When you buy a book online (or maybe if you go into a bookstore – remember those places?), you may have noticed a long series of numbers associated with the book called an ISBN. Unless you decided to go to school and get your Masters in Library Science (shout out to my fellow MLS grads!), you probably have no clue what an ISBN is and thought it was just a random barcode. While this number might just seem random and arbitrary, it is an important identifier in the world of literature and can dramatically aid in the success of a self-published novel.
Let’s start with a brief history lesson on ISBNs. ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. ISBNs have the origin in World War II. During the war, the British government recruited Gordon Foster as a codebreaker set out to identify patterns in Japanese military codes. Foster was later recruited decades later to use his codebreaking (or in this case, code making) skills to develop a standardized tracking system for the increasing number of published books in the post-War era. This system ultimately because the ISBN and is now one of the main book identifying systems used worldwide.
ISBNs are either 10 (for books published prior to January 1, 2007) or 13 numbers (for anything published after said date) in length and essentially works as a product identifier used by libraries, publishers, book sellers, and other individual entities for the purpose of tracking book sales and product inventory. You can find the ISBN for a book usually on the inside cover or on the copyright page.
The number will correspond not just to a specific book, but also specific volumes and editions of books that have been published multiple times (which is particularly helpful in the cases of textbooks that can be republished every few years with new editions and volumes). Additionally, a book can get new ISBN numbers if the book is translated into another language, published in a large print format, or it is changed to a different binding (hardback vs. paperback). An ISBN is only required if a book is to be sold in a bookstore or if a book is to be stocked in a library. Thus, if you are only releasing your book as an eBook for download, you are not required to have an ISBN.
Usually, a publisher will apply for an ISBN and bear the financial responsibility of obtaining this number. However, in cases of self-published books, whether fiction or non-fiction, the responsibility for getting an ISBN is usually on the author. There are generally two ways to get an ISBN for your self-published book: purchase the number yourself or obtain one for free through your self-publishing platform. While it might seem advantageous to just get a free ISBN from your self-publishing platform (especially as many self-published authors are not necessarily flush with cash when publishing their debut book), there are limitations that might lead you to consider buying a number on your own. For starters, the ISBN from a self-publishing platform cannot be transferred to another platform, meaning you will need different numbers from platforms like Amazon and Draft2Digital, if you plan to list your book on multiple platforms. Having multiple ISBNs for the same book without different volumes or other changes that would require a new number, is seen by some publishers and bookstores as unprofessional, which can lead to issues if you plan to later market your book as a physical copy in other venues.
Thus, most experts suggest that you go ahead and invest in yourself and buy your own ISBN when preparing to sell your book, even if you initially only plan to release the book as an eBook. The price of ISBNs can vary, and multiple ISBNs can be purchased together as a bundle. The average rate for a single ISBN is usually around $125, while purchasing 10 ISBNs can cost around $295, 100 ISBNs go for around $575, and 1000 ISBNs go for around $1500. The cheapest option for obtaining an ISBN is through Bowker. Figuring how many ISBNs to buy is a decision that every author must make and depends entirely on how expansive you think your book’s portfolio will be. Remember that any book that is translated into another language or changes its content in any way will be considered a new edition and require a new ISBN. Also, ISBNs cannot be transferred from one book to another. but you can buy them in bulk and wait to register the number to a future book or future version of a book. So, if you plan on releasing multiple versions or editions of your book, or plan to make writing your career with multiple books, you might want to consider purchasing a bundle of ISBNs, rather than one at a time.
As a self-published author, there are many options for ISBNs, and which one you take depends entirely on your financial situation and your future writing plans. Have you ever purchased an ISBN? If so, how many and how easy was the process? Let us know in the comments below.
By: Chris Moffitt
Chris is a Managing Editor at Technica Editorial
