ISBN Number and Bar Code

You will need an ISBN number and bar code if you plan to sell your books through a bookstore or Amazon.com, etc. EAN is another name for the ISBN bar code.

We are a designated agent of Bowker, the US ISBN agency. In this capacity, we can obtain an individual official ISBN number for our customers quickly (normally in one business day) and inexpensively ($75). When we submit your application, Bowker will issue the ISBN number in your name.

We will also make the bar code free for our customers from your official ISBN number.

Beware of companies that offer to sell a low cost ISBN or ISBN with a bar code. Under the terms and conditions for the ISBNs, such a company must retain some rights in your book.

This is something of a revolution from the former situation in which you needed to sign up for 10 ISBN numbers, pay a lot more, and wait a lot longer. It is also to your advantage to obtain your individual ISBN number through us instead of applying directly to Bowker; their fee is higher ($125).

Why Do I Need An ISBN Number?

The ISBN number provides a standard way to identify your book, especially for bookstores and libraries. You will need an ISBN number and bar code if you want to sell your book in any kind of bookstore, either bricks and mortar or on the internet.

The ISBN number ties into a catalog of all (registered) books in print. This catalog lists the publisher, access and purchasing information, and descriptive data about each book.

As a grammatical comment, "ISBN number" is redundant; "ISBN" means "International Standard Book Number", so "ISBN number" is "International Standard Book Number number". But it's common to say number anyway.

For more information on ISBN's and how they work please visit BowlerLink by clicking here.