For the longest time, Amazon was all a self-published author really needed. Upload your book, let them assign you an ISBN, and boom—you're published. Simple. Easy. Almost too easy. But now that I'm stepping outside the walled garden and going wide, I'm running into an annoying little truth: that Amazon-assigned ISBN? Useless everywhere else. It’s like trying to travel the world with H-E-Buddy Bucks. They tried to lock me in, sure, but I’ve got the bolt cutters out. It’s time to take control of my publishing destiny. So let’s talk about the cost of freedom—literally.

Current Prices (at Bowker)

Before getting too far into this, consider whether you're financially (and emotionally) ready to drop the kind of coin required to purchase ISBNs. They get more affordable the more you buy, but still...

• 1 ISBN - $125
• 10 ISBNs - $295
• 100 ISBNs - $575
• 1,000 ISBNs - $1,500

If those numbers don't scare you away, be sure to check out the FAQ on Bowker.com.

Buy ISBNs

ISBNs help books get discovered! An ISBN ensures your book’s information will be stored in the Books in Print database which is consulted by publishers, retailers and libraries around the world. The ISBN is a unique identifier for a book or other book-like product (such as an audiobook) that specifies its format, edition, and publisher. Why should I buy an ISBN?

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Some highlights:

• Most retailers require ISBNs
• An ISBN ensures your book’s information will be stored in the Books In Print database
• You will need one ISBN for each edition and format of your book (hardback, paperback, ePub, PDF, Mobi, Audio…).

How Many Should I Buy?

Well, how many books do you have and what formats will you be publishing them in? I publish in paperback and ebook, but I'd love to add audiobooks in the future.

📚 8 Novels

Each format (print, ebook, audiobook) needs its own unique ISBN.

✨ 2 Short Stories (Ebook Only)

Ebooks still need ISBNs if you want to use your own (many platforms like Amazon don’t require it, but going wide does).

📦 Total ISBNs Needed: 26

I'll need 26 ISBNs, so buying the 100 ISBN package for $575 is the most economical... which sounds logical to my brain but horrifying to my bank account.

And don't forget barcodes... that's another $25 per print edition. 🙄

What's Your Imprint, Baby?

Turns out, if you want to look like a real publisher, you kinda have to be one. That means creating your own imprint—a fancy term for “the name you publish under.” It shows up everywhere: on your book’s copyright page, in retailer listings, even in metadata that libraries and bookstores see. And if you don’t pick one, Bowker just slaps your name in there like, “Published by You, Probably.” So yeah, it’s worth taking a minute to come up with something cool. Think: band name or cipher den vibes. Make it unique, easy to remember, and ideally not already in use by an actual company. And of course, check if the .com is available, because of course you’re building an international media company now.

Hold Your Nose

I can't believe I paid $575 for numbers. Numbers, Jerry!

But you know what? YOU are worth it.

Also, I'm going to need you to buy a lot more books.

Or don't.

I'm going to write them anyway.