How to get an ISBN for your book, and what it costs

How to get an ISBN number in the US

An ISBN is a 13-digit number that identifies one edition of one book in one format, and the publisher behind it. In the US, Bowker is the official ISBN Agency for publishers physically located in the United States, and the US ISBN Agency is the only source authorized to assign ISBNs to publishers supplying an address in the United States. You buy ISBNs on Bowker's Myidentifiers site, and you must first set up an account there.

The ISBN goes to the publisher, not the printer. The International ISBN Agency says It is always the publisher of the book who should apply for the ISBN, and that it can be the author of the book if the author has chosen to publish their book themselves. Where the book is printed does not matter: ISBNs are assigned based on the geographical location of the publisher, not the printing company.

You have three ways to get one: buy your own from Bowker, buy one through IngramSpark during title setup, or take a free ISBN from KDP or IngramSpark. The table shows what each costs and who is listed as the publisher.

Bowker prices are its list prices for US publishers. Bowker also sells blocks with barcodes, for example 10 ISBNs with 1 barcode for $320.

How to get an ISBN for a self-published book, step by step

These steps are for buying your own ISBN from Bowker, which makes you the publisher of record. If you take a free ISBN instead, the platform does steps 3 and 4 for you.

1. Decide who the publisher is

   Pick the name that will appear as publisher: your own name or an imprint name. Buy the ISBNs in that name, because recognized as the publisher of all book titles associated with those ISBNs. The imprint section below covers naming one.

2. Count the formats and editions

   List every format you will release: paperback, hardcover, ebook, audiobook. You need one ISBN for each edition and format of your book, and A new ISBN is required for a revised edition. Bowker says two to three ISBNs per book is typical.

3. Create a Myidentifiers account and buy

   Open an account on Myidentifiers, then buy a single ISBN or a block. Bowker suggests you estimate the amount of publications you will be publishing within the next five years. Since ISBNs never expire, unused numbers keep.

4. Assign each ISBN to a title

   In your account, attach one ISBN to each format and enter the title, author, format and publisher name. To ensure your titles get in the Books in Print database you must submit your title information. Once a number is used, it stays with that book: Once assigned, an ISBN can never be reused.

5. Enter the same details on each platform

   On KDP or IngramSpark, choose the option to use your own ISBN and copy the details exactly as you registered them. On KDP, if the imprint does not match Bowker's record, you won't be able to publish.

6. Print the ISBN and barcode

   Put the ISBN on the lower portion of the back cover of a book above the bar code and on the copyright page. The barcode section below covers how to get the barcode.

Free ISBNs from KDP and IngramSpark, and what publisher of record means

The publisher of record is the publisher an ISBN is registered to. When you buy ISBNs from Bowker, you are recognized as the publisher of all book titles associated with those ISBNs. When you take a free ISBN, the platform's imprint is listed as the publisher instead.

KDP's free ISBN is only available for paperback and hardcover books. KDP will register an ISBN, using your book details, with Bowker (US ISBN agency), and the imprint shows as Independently published. A free KDP ISBN can only be used on KDP.

IngramSpark offers a free ISBN, non-transferable and owned by IngramSpark to US authors. The imprint is Indy Pub, the ISBN cannot be used on any other publishing platforms, and any title with one must be placed in our wholesale distribution program.

A free ISBN is fine if you will sell the book in one place. It becomes a limit if you later want the same edition on several platforms under your own publisher name, because KDP says ISBNs cannot be changed if your book is published. To change it you have to unpublish the book and then publish a new edition. An ISBN you own can be used to publish the same book on other publishing services.

Avoid buying single ISBNs from resellers. A publisher cannot resell, re-assign, transfer, or split its list of ISBNs among other publishers, and a publisher with a re-assigned ISBN will not be correctly identified as the publisher of record.

How many ISBNs do I need?

You need one ISBN per format and per edition. The International ISBN Agency says each different product form (e.g. paperback, EPUB, .pdf) should be identified separately. KDP puts it the same way: Each format of your book (paperback vs hardcover) needs its own ISBN. A translation needs its own number too: Each language version is a different product.

Example: one novel released as a paperback, a hardcover and an EPUB ebook needs three ISBNs. A revised second edition of the paperback later needs a fourth. Three books in that pattern need nine or more, which is why a block of ten costs less per book than buying singles.

Ebooks are optional on Amazon: eBooks don't require an ISBN number to be published on KDP. Other ebook stores and library distributors set their own rules, so check each one before you publish the ebook there.

ISBN vs ASIN

An ASIN is Amazon's own product number. KDP says Amazon also assigns an ASIN (Amazon Standard Identification Number) to each book, and it is 10-character. It works only inside Amazon's store.

An ISBN is the book trade's number. Bookstores, libraries and wholesalers outside Amazon use it to identify and order the book. A Kindle ebook published without an ISBN is identified only by its ASIN, which Amazon uses in its own store. KDP says that when you publish through it, a paperback or hardcover is assigned both numbers.

The ISBN barcode on the back cover

The barcode and the ISBN are separate items: An ISBN and a bar code are two different things. The barcode on a book encodes the ISBN, which starts with 978 or 979, so store scanners can read it. The International ISBN Agency recommends printing it on the lower right of the outside back cover.

You do not need a GS1 company prefix for a book barcode. The agency says you do not have to become a member of GS1. This is the main difference from a UPC code for other products.

You can get the barcode two ways. KDP adds one for you: if you do not supply your own, we'll automatically place one on your back cover, with a suggested size of 2" x 1.2" (50.8 x 30.5 mm). Bowker sells barcodes, for example 1 ISBN with 1 barcode for $150.

Publishing imprint: how to start a small publishing company

An imprint is the publisher name printed on the book and stored in the ISBN record. Self-publishers can create one so that their books carry a press name instead of their personal name or a platform's imprint. The steps below cover the publishing side. Business registration rules vary by state and city, and this page is general information, not legal or tax advice.

1. Choose the imprint name. Search Bowker's records and online bookstores for books already published under it. On KDP, 100 characters is the limit for the imprint field.
2. Decide whether the imprint is a business entity. The SBA says your structure affects how much you pay in taxes, your ability to raise money, the paperwork you need to file, and your personal liability. If you publish under a name other than your own legal name, the SBA notes a DBA doesn't give legal protection, but it might be legally required (see the SBA's register-your-business guide).
3. Get an EIN if you need one for the business or for platform tax forms. The IRS lets you apply online for free, and we'll issue your EIN immediately online.
4. Open the Myidentifiers account in the imprint's name and buy a block of ISBNs. The publisher name on the account is the publisher of record on every ISBN in the block.
5. Set up your KDP and IngramSpark accounts, enter the imprint exactly as registered with Bowker, and choose your own ISBN for every format.
6. Print the imprint name on the title page, copyright page and spine. Keep it identical everywhere: if the imprint does not match the ISBN agency's record, KDP says you won't be able to publish.

An ISBN is not a copyright. Bowker states that an ISBN conveys no legal or copyright protection.

Where Nation fits

Questions about getting an ISBN