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Book ISBN Numbers

Learn everything you need to know about what an ISBN is and why you need it.



What is an ISBN?  
Every book sold via wholesale distributed sales channels must have an International Standard Book Number (ISBN)—it's like a social security number, used around the world to identify your book.

Every book that is published in physical format (paperback/hardback) needs an ISBN to enable distribution to retailers, bookstores and libraries.
Where is your ISBN used?
Your book's ISBN is placed on the copyright page inside your book and on the back cover in your book's scannable barcode.  

Your ISBN will also be submitted along with your book's other meta data to appear in every wholesale and retail listing and it will appear in your Books-in-Print Listing.

Once your book has an ISBN, it's ready to sell.

 A book's ISBN is placed on the copyright page and on the back cover of the book, usually above the scannable barcode.
Outskirts Press ISBNs
All Outskirts Press publishing packages include a unique ISBN number for your each physical format of your book—that means, if you elect to have an optional hardback publication, in addition to your paperback, you will get two ISBNs, one for each edition of your book.

Most digital editions of your book (Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble NOOK, Apple Books, Google Play, and Audiobooks) don't require their own ISBN.

If you publish your book with Outskirts Press, but you want to use your own publisher name (aka imprint).  We can, as a designated agent of Bowker (the largest US ISBN agency), request single ISBNs in your publisher name—all you need to do is select our Private Label ISBN and Unique ISBN services.

Post-Publication Revisions
Once your book is published, you may elect to make some minor revisions. As long as these revisions are not substantial enough to be considered a new edition, you won’t need a new ISBN.

Keep in mind that Bowker considers the addition of completely new material (or removal of substantial elements) a major revision.
 

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