Frequently Asked Questions About the ISBN System

Q: Why should I use an ISBN?

A: If you are a publisher or bookseller it may be in your own interest as you want to sell books. If your books cannot be ordered and distributed by ISBN and if they are not listed in Books in Print you may find that your books do not sell: People will assume your books do not exist, and even if they do know they exist they may consider it too much of a bother to handle them in a traditional fashion.


Q: Do I have to have an ISBN?

A: From the side of the international ISBN system there is no legal requirement to have an ISBN, and it conveys no legal or copyright protection. In a number of countries though the use of ISBN is prescribed by law.


Q: Do books need an ISBN if they are not going to be sold?

A: It is desirable that all books are identified by ISBNs.


Q: Does a price change require a new ISBN?

A: No.


Q: Does a change of format require a new ISBN?

A: Yes, different formats need different ISBNs.


Q: I am publishing a book in a foreign language. Should it have an ISBN of the country in whose language the book is written?

A: No. It is the country where the publisher is based which determines the group identifier, and not the language of the text.


Q: I am revising a book. Does it require a new ISBN?

A: A (substantial) change of text requires a new ISBN, and if revisions have been made of the title page on its reverse it should state that the book is a revised edition, and the new ISBN should be printed there.


Q: Does a reprint without change of text, or binding require a new ISBN?

A: No. The original number must be retained, provided the publisher remains the same.


Q: I would like to issue a new ISBN for marketing reasons. Is this permissible?

A: No. There is no change of text, format or binding which would justify a new ISBN.


Q: I am reprinting a book with a price change. Is a new ISBN required?

A: No. A price change does not require a new ISBN.


Q: I am publishing a book with another publisher. Whose ISBN should appear on the book?

A: In the case of a joint publication, both publishers are entitled to have an ISBN on the book. It should be made clear which number identifies which publisher. However, if only one publisher is to hold stock and distribute the publication, then it is recommended that the ISBN of the publisher who is responsible for distribution appears in bar-coded form on the back cover of the book.


Q: Is it possible to reassign ISBNs when the books to which they were allocated are out of print?

A: No. An ISBN identifies a given title, and its edition and binding for all time. Even if out of print, it will still exist in some shops, and will certainly still exist in libraries.


Q: How are ISBNs allocated to multi-format/multi-volume works?

A: An ISBN must be allocated to the whole set of volumes of a multi-volume work; also, if the individual volumes of the set are sold separately, each volume must have its own ISBN. Even when each volume is not sold separately, the allocation of an ISBN to each volume is advisable. It facilitates the handling of returns (damaged volumes), and eliminates the possibility of confusion over specific publications. Each volume should list all ISBNs.

Similar rules apply to kits (e.g. a CD-ROM with accompanying booklet). If any part is available separately, a separate ISBN must be allocated to each part, and to the kit as a whole.


Q: I am publishing a series of titles. Do I need an ISBN or an ISSN?

A: The series should receive an ISSN while the individual items receive ISBNs.


Q: Do I need a new ISBN when I am reprinting a book with a new title?

A: Yes, a new title requires a new ISBN.


Q: I am taking over another firm, which already has an ISBN prefix. All future books will be published under my name. Can I re-number all the other firm's titles?

A: Not until reprinted under your own imprint, carrying your own name.


Q: I am not a publisher, can I still obtain an ISBN?

A: Yes. For our purposes, a publisher is the group, organisation, company or individual who is responsible for originating the production of a publication. Normally, it is also the person or body who bears the cost/financial risk in making a product available. It is not normally the printer.

Please remember that in a number of countries there is detailed legislation regarding publishing.


Q: In our country the book-trade works mostly without computers. Do I nevertheless need ISBNs?

A: You do not have to have computers to make use of ISBN. The ISBN saves you and other people the bother of copying bibliographic records. Also if you want to export your books, without ISBN they will not have a chance of being listed in Books in Print.


Q: Our country still lacks an efficient infrastructure in the book-sector.

A: Then ISBN is an ideal means of building the infrastructure and of catching up with other countries!


Q: I sell books but also stationary, toys, and many other items. As the ISBN only identifies books, what can I do about the rest?

A: This material can be numbered by other numbering systems, like, e.g., EAN article numbers. Modern scanning equipment reads and processes the different kinds of bar-coded numbers.


Q: The EAN organisation asked me to become a member. Is this mandatory?

A: If you only want to use the ISBN in bar-coded form, you do not have to become a member. But as EAN and UCC provide other trade-related services, like electronic address numbers (location codes), EDI (electronic data interchange) formats etc., you may want to become a member. Check with your EAN organisation for information on their services.


Q: What happens if I have used all the numbers under my identifier?

A: An additional identifier can be assigned – allowing for a larger output if necessary. This is an additional identifier, and not a replacement.


Q: I have a homepage on the Internet. Does it require an ISBN?

A: No. Publications which are intended by the publisher to be regularly updated or continued indefinitely (such as journals, magazines, newspapers, updating loose-leafs, updating websites) shall not receive an ISBN. Such publications are covered, however, by DOI and/or URN and possibly ISSN.


Q: Do different formats of an electronic publication (e.g. PDF, HTML) need separate ISBNs?

A: Different formats of an electronic publication are regarded as different editions and therefore need different ISBNs.


Q: Do print on demand publications get an ISBN?

A: Yes, of course.


Q: Do customised print on demand publications get an ISBN?

A: No. Publications that are available only on a limited basis, such as customised print on demand publications with content specially tailored to a user's request shall not be assigned an ISBN.


Q: Does the International ISBN Agency determine the cost of ISBNs? Is the cost of ISBNs the same everywhere?

A: The International ISBN Agency does not influence or determine the cost of ISBNs since it is not directly responsible for their allocation beyond a group/national agency level. Hence this task falls to the group/national agencies and due to varying economical factors the cost of ISBNs is different for each agency. The price for ISBN should be fairly adapted in accordance to the living standard.


Q: What if I only want one ISBN?

A: In most countries ISBNs are available as single numbers (for author publishers). There are some exceptions though where the ISBNs can only be obtained in blocks. Please refer to the national ISBN agency which is responsible for you.


Q: My country does not have an ISBN agency responsible for it, what should I do?

A: In order to obtain an ISBN you will have to contact e.g. the UK or the US ISBN agencies and obtain a list of international distributors who will then deal with the marketing and distribution of your book in the country that you desire. We also recommend that you contact the ministry of culture or any associations responsible for or with large influence on the book-trade to inform them of the desire for the implementation of the ISBN system in your country.


Q: Will people in other countries be able to search for my books in search engines in those countries? If not, then how can I make this possible?

A: No. In order to make this possible you will have to contact the respective ISBN agency and ask them for details of how to be entered into their national catalogue for books in circulation (books in print). Sometimes you will have to obtain a distributor from that country or have an address in that country before this is possible. In some circumstances the book will also have to be in the language of that country.