How To Get An ISBN For My Book in Canada and USA

How To Get An ISBN For My Book in Canada and USA

Knowing how to get an ISBN for your book as a self-published author is vital. You cannot publish a book without an ISBN. In this article I will walk you through the exact steps on how to get an ISBN for Canadian authors and for American authors. 

The Ultimate Guide to Getting ISBNs for Self-Published Authors

First, I would like to give you a bit of a warning – this article is long. To navigate this article, feel free to skip to one of the listed sections. 

In this article we will cover the following information about Hhow to get an isbn for your book:

1. What are ISBNs for my book?
2. How do I read an ISBN? 
3. What is an ISBN used for?
4. How much does an ISBN cost?
5. What is the purpose of an ISBN?
6. Where is the ISBN located on books?
7. Do ISBNs expire?
8. How do I find a book’s ISBN?
9. What is the difference between Amazon’s ASIN and an ISBN?
10. How do I buy an ISBN?
11. How do I get an ISBN if I am Canadian?
12. How do I get an ISBN if I am American? 

What Are ISBNs For My Book?

ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number. Every ISBN consists of 13 digits. The digits are preceded by the letters ISBN for printed books. The 13-digit number is divided into 5 parts of variable length, each part separated by a hyphen.

How Do I Read an ISBN? 

The five parts of a 13-digit ISBN are as follows:

1. EAN prefix: the three digit prefix at the beginning (either 978 or 979)
2. Registration group: refers to the country, geographic location, or language of the book 
3. Registrant: identifies the particular publisher or imprint of the book 
4. Publication element: refers to the specific publication (i.e., book title) by the publisher
5. Check digit: the final digit on an ISBN that validates the ISBN

So, that sounded confusing right? Below is a photo to help you better understand the 5 parts of an ISBN. 

What Is an ISBN Used for?

An ISBN’s purpose is to give your book a universal ID. The ISBN is what makes it easy for bookstores, libraries, readers, publishers, or anybody else to find or refer to your book. Basically, without an ISBN, businesses and people can’t find your book. 

How Much Does an ISBN Cost?

In Canada, ISBNs are free. In the United States, however, ISBNs cost about $125 each if you are only purchasing one at a time. However, if Americans purchase ISBNs in bulk, the cost per ISBN cost can be lowered.

Here are a few tips to follow when looking to buy an ISBN:

• If you publish physical copies through IngramSpark, you can get your ISBN for only $85
• If you plan to publish more than one book, then buying your ISBNs in bulk can save you money 
• Amazon issues you an ISBN for “free,” but you have to list Amazon as a publisher along with other limitations
• Australians pay about $40 for an ISBN
• UK residents pay around £89 for an ISBN

Here is what Americans should expect to pay for ISBNs based on the number they order:

1 ISBN:$125

10 ISBNs: $295

100 ISBNs: $575

What Is the Purpose of an ISBN For Your Book?

ISBNs were created to organize, catalog, order, organize, and locate specific books. Today, to get your book into a bookstore, on Amazon, into a library, or into any book distribution channel, you need an ISBN. ISBNs are used to organize books. 

Where Is the ISBN Located on Books?

The ISBN is usually found above the barcode on the back of a book. However, an ISBN and a barcode are very different.  When you purchase an ISBN you will not automatically get a barcode. This is because a barcode for your book can change, whereas the ISBN for your book will remain the same. A barcode includes extra information about a book, such as its fixed price and the currency it is sold in. Barcodes are needed if you want to sell print copies of a book as they allow retailers and distributors to scan your ISBN for inventory reasons.

Do ISBNs Expire for Books?

No need to worry – ISBNs do not expire, no matter how old they are, even if you have one of the super old ISBNs that only have 10 digits. Older ISBNs can easily be converted to the 13-digit format with a tool from Bowker. 

How Do I Find a Book’s ISBN?

If you want to look up the ISBN of any book, you can do so easily by visiting ISBNSearch.org. Once on ISBN Search, you will be asked to type in the ISBN, author name, or book title. After hitting “search,” you will have a list of books matching your searched items. Once you have your own ISBN you will also be able to find your own book on ISBN Search, as well. 

What Is the Difference Between Amazon’s ASIN and an ISBN?

ASINs are used by Amazon to manage and identify all of the products they sell on their site, including books. If you plan on selling your book on Amazon you will get an ASIN. An ASIN is a 10-character alphanumeric unique identifier. ASINs do not replace ISBNs, as you can only use ASINs with Amazon. If you want to sell through other platforms or stores, you will need an ISBN.

