isbn number trinidad

International ISBN Agency

• ISBN Standard
• How to get an ISBN
• Guidelines for assignment to e-books
• Related policies and issues
• ISBN Bar coding
• What they do

Find an agency

• ISBN ranges
• Board of Directors
• National agencies
• ISBN Users' manual
• ISBN Calculator
• Global Register of Publishers
• Other identifiers
• Publications

The second part of the ISBN identifies a country, geographical region or language area participating in the ISBN system. Some members form language areas (e.g. German language group = group number 3) or regional units (e.g. South Pacific = group number 982).

Publishers should contact the national agency that serves the specific part of Belgium where they are located, based on language of that area – either French speaking, Flemish speaking or German speaking.

Publishers should contact either the English speaking or French speaking agency in Canada according to their location and the most usual language of their books or of their staff.

• Caribbean Community (Caricom) (976) includes: 

Antigua AG, Bahamas BS, Barbados BB, Belize BZ, Dominica DM, Grenada GD, Guyana GY, Jamaica JM, St. Kitts-Nevis KN, St. Lucia LC, St. Vincent and the Grenadines VC, Trinidad and Tobago TT

The Curaçao ISBN Agency assigns ISBNs to publishers based not only in Curaçao CW itself but also to the Caribbean territories of Aruba AW; Bonaire, Sint Eustatius and Saba BQ; and Sint Maarten (Dutch part) SX  

• Multi-national NGOs

NGOs that have offices in multiple countries should contact the International ISBN Agency for advice about obtaining ISBNs. ISBNs will be assigned and registered to the location of their headquarters. 

• South Pacific (982) includes:

Cook Islands CK, Fiji FJ, Kiribati KI, Marshall Islands MH, Federal States of Micronesia FM, Nauru NR, New Caledonia NC, Niue NU, Palau PW, Solomon Islands SB, Tokelau TK, Tonga TO, Tuvalu TV, Vanuatu VU, Western Samoa WS  

In June 2017, there was a significant change to the ISBN process in Suriname. Publishers in Suriname will no longer contact Interfund Group, which ran the ISBN agency based there. Instead, publishers located in Suriname should contact the International ISBN Agency directly.

• Territories and dependencies of the United Kingdom

The United Kingdom & Ireland ISBN Agency assigns ISBNs to publishers based anywhere in the British Isles, including Orkney, Shetland, Isle of Man IM, Isle of Wight and the Channel Islands.

It also assigns ISBNs to publishers based in most of the 14 British Overseas Territories: Anguilla AI, Falkland Islands FK, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands GS, British Indian Ocean Territory IO, Cayman Islands KY, Montserrat MS, Pitcairn PN, St. Helena, Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha SH, Turks and Caicos Islands TC, British Virgin Islands VG and Akrotiri and Dhekelia.

The exceptions are Bermuda and Gibraltar, which have their own national ISBN agencies.  

• Francophone and Lusophone countries

In some cases where there is no ISBN agency located in a specific country, publishers in t he respective country or territory may contact another national agency according to language. The agencies of France and Portugal will assign ISBNs to publishers based in certain other countries. For example, publishers based in Senegal should contact the ISBN Agency of France for ISBNs. For details of the countries covered by these arrangements click here .  

• Countries that do not currently have a national ISBN agency and are not part of any other defined regional or other group 

Contact the International ISBN Agency for advice. It may be that we have already made informal arrangements with an existing national ISBN Agency to provide ISBNs on behalf of your country. We also recommend that you contact the ministry of culture and associations responsible in your country for publishers or the book trade to inform them of the desire for the implementation of the ISBN system in your country.

© 2014-2023 International ISBN Agency

The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a short identifier that uniquely identifies any monographic title published internationally. The ISBN accompanies the publisher’s product from production through distribution to sale. Therefore, it contributes considerably to the rationalisation of the book distribution systems. The introduction of the ISBN led to the simplification of ordering, stock control, accounting, and export procedures in many branches of the book industry.

The introduction of the ISBN system serves the flow and documentation of bibliographic information and provides economic bibliographic control of the regional book production. Other benefits include:

• The ISBN facilitates ordering, acquisition, cataloguing, and circulation procedures in libraries and documentation centres, across political border
• Allows different product forms and editions of a book, whether printed or digital, to be clearly differentiated
• The ISBN facilitates compilation and updating of book-trade directories and bibliographic databases, such as catalogues of books-in-print.
• Facilitates the fast and efficient ordering and distribution of books using the ISBN
• The ISBN is machine-readable in the form of a 13-digit EAN-13 bar code. This is fast and avoids mistakes

Eligible Products

Some examples of publishers’ products to which an ISBN shall be assigned are:

• Printed books and pamphlets
• Braille publications
• Publications which are not intended by the publisher to be regularly updated or continued indefinitely
• Individual articles 1 or issues of a particular continuing resource (but not the continuing resource in its entirety)
• Maps i Educational/instructional films, videos and transparencies
• Audio books on cassettes or CD or DVD (talking books)
• Electronic publications either on physical carriers (such as machine-readable tapes, diskettes, CD-Roms) or on the Internet
• Digitised copies of print monographic publications
• Microform publications i Educational or instructional software
• Mixed media publications (where the principal constituent is text-based)

Ineligible products

Some examples of products that do not qualify for ISBN are:

• Continuing resources treated in their entirety as bibliographic entities (individual issues may qualify for ISBNs)
• Abstract entities such as textual works and other abstract creations of intellectual or artistic content
• Printed or digital materials that are intended for marketing or promotional purposes only such as advertising matter, widgets and the like
• Printed music
• Art prints and art folders without title page and text
• Personal documents (such as a digital curriculum vitae or personal profile)
• Greetings cards
• Music sound recordings
• Software, films, videos, DVDs or transparencies that are intended for any purpose other than educational or instructional
• Digital bulletin boards
• Emails and other digital correspondence
• Customized or personalised books not intended for general availability
• License key vouchers to access digital monographic publications on the Internet

The International Standard Serial Number (ISSN), ISO 3297, is the standard international identifier for serial publications (i.e. publications that are issued over time with no predetermined conclusion). Such publications are usually issued in successive or integrating issues that generally have numerical and/or chronological designations. Typical examples include serials such as newspapers, periodicals, journals, magazines, etc., and ongoing integrating resources such as loose-leaf publications that are continually updated.

