Choosing Your ISBN Approach

First, What is an ISBN?

An ISBN (International Standard Book Number) is the unique identifier assigned to your book.

It’s what tells retailers, distributors, and systems exactly which book is yours — including its format, publisher, and edition.

Every version of your book — paperback, hardcover, or ebook — uses its own ISBN.

The ISBN also determines who is listed as the publisher of your book, which is where your decision comes in.

Why You're Making This Choice

Because the ISBN determines who is listed as the publisher of your book, you’ll need to decide how you want your book to be identified before moving forward.

If you use Amazon’s free ISBN, Amazon is listed as the publisher of your book.

If you purchase your own ISBN, you (or your imprint) are listed as the publisher.

This affects how your book is presented, who controls its publishing identity, and how flexible your options are later.

For many authors, using Amazon’s ISBN is a simple and effective choice.
For others, owning their ISBN is important for long-term control.

That’s why you’re making this decision before moving forward — everything else in print publishing builds on this choice.

Amazon ISBN

Option 1 — Use Amazon’s Free ISBN

Amazon provides a free ISBN when you publish your book through their platform.

What this means

Amazon is listed as the publisher
no upfront cost
quick and simple to use

When this works well

you want the fastest path to publishing
you’re not concerned about publisher branding
you plan to publish primarily through Amazon

Continue directly to print formatting and design.

Bowker ISBN

Option 2 — Purchase Your Own ISBN (Bowker)

You can purchase your own ISBN, which allows you to list yourself or your imprint as the publisher.