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How do I get an ISBN Number?

Dave, I'm trying to publish my own book and just found out I need to get an ISBN. What is an ISBN, how do I get one, and how much does it cost?

Dave's Answer:

ISBN is the International Standard Book Number, a 10-digit number that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published anywhere in the world. Pick up any book on your bookshelf and you'll find that it has an ISBN. My book Wicked Cool Shell Scripts has an assigned ISBN of 1-59327-012-7.

Turns out you can decipher this ISBN number too: the four parts of an ISBN are the group or country identified ('1' in the ISBN above), publisher identifier ('59327'), title identifier ('012') and the check digit ('7'). Sure enough, check another title from the same publisher, NoStarch Press, Write Portable Code, its ISBN is ISBN 1-59327-056-9.

ISBN numbers are assigned by a group of agencies worldwide coordinated by the International ISBN Agency in Berlin, Germany. In the United States, ISBNs are assigned by the U.S. ISBN Agency: R.R. Bowker is the independent agent in the US for this system. It's easy to remember their website: ISBN.org.

You can apply for an ISBN on their Web site - it takes about two weeks for one to be assigned, and there's a publisher registration fee of $24.95 plus a service fee that starts at $225.00 for 10 ISBNs, no rush service (if you need something immediately, there's a $125 express processing surcharge). There's also a $25 annual fee for each publisher, so whether you have one ISBN or a thousand, you'll have to pay that additional amount too.

All told, for a new publisher to get an ISBN (or ten) will cost $250, or $25/ISBN. Since you can get 10 ISBNs for the same price as one, it's worth applying for books on your horizon too, rather than just the one you're about to publish.

Here's the critical link: Apply for an ISBN.

Note that there's a print application too, if you'd prefer not filling it out electronically and paying by credit card.

I hope this gets you started with your ISBN application. Once you've done that, don't forget to also register your copyright with the U.S. Copyright Office too!

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Comments

I went through this for my DVD. Check out the post:

http://motorsportranch.typepad.com/weblog/2005/05/getting_the_dvd.html

Posted by: Alexander Muse at July 19, 2005 2:24 AM

is there agency in india authorised to issue ISBN

Posted by: Satdev sharma at April 6, 2007 5:49 AM

how about Peru? i need to publish a comic book and need to check if it can be registered here or via web in the states?

Posted by: Boris Torres at April 7, 2007 12:18 AM

is their any agency in india who can issue isbn number how do i apply for isbn no in india

Posted by: sharib at October 27, 2007 12:29 AM

is the 25 dollar annually fee for the whole package or 25 dollars for each isbn number you have...10 x 25=250?

Posted by: kelly at November 7, 2007 1:39 PM

Happy new year.

I have self-published three books but have recently revised them. Do I need a new ISBN number and do you know if I need to copy right them again?

Jan

Posted by: jan at January 1, 2008 11:05 AM

Sir,
I am from Tamilnadu, India. I have written three books on Tamil literature and I wish to apply for ISBN numbers. kindly let me know the procedure for getting the same.
thanking You

Babu.

Posted by: S.Babu at July 16, 2008 5:09 AM

how to get an isbn number in india via online?

Posted by: raju at September 19, 2008 7:30 AM

If I want to contact about ISBN in India,What, how and where to do it.

Posted by: Ramesh C Nayak at October 8, 2008 12:24 AM

I am a Printer. My client wants to print a book. He wants me to get ISBN for him. Neither my client nor myself is a publisher. How should I proceed?

Goodwin

Posted by: Goodwin at October 24, 2008 4:58 AM

Good day!

I would like to inquire on how to get ISBN? what are the requirements? how quickly we can get it? thaks! hopin g for a positive response

Posted by: Grace Joy A. Cabuguas at November 16, 2008 10:27 PM

Good day!

Sir, I would like to ask how to get an ISBN in the Phillipines? can you pls. give a contact number/ e-mail add where I can get an ISBN in the Phils.? thank you very much..........hoping for a positive response...

Posted by: Grace Joy A. Cabuguas at November 16, 2008 10:39 PM

Dear dave,
We are going to start a Research Journal on Allied Science and Technology and I was loking at ISBN no. application for under the website http://education.nic.in/isbn/isbnproforma-rev.asp

. It says that Journal doesnt need ISBN no. is it right? Can we publish our Journal without ISBN no? is it Legally Right?

Regards,
Sanjeev

Posted by: Sanjeev at February 2, 2009 12:42 AM

We are going to publish a scientific journals on behalf of an organization. How can we get it from India? Is there any such center in India where we can apply

Posted by: B Mukherjee at April 24, 2009 3:47 AM

I would like to inquire on how to get ISBN? what are the requirements? how quickly we can get it? thaks! hopin g for a positive response

Posted by: SURENDER at June 7, 2009 2:10 PM

Is their any agency in india who can issue isbn number how do i apply for isbn no in india

Please Give me Information

Posted by: Kanu Patel at June 26, 2009 4:27 AM

I am from Tamilnadu, India. I have written two books on human genes and I wish to apply for ISBN numbers. kindly let me know the procedure for getting the same.
thanking You
Regards
Umargani

Posted by: umargani at July 1, 2009 1:09 AM

i am from coimbatore of tamilnadu. i want to publish a book relates with journalism and mass communication. Hence i need a details about to get the ISBN.

Posted by: K JAYARAJ at July 11, 2009 4:15 AM

Hi Dave,
For your information, Aardvark Global Publishing is an authorized agent for the ISBN agency with the ability to assign single isbn's to books and other book projects. Authors can get a single isbn package in Aardvark's name for $55.00 or in their own name for $129.00. A package includes a digital barcode, webpage for their product, no restrictions and they get to keep the rights to their book. Plus, Aardvark is easy to work with and specializes in helping new authors publish their books inexpensively. ISBN assignment can be attained on line at any time with the ability to get one immediately with the authors package.

Posted by: Samantha at August 1, 2009 6:02 PM

HELLO DEV
We are going to start a Research Journal on Engineering and Technology and I was loking at ISBN no.
I also want to know all the requirements to publish our own journal.
Can we publish our Journal without ISBN no? is it Legally Right?

Regards,
kirtika

Posted by: kirtika at October 25, 2009 4:39 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...

I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!