The ISSN is administered by the ISSN International Centre:

ISSN International Centre

45 rue de Turbigo

75003 Paris, France

Tel:     (+33) 1 44 88 22 20

Fax :    (+33) 1 40 26 32 43

Email :  [email protected] ; [email protected]

URL :   http://www.issn.org

• Processing Applications
• Buying a Single ISBN or Multitple ISBNs
• Eligibility of Publishers
• Listing of Caribbean Titles

Powered by themekiller.com watchanimeonline.co

• About the ISBN standard
• Industry Standards
• Helpful Links

FAQs: General Questions

• FAQs: ISBN eligibility
• FAQs: International Issues
• FAQs: How Changes Affect the ISBN
• FAQs: Ownership and Re-Usage Rights
• FAQs: Formats Reprints Editions
• FAQs: ebooks and ISBNs
• FAQs: Spanish
• ISBN Converter

What is an ISBN? What is the purpose of an ISBN? What is the format of the ISBN? Does the ISBN have any meaning imbedded in the numbers? Why do some ISBNs end in an "X"? Who can assign ISBNs to a publisher? Who is eligible for an ISBN? How long does it take to get an ISBN? How much does it cost to get an ISBN? What do I do when I receive the ISBN and where is it printed? How & where do I register my ISBN? Can a publisher have both an ISBN & ISSN? How can I find an assigned ISBN? How are ISBNs used in a Bar Code & how do I obtain one? How do I select the correct amount of ISBNs? What is the format of the new ISBN-13? Does the ISBN-13 have any meaning embedded in the numbers? Where does an ISBN get placed on a book? What is the difference between a bar code and an ISBN? Does it matter where a book is printed? If a publisher is selling their books on their own and are not trying to place them in stores or libraries or with wholesalers, is an ISBN required? Do ISBNs have to be assigned to books that are not being sold? Are different ISBNs used if a book appears in different languages? Are custom publications assigned ISBNs?

What is an ISBN? The International Standard Book Number (ISBN) is a 13-digit number that uniquely identifies books and book-like products published internationally.

Back to top

What is the purpose of an ISBN? The purpose of the ISBN is to establish and identify one title or edition of a title from one specific publisher and is unique to that edition, allowing for more efficient marketing of products by booksellers, libraries, universities, wholesalers and distributors.

What is the format of the ISBN? Every ISBN consists of thirteen digits and whenever it is printed it is preceded by the letters ISBN. The thirteen-digit number is divided into four parts of variable length, each part separated by a hyphen.

• Group or country identifier which identifies a national or geographic grouping of publishers;
• Publisher identifier which identifies a particular publisher within a group;
• Title identifier which identifies a particular title or edition of a title;
• Check digit is the single digit at the end of the ISBN which validates the ISBN.

Why do some ISBNs end in an "X"? In the case of the check digit, the last digit of the ISBN, the upper case X can appear. The method of determining the check digit for the ISBN is the modulus 11 with the weighting factors 10 to 1. The Roman numeral X is used in lieu of 10 where ten would occur as a check digit.

Who can assign ISBNs to a publisher? There are over 160 ISBN Agencies worldwide, and each ISBN Agency is appointed as the exclusive agent responsible for assigning ISBNs to publishers residing in their country or geographic territory. The United States ISBN Agency is the only source authorized to assign ISBNs to publishers supplying an address in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico and its database establishes the publisher of record associated with each prefix.

Once an ISBN publisher prefix and associated block of numbers has been assigned to a publisher by the ISBN Agency, the publisher can assign ISBNs to publications it holds publishing rights to. However, after the ISBN Agency assigns ISBNs to a publisher, that publisher cannot resell, re-assign, transfer, or split its list of ISBNs among other publishers. These guidelines have long been established to ensure the veracity, accuracy and continued utility of the international ISBN standard.

As defined by the ISO Standard, the ISBN publisher prefix (or "root" of the ISBN) identifies a single publisher. If a second publisher subsequently obtains an ISBN from the assigned publisher's block of ISBNs, there will be no change in the publisher of record for any ISBN in the block as originally assigned. Therefore, searches of industry databases for that re-assigned ISBN will identify the original owner of that assigned prefix as the publisher rather than the second publisher. Discovering this consequence too late can lead to extensive costs in applying for a new prefix, re-assigning a new ISBN, and potentially leading to the application of stickers to books already printed and in circulation.

If you are a new publisher, you should apply for your own ISBN publisher prefix and plan to identify and circulate your books properly in the industry supply chain. You may encounter offers from other sources to purchase single ISBNs at special offer prices; you should be wary of purchasing from these sources for the reasons noted above. There are unauthorized re-sellers of ISBNs and this activity is a violation of the ISBN standard and of industry practice. A publisher with one of these re-assigned ISBNs will not be correctly identified as the publisher of record in Books In Print or any of the industry databases such as Barnes and Noble or Amazon or those of wholesalers such as Ingram. If you have questions, contact the US ISBN Agency for further advice.

