A good run-down of the options, tricks, etc. is at: https://janefriedman.com/get-book-distributed-self-published-authors-need-know/ (Remember, the world of SP changes fast, so this is good information NOW - February 2017. It won't be good forever!) And note that the information about ISBNs is US-centric. The situation may be different depending on where you live.
============ ISBNs are very international. And amazon uses them if your book has one. The problem with distribution is returns. Sales are good, but consignment is a loser for self publishers. Dan Poynter , who I trust far more than Friedman, said bookstores are a lousy place to sell books. Self publishers really need to look at other channels if they want to make money. At least until they have a mega best seller.
I used CreateSpace.com which is partnered with Amazon, so I was distributed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble's, and a good two dozen smaller, lesser-known online outlets. Distribution requires an ISBN, which can be purchased.
In the US the ISBNs need to be purchased - different systems elsewhere. Do you sell a lot of print copies?
I thought that if you were mostly distributing via create space and amazon you could get a 'free' * isbn via create space - you only had to pay if you wanted to distribute outside of the amazon market structure (*which of course isn't really free - create space recoup any cost to them through their standard pricing structure whilst also tying you into their product arena... there's no such thing as a free lunch )
Yeah, sorry, if you're just going through the Amazon companies they can supply the ISBNs, but then they show up as the publishers. Not sure if this makes any difference or not, but since ISBNs are free for me, I use my own. If you're in the US you'd have to sort through the pros and cons.
I think we have to buy them in the uk - although looking at neilsen (who do the british sales) theres some weird pricing , one for £89, ten for £149, 100 for £349, 1000 for £949 - that's some bulk discount, i'd be inclined to buy ten even if i were only publishing one book, as i'd be bound to publish another sooner or later.
We do, and I suspect they're priced that way for exactly that reason. I remember my 'you've got to be fucking kidding me' face getting quite a workout when I was looking into it. I ended up just going with the Createspace one in the end.
Is it possible to sell them on ? Could I for example buy 100 then offer them for sale at £5 each - clearing a little bit for my time in the process ?
================= You get to borrow their ISBN 'free'. Actually they get bulk discounts but it is built in the price you pay for the package. The owner of the ISBN is THE publisher. If you use a free one you got vanity published. If you own your own ISBN then you are the publisher.
========= Yes but you are the publisher if you do that and would be responsible for distributing the books when orders came to you.
=========== The owner of the ISBN is THE publisher. Get it free and you got vanity published. Buy your own and you are the publisher.
The books would be distributed via create space / ingram spark PoD services ... no one in their right mind does big print runs anymore when they are initially self publishing
you can only get them free if you are actually based in canada - so far you are 0 for 3 on the advice stakes in this thread - when in a hole its wise to stop digging they are free in India as well btw but again you need to be based there
============ You are a real peach. Thanks for sharing. The only one with a hole is you. I am not zero for anything. You merely can not interpret what was said logically. If you are in Canada you get them for free. Which is what I said. Go to Canada if you want freebies.
========== You have no idea how ISBN works. If you are the publisher you must distribute books for anybody you sold an ISBN to. Whether you can do that with a service is not clear especially if they printed their books with your ISBN instead of you handling production. Else you have to go to the time and expense of producing them for a pittance you charged for the ISBN. Now if you open a vanity press and charge a bundle then you could make money selling ISBNs but you would make a lot more by charging the usual vanity press fees. You need to learn how to think logically and how to connect one dot before you try two of them.
Wrong again this is from the create space website You can purchase your own ISBN from Bowker or through your local ISBN agency. If you are reprinting your book, the title, author name, and binding type must remain the same. A new edition requires a new ISBN. Your book's imprint must match what's on file with your ISBN. You can sell your book through Amazon.com, Amazon's European websites, an eStore, and some† Expanded Distribution channels https://www.createspace.com/Products/Book/ISBNs.jsp Its pretty clear you have no idea how PoD works (not least because you keep saying create space is a vanity publishing option which it isnt) - you'll also note I asked if ISBNs could be sold on, i didnt say they definitely could... though i was hoping for an answer from someone who knows what they are talking about I think its likely that Create space have a better idea of how the process works than either of us... and they clearly state that you can provide them with your own isbn
If you live in canada you can get them for free (its not clear whether you have to be a Canadian citizen) ... you can't simply go there from another country to get your ISBN - so if you live anywhere other than Canada your advice is, as usual, rubbish. Unless you really think anyone is going to go through the cost of emigrating to canada to save the £89 /$99 it costs to buy an ISBN My problem with you is that you keep giving incredibly bad advice, as though you are some kind of authority, when your lack of credible credentials has already been established. it doesn't bother me per se, because I know enough to just laugh, but it worries me that a newbie might read your posts and think they are somehow accurate
==== You really are so silly. I never said it would be worth it to you. Canada is close enough for me. We have friends there. We could jointly publish. I could set up my business in Canada. All I did was note that there were places that were free. What you do with that information is up to you. But don't get bent out of shape because I posted a true factoid.
You would still be identified as the publisher - the first set of numbers is a unique identifier to the publisher. I bought 10, and have used 2. I am about to use another for my partner's book, but I will be recognised as the publisher by using one of my numbers. I recently attended a conference on self-publishing and we had a talk by a guy from Nielsen about ISBNs.
