1. Aceldama

    Aceldama free servant Contributor

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    ISBN

    Discussion in 'Self-Publishing' started by Aceldama, Nov 1, 2022.

    Im in the process of self publishing a poetry collection and I'm at the part where you get an ISBN. I was wondering on the difference between the free ISBN and the ISBN that cost $85.00.
     
  2. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    If you get it free the isbn won't be in your name and you won't be the publisher of record... that only really matters if you are going to try to get it into bricks and mortar stores...if you are just selling on amazon etc no one will care.

    If you do want it in your name, if you are intending multiple future books it makes sense to buy10 or 100 at the same time as the unit price is a lot less

    note that you can only buy a legitimate isbn from your contries dedicated seller (bowker in the US, Neilsen in the Uk) if you buy one from a reseller it again won't be in your name
     
  3. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    It also matters if you are going to publish a print-on-demand book through multiple outlets -- such as Amazon KDP, Barnes & Noble Press, and Draft2Digital (which is now also doing print). If you take their free ISBNs, you'll have the same book out through three different publishers. If you use your own ISBN, you are the publisher and you just have multiple fulfillment centers printing the same book.
     
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  4. big soft moose

    big soft moose An Admoostrator Admin Staff Supporter Contributor Community Volunteer

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    I don't see any point at all in using D2D for print if you also use amazon and barnes and noble to be honest, unless you intend to get into bricks and mortar stores through catalogues like gardiners

    no one really cares all that much if you have three publishers printing the same book for discrete markets
     
  5. SapereAude

    SapereAude Contributor Contributor

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    I do POD books through Amazon because that's likely to be the major seller. I throw Barnes & Noble Press into the mix because (a) that makes it possible (in theory) for someone who doesn't want to buy through Amazon to walk into any Barnes & Noble store and order the book; and (b) libraries may buy from Barnes & Noble but are unlikely to buy from Amazon. (At least, according to the director of my local public library.)

    Draft2Digital may get you access to some other markets, but the first POD book I tried to do through Draft2Digital turned out to be a bust. It turns out that for e-books D2D allows the author to exclude certain markets/vendors (i.e. Amazon and B&N), but they don't allow that for POD. As a consequence, I use D@D for e-books in addition to Amazon KDP and B&N, but I don't use D@D for print.
     

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