Who is eligible for an ISBN? The ISBN Agency assigns ISBNs at the direct request of publishers, e-book publishers, audio cassette and video producers, software producers and museums and associations with publishing programs.

How long does it take to get an ISBN? Allow 5 business days for non-priority processing from the time an ISBN application is received at the agency (not from the date sent by the publisher.) Priority processing is two business days from the time an application is received at the agency. Express processing is 24 business hours.

How much does it cost to get an ISBN? There is a service fee to process all ISBN applications. Service fee information is contained on the application. Priority and Express processing involve an additional fee.

NOTE: The processing service charge is NON-REFUNDABLE.

What do I do when I receive the ISBN and where is it printed? An ISBN should be assigned to each title or product, including any backlist or forthcoming titles. Each format or binding must have a separate ISBN (i.e. hardcover, paperbound, VHS video, laserdisc, e-book format, etc). A new ISBN is required for a revised edition. Once assigned, an ISBN can never be reused. An ISBN is printed on the lower portion of the back cover of a book above the bar code and on the copyright page.

How & where do I register my ISBN? Once ISBNs have been assigned to products they should be reported to R.R. Bowker as the database of record for the ISBN Agency. Companies are eligible for a free listing in various directories such as Books in Print, Words on Cassette, The Software Encyclopedia, Bowker's Complete Video Directory, etc.

NOTE: Receiving just your ISBNs does NOT guarantee title listings. To ensure your titles get in the Books in Print database you must submit your title information.

Book titles should be registered with Books in Print at www.bowkerlink.com

Can a publisher have both an ISBN & an ISSN? Both numbering systems are used for books in a series and with annuals or biennials. The ISBN identifies the individual book in a series or a specific year for an annual or biennial. The ISSN identifies the ongoing series, or the ongoing annual or biennial serial. If a publication has both, each should be printed on the copyright page.

How can I find an assigned ISBN? The Publications (hard copy listings) in which the assigned ISBNs appear are Publishers, Distributors & Wholesalers of the United States, published by R.R. Bowker, and Literary Market Place, published by Information Today.

How are ISBNs used in a Bar Code & how do I obtain one? The ISBN can be translated into a worldwide compatible bar code format. Publishers who wish to have their ISBNs translated into worldwide compatible bar codes can now make their request directly online at www.isbn.org or www.bowkerbarcode.com . Bar code scanning is a required step required by for many retailers in the sales transaction process for book publications and book-related items. We hope that offering this service will save you time and enable you to meet all of your transaction partners' requirements.

How do I select the correct amount of ISBNs? ISBNs are sold in blocks of 10, 100, and 1000. When purchasing ISBNs, we recommend that you estimate the amount of publications you will be publishing within the next five years, and select the block that best suits your needs. It is always best to select the block that will last you for a few years because you will be able to maintain one publisher prefix, and minimize the unit cost per ISBN. When purchasing a larger block of ISBNs, the price per ISBN decreases.

What is the format of the new ISBN-13? Every ISBN will consist of thirteen digits in 2007. The thirteen digit number is divided into five parts of variable length, each part separated by a hyphen.

• The current ISBN-13 will be prefixed by "978"

Where does an ISBN get placed on a book? An ISBN gets placed on the copyright page and, if there is no bar code, on the back cover.

What is the difference between a bar code and an ISBN? An ISBN is a number. A bar code is the graphic with vertical lines that encodes numerical information for scanning purposes. An ISBN and a bar code are two different things.

Does it matter where a book is printed? No, books can be printed anywhere. ISBNs are assigned based on the geographical location of the publisher, not the printing company.

If a publisher is selling their books on their own and are not trying to place them in stores or libraries or with wholesalers, is an ISBN required? No, an ISBN is not required.

Do ISBNs have to be assigned to books that are not being sold? No, they do not have to be assigned, but they can be.

Are different ISBNs used if a book appears in different languages? Yes. Each language version is a different product.

Are custom publications assigned ISBNs? No, custom publications are not assigned ISBNs unless such assignment is necessary for a publisher’s back office systems, such as finance, since there is only one customer in such arrangements.

Please rate your experience using this page

Thank you we appreciate your feedback., help topics.

• KDP Help Center Home
• Create a KDP Account
• Manage Your KDP Account
• Two-Step Verification
• CreateSpace Account
• Year End Tax Forms
• What is my tax account status?
• Taking the Tax Interview
• Kindle Store: BR - BR Tax Withholding
• AU & IN Goods and Services Tax
• Applying for a U.S. EIN for Corporations and Non-Individual Entities
• Setting Prices for Amazon Japan
• Setting European Union Prices
• How EU Prices Affect List Price Requirements
• Set Trim Size, Bleed, and Margins
• Format Front Matter, Body Matter, and Back Matter
• Save Your Manuscript File
• Paperback and Hardcover Manuscript Templates
• Cover Creator
• Create a Paperback Cover
• Format Images in Your Book
• Paperback Fonts
• Fix Paperback and Hardcover Formatting Issues
• Paperback Submission Guidelines
• Create a Hardcover Cover
• What criteria does my eBook's cover image need to meet?
• Why is my cover image not updating on Amazon?
• What file formats are supported for eBook manuscripts?
• Create a Table of Contents
• KDP Tools and Resources
• Publishing Service Providers & Resources
• Getting Started with Kindle Create
• Kindle Create Tutorial
• Prepare Reflowable and Print Books with Kindle Create
• Prepare Comic eBooks with Kindle Create
• Prepare Print Replica Books with Kindle Create
• Previewing and Publishing Your Kindle Create Book
• Kindle Previewer
• Kindle Comic Creator
• Kindle Kids' Book Creator
• Quality Notifications Dashboard
• Guide to Kindle Content Quality
• Enhanced Typesetting
• X-Ray for Authors: Tips and Tricks
• KDP Bookshelf
• Arabic (Beta)
• Chinese (Traditional) (Beta)
• Hebrew and Yiddish
• Indian-Language Publishing
• Books Titles & Editions
• Authors & Contributors
• Write a Book Description
• Make Your Book More Discoverable with Keywords
• Kindle eBook Pre-Order
• Primary Audience and Reading Age
• Publishing Public Domain Content
• Language & Page-turn direction
• Schedule a Release

