The Facts About ISBN for Self-Publishers

Posted on 04 April 2008 by Bobby Ozuna

People ask me, why do I need to get an ISBN associated with my book, if I can easily use one of the many source companies available on the Internet to bind, manufacture and produce a bound book to promote and sale on my own? The answer is simple: If you plan on marketing your book to brick-and-mortar bookstores, seeing it in libraries or simply making your book available for a multitude of retail and wholesale distribution means, it must have an ISBN assigned to it.

Like most products sold, the bar-coded system helps uniquely identify the product’s cost, and with books, it identifies the publisher—you. You don’t wan to spend the time producing the highest quality book available to your present means, only to discover later that the local Barnes & Noble won’t stock it within their warehousing system because it is owned by someone other than “your” publishing company. If they have to deal with a third-party, they won’t deal with them at all.

IMPORTANT NOTE TO CONSIDER:
Most bookstores will not feature or sale any book that is not first listed within their warehouse database. To get there, your book must have a unique ISBN identifying you as the publisher. There are hundreds of websites on the market advertising single ISBN sales, but to truly ensure you are the sole owner of the ISBN associated with your book, you must purchase directly via the US ISBN Agency. They sale their ISBN numbers in blocks as little as 10 and up to 1000. The cost for a minimum of 10 ISBNs is $275 USD.

What does ISBN stand for?
ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number and they are [now] 13-digit numbers that help uniquely identify a book and its publisher. At one time they are 10-digits and with the influx of small presses and independently published authors—that and the increase in new titles released every year—the need for more numbers has been implemented. Each 13-digit ISBN has a 10-digit number assigned to it automatically.

How do I go about obtaining an ISBN number for my title?
Navigate to the official US ISBN Agency website or follow my link to view a printable copy of the form here. Please note however, there is a charge of $50 USD for processing a manual application. You can opt to use the electronic format (where there is no charge for processing) by navigating here.

Please be aware that either the manual or electronic format for ordering ISBN numbers is for FIRST TIME publishers. If you have already ordered and have an ISBN assigned to your title and publishing house, you will need to contact the ISBN agency here for help with purchasing additional ISBN numbers.

Now that I have an ISBN number(s) assigned, how do I get the barcode?
Once you have your ISBN number(s) assigned, you will need to obtain a barcode from BowkerLink. You can navigate to their website to complete the process of ordering the appropriate barcodes. You will need all pertinent information related to your publishing house (business name).

Okay, I ordered the ISBN number(s) and ordered my barcode(s), am I done?
You will want to ensure your book is listed in the Books-in-Print database and to do this, you will need to register your ISBN number with Bowker. Books-n-Print is THE bibliographic database store used by libraries, bookstores and booksellers and lastly publishers like you.

Remember, you can use any forum you choose to create your first novel, but you want to think long-term with regards to your publishing ventures. And to ensure your book will be available to as many people, organizations and sellers as possible, you will want to go through with the appropriate steps that make you a true, legitimate (small) independent publisher.

Good luck to you…and remember…I believe…because you believe!

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