What is an ISBN

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. In the United States, the only retailers of such numbers are Bowker (myidentifiers.com). The ISBN is 13 digits (formally 10) and starts with 978 or 979. This number is essential to have an identity in the book ecosystem: search engines, libraries, bookstores, wholesalers, distributors, inventory, and sales software. Ultimately it tracks the various versions/formats of the book

Please note the following:

• Once you purchase and assign an ISBN and it is published (in use), you can’t change it.
• The ISBN is the identifier for retailers (like Amazon) and libraries
• It is used to catalog the information you specify about your title
• An ISBN is required for each edition or format (i.e. hardcover, paperback, 3rd Edition, ebook, and foreign language)
• Each country has its own organization for assigning ISBNs. You must obtain an ISBN for the country in which your writing/publishing business is located.
• If you obtain the ISBN on your own, the number will always be associated with the publishing company or name you choose (publishing imprint)
• One single ISBN is $125 or $295 for a block of 10 (purchase the block of 10 if you plan on writing multiple books in multiple formats)