International Standard Book Number (ISBN)

• Print Options
• Color Ink Options
• Upload and Preview Book Content
• Convert a Paperback Word File to PDF
• Price Troubleshooting
• Paperback Printing Cost
• Hardcover Printing Cost
• Printing cost changes FAQ
• Printing Cost & Royalty Calculator
• Book Status
• Low-Content Books
• Kindle Vella - Reader Experience
• Kindle Vella - Start a Story
• Kindle Vella - Publish an Episode
• Kindle Vella - Royalties, Reporting, and Payments
• Kindle Vella - Content Guidelines
• Hardcover Print Elements
• Edit your Series
• Delete a series
• Set the reading order for your series
• Where can I find my Amazon Series Page?
• How to create a series with multiple authors
• Can I offer discounts to books in my series?
• Series Collections on kdp.amazon.co.jp
• How do I order a proof or author copy?
• How much do proof or author copies cost?
• What is the cost to ship my proof or author copy?
• When will my proof or author copy arrive?
• I’m getting an error ordering my author copy
• I’m getting an error ordering my proof copy
• My proof or author copy came damaged
• My proof or author copy didn’t arrive on time
• My proof or author copy has printing errors
• KDP Categories
• Look Inside the Book
• Customer Reviews
• Search Results
• Why are my books not linked on Amazon?
• Link Your Books on the KDP Bookshelf
• How do I unlink my books?
• Sales Ranking
• Ways to Promote Your Book
• How to enroll in KDP Select
• How to cancel KDP Select
• KDP Select All Stars
• Kindle Countdown Deals
• Royalties in Kindle Unlimited
• Free Book Promotions
• Author Central
• Create A+ Content
• A+ Content Examples
• A+ Content Guidelines
• Advertising for KDP books
• eBook Distribution Rights
• Paperback and Hardcover Distribution Rights
• Buying and Gifting eBooks for Others
• Sample Chapters
• Audiobooks Through ACX
• Amazon Literary Contests
• Nominate Your eBook for a Promotion (Beta)
• Update Your Book Details
• Update Your Manuscript
• Modify Converted eBook Content
• How to Send Your Updated eBook to Customers or Yourself
• Update Your Cover
• Unpublishing and Deleting Books
• eBook Royalties
• Paperback Royalty
• Hardcover Royalty
• Orders Report
• Promotions Report
• Pre-Order Report
• Month-to-Date Report
• Prior Months' Royalties Report
• Royalties Estimator
• Payment Report
• Old Sales Dashboard
• Sales and Royalties Report
• Historical Report
• KDP Payment Options
• When will I get paid?
• How to add (or edit) my bank account?
• Troubleshoot Payment Issues
• Digital Book Pricing Page
• Print Book Pricing Page
• eBook List Price Requirements
• Content Guidelines
• Metadata Guidelines for Books
• Intellectual Property Rights Frequently Asked Questions
• Reporting Possible Violations of Our Guidelines
• Privacy Notice Information
• Bonus Content
• Featured Offer Eligibility for Third-Party Sellers
• Introduction
• Paths to Getting Your Content on Kindle
• Comparing Formats
• Cover Image Guidelines
• Navigation Guidelines
• HTML and CSS Guidelines
• Hyperlink Guidelines
• QA Standards
• Text Guidelines - Reflowable
• Image Guidelines - Reflowable
• Table Guidelines - Reflowable
• Creating Fixed-Layout Books with Text Pop-Ups
• Creating Fixed-Layout Books with Image Pop-Ups or Virtual Panels
• Creating Fixed-Layout Books Without Pop-Ups
• Creating Kindle Editions with Audio/Video Content
• Creating Dictionaries
• Enhanced Typesetting and Page Flip
• Attributes and Tags Supported by Enhanced Typesetting
• HTML and CSS Tags Supported in Kindle Format 8
• Media Queries
• Guidelines for Converting XMDF to KF8
• Topic 1 - Account Setup (U.S. Publishers)
• Topic 2 - Account Setup (non-U.S.)
• Topic 4 - Help Readers Find Your Book
• Topic 5 - Build Your Amazon Detail Page
• Topic 6 - Introduction to Book Design
• Topic 7 - Format Your eBook Manuscript
• Topic 8 - Format Your Paperback Manuscript
• Topic 9 - Design Your Cover
• Topic 10 - Upload Your Book Content
• Topic 11 - eBook Rights & Pricing
• Topic 12 - Paperback Rights & Pricing

Have feedback? Can't find your answer in our Help pages?

ISBN for eBooks

Isbn for paperbacks.

