I belong to a few online writing groups and the topic of ISBNs (International Standard Book Number — the barcode at the back of your book and the number listed on the Copyright page) often comes up. Authors thinking of self-publishing are often not aware that every version of a book needs its own ISBN…and furthermore, they don’t understand why. The following is an excerpt from by book, Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going indie. 

ISBNs (International Standard Book Number)

Every version of a book, e.g., trade paperback (typically between 5 x 8 to 6 x 9 inches), mass market paperback (4.25 x 6.87 inches), large print editions, hardcover, e-book, audiobook, etc., requires a unique product identification code known as an International Standard Book Number (ISBN) (#AR). In turn, the ISBN is used by publishers, booksellers, libraries, internet retailers, and others in the supply chain for inventory ordering and control, catalog or online book listings, and sales records. 

ISBN(s) are included in a few places: on a book’s copyright page, as a barcode at the back of a print book, and in the book details in catalogs and online listings. In Canada, ISBNs are free (#AR). In the United States, ISBNs must be purchased through the Bowker Agency (#AR), the only official source of ISBNs in the U.S. As the publisher of record, it will be your responsibility to assign a unique ISBN for every version of the book you plan to publish.

The structure of an ISBN is a 13-digit identifier broken down as follows:

• Prefix element: For books to conform with other barcoded products, the three-digit prefixes (either 978 or 979) were assigned to the fictitious country of “Bookland” for use by the publishing industry.

• Registration group element: 1-5 digits in length. This identifies the country, geographical region, or language area participating in the ISBN system. In the U.S. and Canada, this number is always 0 or 1.

• Registrant element: Up to 7 digits in length. This identifies the publisher or imprint. Because of this, the publisher of the book should always apply for the ISBN. As a self-published author, you (or, ideally, your imprint) are the publisher of record and not the publishing platform (e.g., Kindle Direct Publishing).

• Publication element: Up to 6 digits in length. This identifies the edition and format of the title.

• Check digit: The final single digit that mathematically validates the rest of the number. 

Here’s an example of the ISBNs assigned to Finding Your Path to Publication:

ISBN Trade Paperback: 978-1-989495-54-4

ISBN Hardcover: 978-1-989495-55-1

ISBN e-book: 978-1-989495-56-8

ISBN Large Print: 978-1-989495-57-5

Now let’s break those numbers down: 

978: Prefix element

1: English language country

989495: Superior Shores Press

54, 55, 56, 57: Edition and format. Note how the numbers are sequential. For example, the first book published by Superior Shores Press with the 978-1-989495 identifier was the trade paperback version of The Best Laid Plans: 21 Stories of Mystery & Suspense (ISBN 978-1-989495-00-1). 

4, 1, 8, 5: The ISBN-assigned check digit.

When uploading your book for retail, you may be offered a “free” ISBN by the publishing platform, e.g., Barnes & Noble Press for Nook, Kobo Writing Life for Kobo, etc., but there’s a catch. Because the ISBN’s Registration Element is publisher-specific, you won’t be able to use that ISBN with any other publisher. You’ll also need to list the issuer of the free ISBN as the publisher, and not your publishing imprint. In the case of Kindle Direct Publishing, for example, the assigned ISBN is pre-registered under the imprint name “Independently published” rather than (in my case) “Superior Shores Press.” Furthermore, once a book has been published, the ISBN cannot be changed. Not exactly sounding free anymore, is it?

*Pro Tip: If you haven’t set up your publishing imprint yet, do so before applying for ISBNs, otherwise the Registration Element will be in your name, vs. your business entity. 

Shameless Self-promotion: You can find Self-publishing: The Ins & Outs of Going Indie in e-book and paperback, coming soon to Audible. To learn more about other publishing paths, check out Finding YOUR Path to Publication: A Step-by-Step Guide. Or check out the 2-book box-set.