ISBN – One Book at a Time

Purchasing an ISBN

If you want to sell your book outside of our bookshop, this is what you’ll need

An ISBN is required to appear on all books which are sold in retail stores. This is so the retail publishing industry can track books more easily, identify your title in the marketplace, and report any sales. If you choose to make your book available solely through the One Book at a Time online BookShop, or simply hand them out to family and friends then no ISBN number is required.

One Book at a Time can purchase an ISBN for your print book, which will include a corresponding barcode which we can apply to your book. You can purchase it yourself by going to ISBN.org. Just indicate whether or not you’d like us to purchase this for you on the order form. NOTE: Each version of your book — hardback and paperback — requires its own ISBN number.

So, what exactly is an ISBN?

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is a specific 13-digit number that identifies your book within the worldwide publishing industry, and has been the standard of book identification since 1970. Its numeric code captures information regarding the book’s publisher, title, language, edition, and version. In order to sell your book in a bookstore, or online (Amazon, for instance) or even get it into a library, your printed book must have an ISBN number connected to it. The ISBN is permanently assigned to your book unless you make substantial revisions to the book, or change things like the name of the publisher or the title. Then you would need to get a new ISBN.

How do I get an ISBN?

Bowker is the only agency in the USA that can issue ISBN numbers (ISBN.org). One Book at a Time can purchase an ISBN and accompanying barcode for you.

Is it better to purchase an ISBN myself?

Other printers and publishers that offer to acquire an ISBN for you may surprise you with additional hidden fees. We do not. We purchase ISBN’s as a service for our customers. However, it’s important to note that the purchaser of the ISBN is considered the publisher. While you would retain full ownership and copyright of the book, One Book at a Time would be listed in book catalogues and databases as “publisher”. If you would like to be listed as publisher, make sure you apply for your own ISBN.

Why would I want to be listed as publisher?

The publisher may be contacted for information about how the book should be described in catalogues and databases for libraries, bookstores, and various organizations. Also, organizations or individuals interested in ordering a volume of your book for instance, or who have questions may reach out to the publisher of record. While we would do our best to forward any information on to you regarding interest in your book, you might prefer any industry communication goes to you rather than One Book at a Time.

Do I need a barcode if I have an ISBN? How do I get one?

Retailers must scan the ISBN barcode on your book whenever it is stocked or sold in their store. This helps them to manage their inventory, and lets them know when they need to order more copies of your book. Several free tools are available online to convert an ISBN into a bar code. Or, for $25, you can also get a barcode from Bowker directly at the time you purchase your ISBN. If One Book at a Time purchases the ISBN for you, purchase of the barcode would be included in the cost.

Do I need to get an ISBN before printing my book?

Yes, if you plan to sell your book in bookstores. When you purchase an ISBN, you’ll also be able to purchase a downloadable barcode for $25 that must appear on your book. When creating your files, note that ISBN barcodes usually appear on the back covers or dustjackets of books to make scanning easier for retailers.