• ISBN for hardcover

How to get a free ISBN from KDP

How to use your own isbn.

• What is an Imprint

Compare using KDP ISBN or your own ISBN

View your isbn, change your isbn, re-using an isbn from outside of kdp.

• Troubleshooting:
• Error message saying information doesn't match

Error on KDP after updating my information on Bowker

Isbn for hardcovers.

• Sign in: http://kdp.amazon.com .
• On your Bookshelf , next to the book you want to update, click the ellipsis ("…") under Paperback or Hardcover Actions.
• Select Edit Paperback Content or Edit Hardcover Content .
• In the Print ISBN section, select Get a free KDP ISBN.
• Click Assign me a free KDP ISBN.
• Sign in:  http://kdp.amazon.com .
• On your  Bookshelf , next to the book you want to update, click the ellipsis ("…") under Paperback or Hardcover Actions.
• Select  Edit Paperback Content or Edit Hardcover Content
• In the Print ISBN section, select  Use my own ISBN.
• Enter your own ISBN and Imprint in the fields provided. 

What is an Imprint?

• Go to your Bookshelf next to the book with the ISBN, click the ellipsis ("…") under Kindle eBook Actions.
• Select Edit eBook Content .
• Scroll down to the Kindle eBook ISBN section to see the ISBN you’ve assigned.
• For paperbacks:
• Go to your Bookshelf next to the book with the ISBN, click the ellipsis ("…") under Kindle Paperback Actions.
• Select Edit Paperback Content .
• Scroll down to the Print ISBN section to see the ISBN assigned.
• For hardcover:
• Go to your Bookshelf next to the book with the ISBN, click the ellipsis ("…") under Hardcover Actions.
• Select Edit Hardcover Content t.
• Scroll to the Print ISBN section to see the ISBN assigned.

• Go to your  Bookshelf  next to the book with the ISBN, click the ellipsis ("…") under Kindle eBook Actions.
• Select  Edit eBook Content .
• Clear the ISBN field. Remember that an ISBN is not required for eBooks. 
• Go to your  Bookshelf  next to the book with the ISBN, click the ellipsis ("…") under Kindle Paperback Actions.
• Select  Edit Paperback Content .
• Under the Print ISBN section - click on Assign me a free KDP ISBN .
• Save the change.
• Re-enter the ISBN in the book you want to use your ISBN.
• For hardcovers:
• Go to your  Bookshelf  next to the book with the ISBN, click the ellipsis ("…") under Hardcover Actions.
• Select Edit Hardcover Content .

Troubleshooting

Error message saying information doesn’t match.

• Go to Bowker's website . This is not an Amazon website. You will need to contact Bowker and/or myidentifiers.com if you have questions about ISBN metadata.
• Verify the imprint name, title, and author associated with your ISBN.
• Go to your  Bookshelf .
• Click the ellipsis button (“…”) under Paperback Actions  or Hardcover Actions next to the book you want to update.
• Click Edit Paperback Content or Edit Hardcover Content .
• Update your ISBN and imprint name options as needed. Your ISBN information must match  myidentifiers.com . To ensure you are providing the most accurate information you can copy the imprint name from the myidentifiers.com website and paste it into your title setup on KDP.
• Be sure to update your interior and cover files to match any recent ISBN changes.

Did this page answer your question? Yes | No

Make More Money Reach More Readers

Total KDP KU Author Earnings

September 2023

$51.5 Million

Reach more readers through Kindle Unlimited

Please sign in to continue

🎉 Our next novel writing master class starts in – ! Claim your spot →

Looking to publish? Meet your dream editor on Reedsy.

Find the perfect editor for your next book

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy, come meet them.

Last updated on Feb 25, 2022

What is an ISBN Number? A Look at Publishing’s ID System

An International Standard Book Number, or ISBN, is a 13-digit code used as a unique identifier for books. An ISBN is assigned to each edition of a book, helping publishers , bookstores, and libraries keep track of their stock and sales. Meanwhile readers can use them to look up specific editions online.

A way to organize a world of books

ISBNs are fixed and non-transferable, so if you publish a print and an ebook version of the same book, you’ll need two different numbers. If you then publish that ebook in a different language, you’ll need a new ISBN for that as well — and so on.

Do you need an ISBN number?

It'll only take a minute!

Note: ISBNs suffer from “ATM machine” syndrome, so they’re known as both “ISBNs” and “ISBN numbers,” even though the latter technically repeats “number”. We’re not too fussy, and we’ll be using both — but if you hate tautologies, stick to “ISBN”.

Its 13 digits all mean something

ISBNs consist of five parts, appearing in the following order:

• The numbers 978 or 979, indicating that this product is a book;
• A single digit to indicate the country or language group of the publication (all English-language books are 0 or 1);
• A three-digit code for the publisher;
• A five-digit code for the title, edition, and format of the book; and
• The final “check” digit indicates that the ISBN has been verified.

Did you know? ISBNs were 10 digits long until January 2007, when they changed to 13. But ISBNs never expire, and even old, 10-digit numbers can be converted into 13-digit codes with Bowker's conversion tool .

Is an ISBN the same as a barcode?

Not quite. Though they’re both numbers that appear on the back of a book cover , a barcode provides purely sales-related information: the price of a book and the currency it’s sold in. ISBNs are clearly labeled, only include numbers, and are consistent between stores, unlike barcodes.

You may notice other numbers around the barcode, such as an IAN or EAN (International or European Article Number). These also provide retailer-specific information about the price of the book — but as an author, all you need to worry about is the ISBN.

