Questions About ISBNs
What’s the difference between an ISBN and an ASIN?
ASIN number refers to the Amazon Standard Identification Number that corresponds to the ISBN. Every item listed on Amazon receives an ASIN number when entering the item on their site. If you upload a book to Amazon, you will get a free ASIN number.
What’s the difference between a barcode and an ISBN?
Barcode for a book contains an ISBN, which can be scanned to enter into a computerized system for selling purposes at shops.
How long does it take to get an ISBN?
The speed at which you receive your ISBN number differs depending on the agency, but normally, you receive the number almost instantly. The problem comes with the submission process itself, during which it may take a few days.
Do ISBNs expire?
ISBNs do not expire at all. It is essential that you store your login information related to your ISBN agency securely, because this way you will be able to use any leftover ISBN numbers that you have bought.
Do I use the same ISBN if I’m printing my book in another language?
No, each translation of your book is considered a separate entity and will need its own ISBN.
Will You Get An ISBN for Your Book?
ISBN numbers may appear intimidating initially, but rest assured, they are relatively easy to understand. You will not need an ISBN number for your ebook. If you intend to have your book printed out, then you will require an ISBN for each edition you plan to produce.
Getting your very own ISBN number would be wise for self-published authors printing their books. This adds to the professionalism of your book and prevents a print-on-demand company or “independently published” being listed as the publisher.
At Kinetic Digital Publishers, we take care of all aspects of the publication process for our clients – from ISBN registration to formatting and cover art, through to global distribution. Let us assist you in your journey towards publication success.
