How do I get an ISBN?
You buy an ISBN from your country's official agency — Bowker in the United States, Nielsen in the United Kingdom, and a free national agency in Canada. Storefronts will also assign you one at no cost, but then the storefront is listed as your publisher.
Work it out yourself, free
The Front Matter Plate →Free: a correct copyright page, edition notice and ISBN block, generated and ready to paste.
Where they come from
One agency per territory holds the register. In the United States that is Bowker; in the United Kingdom, Nielsen; in Canada and several other countries the national library issues them free to residents.
Buying singly is always the worst value. Agencies sell blocks, and you will need more numbers than you think.
How many numbers you actually need
One ISBN per format, not per book. Paperback, hardcover, ebook and audio book are four separate numbers. A second edition with real changes is another.
A film book is a video work, not a print edition, so it does not take an ISBN. It is identified by its own metadata and, in this house, by its entry in the register of provenance.
Free storefront ISBNs — the honest trade
A free ISBN from a retailer costs nothing and works. The trade is that the retailer's imprint appears as the publisher of record, and the number is usually tied to that one storefront.
If you intend to sell through bookshops, libraries or your own imprint name, buy your own. If you are publishing one ebook to one storefront, the free number is not a mistake.
Asked and answered
- Do I need an ISBN for an ebook?
- Not at Amazon, which issues its own identifier. Most other storefronts and every library system prefer a real ISBN.
- Does an audiobook need its own ISBN?
- It needs its own identifier, and an ISBN is the cleanest one. It is a separate format, so it cannot share the print number.
- Does a film book need an ISBN?
- No. It is a video work and carries video metadata instead.
Also asked
Every answer in the hall
- How much does it cost to make an audiobook?
- What is a film book?
- How long is an audiobook by word count?
- Book trailers: how do you make one, what does it cost, and how is it different from a film book?
- How many voices does an audiobook need?
- How do you turn a book into a video?
- Can I narrate my own audiobook?
- How long does it take to make an audiobook?
- How do you make an audiobook?
- Should I use ACX or a professional audiobook producer?
- How much does a film book cost?
- How do I get my audiobook on Audible and Spotify?
- What does audiobook production for indie authors involve?
- How much does an audiobook narrator cost?
- How do I record an audiobook?
- How do I publish an audiobook?
- What do book marketing services actually do?
- How do I self-publish a book?
- How many words are in a novel?
- How do I copyright a book?
- What is BookTok?
- How much do authors make per book?
- How long does it take to write a book?
- How do I find the best narrator for my audiobook?
- How do I get reviews for my book?
- What should be on my book launch checklist?
- How do I write a book blurb?
- Will AI replace authors?
- Is AI narration good enough for my audiobook?
- Do I have to disclose that I used AI?
- Can I copyright a book written with AI?
- Is AI voice cloning safe for authors?
- How do I market my book?
- What is an author platform and how do I build one?
- How do I grow an email list as an author?
- How do I use video to sell my book?
- How do I promote my book with no money?
- How much does it cost to publish a book?
- How do I write a query letter?
- How many chapters should a book have?
- KDP or IngramSpark — which should I use?
- Do I need an ebook formatting service?
- How much does a book cover cost?
- How should I price my book?
Strength and Solidarity LLC — 45 answers kept in this hall