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?
ISBN is the International Standard Book Number, a 13-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 978-1-59327-012-7.
Turns out you can decipher this ISBN number too: the five parts of an ISBN are the EAN or GS1 (‘978’ in the ISBN above), group or country identified (‘1’), 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 978-1-59327-056-9.
ISBN numbers are assigned by a group of agencies worldwide coordinated by the International ISBN Agency in London, England. 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. Their website: MyIdentifiers.com.
You can apply for an ISBN on their Web site — there’s a fee of $125.00 for a single ISBN or $250 for 10 ISBNs. The assignment of ISBNs is immediate and there’s also a title registration service offered that allows you to provide and update your book’s metadata for better marketing through online bibliographic databases.
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 two, 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: Get Your ISBN Now.
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!
How will i get an ISBN no for my book, going to be publish in Bangladeh?
thanks.
Dear
I have written two books (i)in Urdu and Persian (ii)in Persian. I need IBBN number how do apply for ISBN.
Dr. Ashraf
sir,
please give the information about how to get the ISBN,contact no.
and to you too, Dr. Mori!
happy diwali sir !
We are going to start a Research Journal, Name hopefully- “Basic and Social Science journal” at Gono Bishwabidyalay/University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Please guide us how to get ISBN no, Types and Cost,How much time will it take to get this no? etc. through E-mail: dipugb@gmail.com
co-ordinater,
Gono University Research committee.
or
Lecturer
Dept. of Sociology and Social Work,Gono University, Savar, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
This information is pretty much out of date. Bowker, who owns ISBN.ORG, also owns My Identifiers.
Getting your ISBNs is instant, and no extra expediting fees are necessary.
You will want to try this link: https://www.myidentifiers.com/Get-your-isbn-now
I want a ISBN no of my book.If I send all the testimonials through speedpost from Birbhum.How much time will it take to get this no.
WithThanks
why is it so costly here?
you can get it for free at createspace.
I decided to publish with GRIN (http://www.grin.com/en/) – it is easy and they assign an ISBN to your paper, book, research papaer and it didn’t cost me a penny. Just have a look for yourself – I just love this easy way of publishing and see royalties puring in on a regular basis 😉
hi sir madam we are found the social science research institute in akola ms we will be starting the educational and social science journal. pls. give me guidline for getting the ISBN number for this journal. thanking you.
anant patil.
co-ordinater sankalpa social science research institute akola MS
Respected sir
i am a new publisher of book publishing online and print so plz guide us how to get isbn no
thanking you
Great question and great answer. Nobody knows how to get an isbn but I’ll point them in this direction.
We are required a ISBN
I am working in an educational Institute,we are organising a National conference.We are publishing a book of selected papers.Can we get an ISSN/ISBN no. for this book.
A book written and published without an ISBN number is hard work in vain. Because means that the author has only succeed in working hard for pirates to making money at his own expense.So if you an always make you get ISBN number for your book…