What You Need to Know About ISBNs BEFORE You Publish Your Book

What exactly is an ISBN? The International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit code that serves as a unique identifier for your book. More than that, it's a powerful tool that unlocks your book's visibility to bookstores, libraries, and online retailers worldwide.

I like to think of an ISBN like a car's VIN (Vehicle Identification Number). Just like a VIN reveals your car's make, model, manufacturing details, and history, an ISBN carries all the essential data about your book.

When someone looks up an ISBN, they discover a treasure trove of information: your book's title, subtitle, author, publisher, when it was released, how many pages it contains, and even its physical dimensions. It's essentially your book's unique fingerprint.

Why Do I Care?

I believe that having a good understanding of ISBNs is critical for authors who are interested in self-publishing their books.

Coming from a library background gave me an early insight into the importance of ISBNs. However, even with that experience, I was surprised by how many publishing decisions hinge on having a thorough understanding of ISBNs.

?? Click play to watch the short video clip below (01:34)

When I am working with clients to self-publish their books, when it comes time to talk about ISBNs, that's usually when their eyes glaze over. Nobody seems to realize how much there is to process.

Which is why I hosted this recent LinkedIn Live event.

While ISBNs may seem to be a simple 13-digit number, I know that some of the information can be confusing, which is why I wanted to share what I know with everyone in one place.

?? Key Insights on ISBNs

ISBNs are always found in two locations: on the copyright page of the book and on the back cover embedded within the barcode. While the ISBN is contained within the barcode, they are not the same thing - the barcode is simply a machine-readable representation of the number.?

ISBNs are mandatory for commercial sales but unnecessary for private books you'll never sell. The most important thing to understand is that you need a separate ISBN for each format of your book (paperback, hardcover, e-book, audiobook), which can quickly increase your publishing costs.

??? ISBN Tips

Where you obtain your ISBN depends on your location you reside:

• United States and Australia: Bowker
• United Kingdom and Ireland: Nielsen
• Canada: Library and Archives Canada
• Other countries (to find your ISBN agency): Visit the ISBN International Organization

TIP: If you live in Canada ???? your ISBNs are 100% FREE. ?? Which almost makes me want to move back to the Great White North.

When purchasing your own ISBNs, you'll also be establishing your publishing imprint, which is the name under which you'll self-publish your book. Publishing under your personal name is typically not recommended. Choose wisely between using your company name or creating a fictitious name. You want to be sure that there are no legal issues with the name you select and changing it later can be difficult.

?? The Most Important Things You Need to Know

1. Amazon's Free ISBN Option: Amazon offers free ISBNs for paperbacks and hardcovers, with pros (no cost, easy registration) and cons (Amazon is your publisher, can't use on other publishing platforms).?
2. When You Need a New ISBN: Get a new ISBN when publishing a new edition, changing the title or trim size, or translating the book. You don't need one for minor updates, price changes, cover changes, or moving to different distribution platforms.
3. Cost Considerations: In the United States, a single ISBN costs $125, while a 10-pack is $295 ($29.50 each). Amazon also offers a little-known $99 discount rate for purchasing ISBNs through Bowker.
4. Barcode Basics: Save money by having Amazon generate the barcode for you or using free online barcode generators rather than paying for add-ons from an ISBN agency.
5. Key Facts: ISBNs can't be reused or transferred, don't provide copyright protection, and live forever (even if you unpublish your book).

Understanding ISBN requirements early in your publishing journey helps you make informed decisions and avoid costly mistakes as you prepare to share your book with the world.

Want to Know More?

?? Watch the replay or ?? listen to the podcast to discover:

• About all the cool "metadata" contained in an ISBN
• How to decide whether to invest in your own ISBN or use Amazon's free option
• Cost-saving strategies for authors publishing in multiple formats
• Why choosing the right publishing imprint name matters for your author brand
• Plus, real examples of ISBN decisions from successful self-published authors

?? Listen to the audio podcast now:

The Easy Peasy Books Podcast is available on: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, & YouTube Podcasts. Subscribe today and never miss an episode.

?? Watch the video replay now:

<OR>

Access the live replay on LinkedIn, using the link below:

?? Cracking the ISBN Code: An Essential Step in Your Publishing Journey

Where you can join the party in the comments. ?? ???? Feel free to be a part of the on-going conversation by posting a question or leaving a comment.

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Peasy Book Notes is a weekly newsletter featuring insights from my LinkedIn Live conversations with successful authors and industry experts. Each issue brings you valuable tips on book writing, self-publishing, and marketing strategies to help you reach your ideal readers.