If you already have a book published on Amazon, you can find your ASIN under Product Details. 

How Do I Buy an ISBN For My Book?

Buying an ISBN for self-published authors is different in each country. If you are American you will need to pay for your ISBN through My Identifiers. My Identifiers is run by Bowker, the only company that is authorized to administer the ISBN program in the United States. American authors can purchase their ISBNs as a single unit or in bulk orders of 10, 100, or 1000. On-demand or self-publishing companies, like Draft2Digital, Smashwords, IngramSpark, and even Lulu also offer authors easy ways to purchase ISBNs. But remember, each of these companies still go through My Identifiers. If you are in the UK, you can buy ISBNs from Nielsen and if you are Canadian you can get them for free. 

How Do I Get an ISBN If I Am Canadian?

One of the many great things about being Canadian is that you get free ISBNs for your book! Yes, you heard that right – if you are a Canadian author you don’t need to pay for an ISBN. Plus, getting an ISBN in Canada is not complicated at all and can take just a few short minutes. 

Here is a step by step process on how to get your ISBN if you are Canadian:

1. Create a free ISBN Canada account here. You will enter your name, address, and information about your publishing company. You can put your own name as the publishing company as you do not need to publish under a separate entity and can operate under your personal name. Confirmation of your account will take 1-10 business days.
2. Library and Archives Canada will then send you a confirmation email saying that they have created your account. This email will contain your username and password. Make sure you save your login information.
3. Now that your Library and Archives Canada account is active, you can start requesting ISBNs. Go to ISBN Canada and choose “login.” Once you are logged in, you will see a menu on the left hand side of the screen. Choose the “manage logbook” option. This will take you to a new screen where you will see your ISBNs listed once you have created them. To create an ISBN, choose “assign new ISBN” just under where it says “manage logbook.” After you click “assign new ISBN” you will be taken to a screen where you can enter the information about your book. Here you can also choose to be emailed a copy of the ISBN. The ISBN will be assigned immediately and you can start using it right away.
4. You need a separate ISBN for each rendition of your book. This means you need separate ISBNs for your paperback and ebook copies. ISBNs cannot be reused once they are assigned, which protects each version of a book from copyright violations.
5. Using IngramSpark’s book cover template generator, you’ll get a cover template via email with a barcode on it that we can send to the designer.

How Do I Get an ISBN if I Am American?

Now that you have a comprehensive understanding of what ISBNs are and why you need them, it is time to buy your own ISBN for your book. I suggest purchasing your ISBN directly through My Identifiers, this way you are the publisher and own the ISBN yourself. 

Here is a step by step process on how to buy your ISBN if you are American:

1. Go to the website https://www.myidentifiers.com/identify-protect-your-book/isbn/buy-isbn
2. Under the ISBN drop down tab, click on the “ISBNs—Buy Here” button.
3. On the next page you will be asked how many ISBNs you want to purchase. You can select 1, 10, or 100. 
4. If you are looking to buy ISBNs in a larger bulk, go to “Buying ISBNs in Bulk” and you can contact Bowker directly to discuss your options.
5. Once you have purchased your ISBN and it is assigned, you can use it immediately.
6. Once your book is published, make sure to go and register your ISBN through Bowker.

Registering Your ISBN

Once you purchase your ISBN and publish your book it is important to register your ISBN at Bowkerlink. Bowkerlink is an automated tool that will add your book to Bowker’s Books In Print and Global Books In Print.

How Many ISBN Numbers Should I Get?

Most authors find the number of ISBNs they need to be confusing. So let’s clarify some of the common misconceptions around this area:

• You only need an ISBN once. An ISBN is a unique number for a particular book, and can be assigned only once to a title. It can’t be used with any other future book or second editions of the same book.
• New ISBNs are not needed to sell books in every individual country. ISBNs are not local, they are international. For example, a self-published author can purchase their ISBNs in Canada, but sell their book worldwide using that same ISBN. 
• An ISBN is needed for every specific format of the book. Each version of your book – print, ebook and audiobook – needs its own ISBN. 
• Each book in a series needs its own ISBN. If you create a series of books you can’t use the same ISBN for each one of them.

Conclusion to How To Get An ISBN For My Book in Canada and USA

Now that you know how to get an ISBN for your book, you are ready to start selling! ISBNs seem incredibly complicated at first, but the more you use them, the better you’ll remember the process for getting an ISBN as well as how to properly read an ISBN and understand its purpose. I recommend saving this article for future reference and flipping through the sections as you need them.