Now we’ve covered what an ISBN is, let’s tackle the next big question — do you need one?

ISBNs are necessary for selling print books…

To distribute books in print or in audiobook format, you will need ISBNs. They’re used by bookstores, libraries, and everyone in the book supply chain to identify and organize their stock. If your print book has no ISBN, it can’t be sold — simple as that.

A bonus of having an ISBN number is that your book gains access to libraries, which can seriously boost your book. US libraries spend over $3 billion annually on reading materials, and they’re also a great source of organic book reviews . If you want to get your book in libraries, we have a free course to show you how. 

Free course: How to Get Your Book into Libraries

Tap into a world of new readers by getting your book into national libraries. Get started now.

Also, if you plan to publish multiple novels and set up your own imprint , buying your own ISBNs is a good idea for administrative and professional purposes — when you’ve paid for your own number(s), you get to choose what name appears as the publisher.

Remember that obtaining an ISBN number does not mean that your copyright is automatically registered. Learn more about copyright here .

But ebooks often don’t need them

If you’re self-publishing an ebook, an ISBN isn’t strictly essential. You can upload and publish your ebook via the most popular online publishing platforms (Amazon, Apple Books , Barnes & Noble, and Kobo) without an ISBN, as all of these assign you their own identifier when you upload your book. 

ISBNs don’t improve your book’s visibility, as most readers don’t search using numerical trade codes — so don’t buy an ISBN just to boost your visibility.

There’s also the cost of ISBN numbers to consider — there are both free and paid options, which we’ll cover in the next post in this guide , but if you’re on a tight budget and only publishing ebooks, you can forego the extra cost. Just understand that it will always look more professional to get an all-encompassing ISBN than to have different serial numbers on each retail site. 

You can buy them individually or in bulk

An ISBN number costs $125 through Bowker. (Anyone offering an ISBN for more than that is trying to push you into a publishing scam .) You can also bundle your ISBN purchases and get 10 ISBNs for $295, 100 ISBNs for $575, or 1,000 ISBNs for $1,500. Needless to say, unless you’re a publisher, you’ll only need to buy 1-10 ISBNs at a time.

We’ve broken down these Bowker costs for US authors and publishers, as well as the Nielsen costs for those in the UK, in the table below:

An ISBN won’t be the most expensive item on your self-publishing shopping list , but to minimize costs, your best option is to buy a package of 10 for $295 (which works out to just under $30/ISBN). That way, you can distribute your ebook and print book with separate ISBNs, as needed, and still have a few numbers left over for the next time you publish.

FREE RESOURCE

Reedsy’s Book Launch Checklist

Launch your book successfully with our tried-and-true strategies.

On a tight budget but still want an ISBN? Learn about discounted and free ISBN options (and their drawbacks), as well as how to go about getting yourself an ISBN number in the next post in this guide .

14 responses

JANIS says:

10/05/2018 – 19:34

Very informative article!

Susan Tilghman Hawthorne says:

10/05/2018 – 20:58

I've no need of an isbn. Amazon furnishes it's own identifier, so do other platforms. When the USA provides them as most other countries do, I might consider it. Til then it's an additional (arbitrary) expense that I feel no need to incur.

↪️ A Verb replied:

08/05/2019 – 12:28

For those platforms which provide iSBNs, such as Amazon and Smashword, publishers need to understand that they cannot use those ISBNs in other marketplaces.

marieseltenrych says:

11/05/2018 – 00:06

Martin, what a great page of information for those interested in ISBNs and Barcodes. I noticed that you had Smashwords as free, however, if you register as a publisher not living in USA you must supply your own ISBNs, therefore it is a cost for some authors. I am an Australian author and indie publisher. It is helpful to purchase ISBNs in bulk to save a lot. I purchased a block of 100 ISBNs from Thorpe Bowker in Australia. Barcodes can also be costly, but you can generate your own. US authors do not realize how privileged they are in comparison to other countries, like Australia down under but not out!

Merri says:

11/05/2018 – 13:31

I bought my ISBNS through CreateSpace. My first two ISBNs they sent me to Bowker to register my imprint (Dreaming Lizard Press. This year, I dropped the Press). This year, I bought two ISBNS and they now take the money, but didn't send me to Bowker. I was wondering if my imprint is still listed or if I should re- do them to make sure Bowker has my information. Also, I re -titled my first two books, but didn't change the ISBNS on them. Should I?

↪️ Victor Soares replied:

05/07/2019 – 00:50

I am from Timor Leste (East Timor), I need information how to get ISBN for my book. I finalize my book with local language Tetun. I need your support about that issue.

Night Owl Freelance says:

01/08/2018 – 00:11

Slightly inaccurate. eBooks are not required to have an ISBN.

↪️ Reedsy replied:

01/08/2018 – 08:21

We're not saying otherwise in the post. We're saying you need an ISBN for print, not that you need an ISBN for ebook and one for print if you're going to do POD. Thanks for reading!

↪️ Night Owl Freelance replied:

01/08/2018 – 11:39

These portions are problematic: "ISBNs are fixed and non-transferable, which basically means that if you publish both a paperback and ebook version of the same book, -->you will "need" separate numbersneedonly…" Again, misleading. Authors aren't required to purchase ISBN's for eBooks at all.

01/08/2018 – 11:44

We're not talking about requirements to *purchase* ISBNs, we're talking about requirements to *have* an ISBN. Amazon is the only ebook store where you don't need to have an ISBN. If you publish on Kobo, you'll need an ISBN for your book. Now, you can get that ISBN for free on KWL or through an aggregator. If you publish your ebook in another language and want to distribute on other ebookstores than Amazon, you'll need an ISBN. I think the post makes it clear enough that authors don't need to purchase an ISBN if they're just going to publish ebooks, but you might not have read it to the end :)

01/08/2018 – 12:08

I would NOT have commented had I not read it to the end. And ACTUALLY no you don't need an ISBN for Kobo...from their site: "You will still be able to publish your book on Kobo without an ISBN and sell in over 190 countries worldwide as we will issue our own identifier number when it goes on our site." Your wording is misleading. Period. Deal with it.

H J K says:

16/09/2018 – 23:04

Great information here! One suggested correction: Image in section 'Is it the same as a barcode?" Numeral 3 in 4th position of EAN should not be there.

sundaresh says:

05/02/2020 – 13:26

Do I have to go through a publisher or a publishing house to have printed volumes with an ISBN on them, since the publisher code is part of the ISBN this would suggest so ?

↪️ Martin Cavannagh replied:

13/02/2020 – 15:20

Nope, that is not necessary. There are certain publisher codes reserved for self-publishing authors.

Comments are currently closed.

Join a community of over 1 million authors

Reedsy is more than just a blog. Become a member today to discover how we can help you publish a beautiful book.

1 million authors trust the professionals on Reedsy, come meet them.

Enter your email or get started with a social account:

Which print-on-demand service is right for you?

Find out with our 1-minute quiz.

ISBN Search

Using an ISBN is the most accurate and reliable way to search for a book. Use our search engine to find book information and the best prices for books.

Typical location of an ISBN on the back of a book.

ISBN Database

If you’re looking for a book database with comprehensive book data searchable via API, check out ISBNdb.com . Subscription starts from only $14.95 per 5,000 daily calls.

• Current and Past Board Members
• Management Team
• Divisions and Departments
• History of NALIS
• National Library of Trinidad and Tobago
• Annual Reports and Publications
• Scholarships
• Freedom of Information
• NALIS Regulations
• Join the Library
• OpenAthens Registration
• Online Registration
• Facilities Rental
• ISBN Agency
• Corporate Alliances
• Employee Services
• Adult Services
• Children's Services
• Young Adult Services
• Senior Citizen Services
• Services to the Differently Abled
• Ongoing Activities
• First Time Authors
• Latin Nights
• One Book One Community
• External Resources
• Exhibitions and Photo Galleries
• Subject Guide
• Video Resources
• Educational Libraries
• COVID-19 in Trinidad and Tobago
• Preservation and Conservation (PAC) Laboratory
• Mobile Library
• Find A Public Library
• Libraries in Institutions
• Special Libraries
• Awards and Recognition
• Newsletters
• Press Releases

DNNGo.LayerGallery

BUSINESS SERVICES

The National Library of Trinidad Tobago offers a number of breathtaking spaces for seminars, lectures, meetings and much more. 

USER SERVICES

Through a network of public and mobile libraries, NALIS provides information services to meet the information seeking needs of all persons.

EMPLOYEE SERVICES

As a socially responsible organization, NALIS is pursuing an environmentally friendly strategy with regards to all future communication. As a result, an Intranet was developed to function as a document center in the initial phases for internal and external communications. 

About  Hillcrestt Publishing

We provide ebook and paperback publishing services to help you get your ideas from thought to a finished end product.

Services include  formatting,  editing, c over design, printing and ebook publishing.

Click here to join our family of authors .

Our mission is to promote positive content that would be beneficial for the holistic development of our readers.

Our books are carefully written, curated and published with our readers in mind.

Check out our latest publications

by Janice Celestine

by Nyo Designs

by Martin A. Lee

by Ajamu Kibwe

by Elijah Williams

Our Categories

Pick Your Preference

Librarian Manual: ISBN-10, ISBN-13 and ASINS

Oct 11, 2022 • knowledge, information.

ISBN-10 and ISBN-13 ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a 10- or 13-digit number that works as a unique identity number for a book. The ISBN can usually be found in several places on a book: on the back cover by the barcode, inside the front cover, and on the copyright page.

When editing book data, it is almost never necessary to alter the ISBN . If there is an error in the listed ISBN, the incorrect ISBN can be merged to the correct ISBN book record. If a newer edition has been published with an updated cover, you can move the ISBN or ASIN to the latest edition using the Add an Alternate Cover Edition tool, as ASIN/ISBNs should be listed with a book’s most recent edition. If you are unsure, you can post to the Goodreads Librarians Group for assistance.

This field will mostly be used when manually adding a new edition to the Goodreads database. When doing this, enter the exact ISBN into the appropriate 10 or 13 digit field on the book edit page. Please be sure that the 10-digit ISBN is added to the ISBN field and the 13-digit ISBN is added to the ISBN13 field. It is best if you can list both the 10 and 13-digit numbers, as it will aid in future searches for the book. If only one is listed on the book itself, you can use the ISBN Converter here to retrieve whichever ISBN is missing.

If, when you save your changes to the book, a message appears telling you that the ISBN you entered is already in the Goodreads database, there could be several causes. First, search for the ISBN/ASIN in the search field. If the correct edition already exists on Goodreads, you can simply close the page with the edition you were trying to add then add the existing book to your Goodreads bookshelves.

Second, if the ISBN/ASIN is attached to the correct book but the book status has been set to "Invalid" or "Deleted", refer to the Librarian Manual: Book Status System (“Public”, “Invalid”, “Deleted”) article for more information about valid book records.

Finally, if the books do not match, it's usually one of two issues. First, if it is the same book but with a different cover, then it is likely the ISBN was reused for a later/earlier reprinting. If that is the case, it is accepted procedure to create a new edition with your cover art. However, since an ISBN can only be used once in the database, leave the ISBN fields on this edition blank unless it is the most recently published version of the book. If this is the case, you can move the ISBN or ASIN using the Add an Alternate Cover Edition tool, but please confirm it is the most recently published edition by checking Amazon or the publisher’s site. In the Description field of the older edition, list the ISBN and state that it is a previously published edition. You can also use the Librarian Note feature found near the top of the book edit page to add a note to the book (this helps prevent the book from being accidentally updated to "Deleted" status by a librarian who thinks it is a duplicate edition). Please do not use the edition field to record information about alternate cover editions.

Here is an example of an alternate cover edition of a book: LINK

In the other case of duplicate ISBNs, it may be that an ISBN was reused on a completely different book. This shouldn't happen because ISBNs are supposed to be unique, but exceptions have been found. If that is the case, Superlibrarians  have access to the Add a Duplicate ISBN Edition tool, which should be used on the book page of the existing book which shared the ISBN or ASIN. Superlibrarian assistance can be requested by posting in this special folder in the Goodreads Librarians Group .

The Add a Duplicate ISBN Edition tool will create a new book edition, and move the ISBN/ASIN to the newly created edition in the database. The tool will set the ISBN blank for the existing edition in the ISBN field. The tool will set the title, author, and description to "Placeholder", to be updated by the Superlibrarian moving the ISBN/ASIN. The tool will also automatically add the relevant  Librarian Note  to the book edit page, adding a note to the book to link the duplicate book editions (this helps prevent the book from being accidentally deleted by a librarian who thinks it is a duplicate edition). The new edition will be automatically associated with a new work.

      Here is an example of a book where an ISBN was reused on a completely different book: LINK  

It is important never to alter an ISBN simply to get a book to save (if getting an ISBN error when trying to save). ISBNs are specific numbers associated with specific books. Changing those numbers can make identifying the book difficult and cause problems for the Goodreads database. So always enter the correct ISBN. If there is a problem with the ISBN already being used, see the above sections for other methods of adding a book when there is an ISBN conflict, or post a message in the Goodreads Librarians Group asking for help.

PLEASE NOTE: Whenever manually adding a new edition to the Goodreads database, it is important to fill in as much information as possible. This will help not only other users who may want to add that specific edition to their bookshelves, but it will also help ensure that another librarian does not delete it thinking it is an invalid entry.

ALSO NOTE: ISBNs were not used until 1966 and did not become widely used until the early-to-mid 70's, so books published before or around that time do not have an ISBN – though it is possible for a pre-ISBN book to become associated with an ISBN due to an ISBN being added when/if another printing of the edition occurred after the initiation of ISBNs. Pre-ISBN books can be added to Goodreads by manually adding a new edition , leaving the ISBN field blank and adding a note to the description stating it is a pre-ISBN book.

On Goodreads, ASINs are assigned to all books that appear in the database. To add an ASIN if not present, click on the blank ASIN  field and enter the exact ASIN if known from the matching book on Amazon.

For physical books, in many cases the ASIN and the ISBN10 will be the same. For physical books with an ISBN13 beginning with 979 (which was introduced in early 2020), the ASIN will differ from the ISBN10 (as they have no ISBN10 equivalency).

The ASIN for an Audible edition may be found on either Amazon or Audible, but the ASIN field cannot be changed on an existing edition (unless you are moving an identical ASIN from an older edition to a more recently published edition of the same book). If the ASIN for one or the other editions is missing, please follow instructions here for manually adding a new edition .

Trending Articles by Topic

• Goodreads will no longer support signing in with Facebook
• I can't access my account
• How do I add a book to the Goodreads database?
• How do I import or export my books?
• How do I read books on Goodreads?

Office of the Prime Minister - Communications

Search form

• Archivist's Welcome
• Mission/Vision
• NATT Brochure
• Records Management
• Conservation
• Using The Collection
• Historical Gems
• Exhibitions
• Independence
• A Preliminary Guide to the National Archives’ Audiovisual Collection
• Introductory Guide: Tracing Your Ancestral Roots
• List of Trinidad General Registers of Indian Indentureship 1845-1917
• Guide to the Merikin Collection

You are here

Originally called Almanacs, yearbooks contain a variety of information from official records and reliable sources. All include a general index followed by calendar information. There is historical information on the island, names of Government officers, Military establishment, Churches; Board and Committees; Clubs; Societies; Colleges and Schools; Regulations, Railway and Steamship timetables and fares. There are lists of estates (sugar, cocoa, coconut) including location, names of owners; a record of local events for the year in month order; obituaries and local advertisements. Historical information on Municipalities, Boroughs, Town Councils, past Mayors, names of fruits and vegetables in season are recorded. In 1911 there was a special issue for the coronation of the Queen. The hundred year issue, 1965-1966 included a centenary supplement. Yearbooks of 1926 to 1941 include a section on Barbados. The following individuals compiled the yearbooks for the following years: 1882;1893-1907;1909-1915: Lt. James Henry Collins 1886: Robert J. Lechmere Guppy. 1891: The Creole Almanac for Trinidad and Tobago by L.O. Inniss 1908; 1914. These editions were titled “The Mirror Almanac and General Commercial Directory” compiled by the Mole Brothers. 1915-1944: C.B. Franklin 1945-1969: H. Dow Yearbooks were also called “Franklin’s Yearbooks”. Publication ended in 1969 with the 102nd issue.