Why You Should Not Use A Free ISBN Number

If you plan to sell your book in bookstores, to libraries, or through online retailers you will need an ISBN. There are several reasons why you might not want to use a free ISBN number for your book, including:

Publisher record
When you register your book with a free ISBN, the entity that provided the ISBN is recorded as the publisher. This might not look as professional as if you were listed as the publisher. Also the publisher of record receives the money from the book sale and distributes what they want the author to receive.

Non-transferrable
Some free ISBNs are non-transferrable, so you might not be able to use them with another publisher or self-publishing service. For example, Amazon's free ISBNs can only be used for distribution to Amazon and its distributors.

Control
​With your own ISBN, you have complete control over what's entered in your book's metadata, which can help readers, bookstores, and libraries decide if they want to buy your book.
 
However, if you're self-publishing a one-off book with low sales and aren't serious about publishing using a free ISBN might be good for you. If you are a serious author and planning to self-publish several books then it would be a good idea to purchase your own ISBN number.
 
Currently, the cost for one ISBN is $125. The cost for 10 ISBNs $295. IngramSpark has teamed up with Bowker to offer a special rate on single ISBNs to IngramSpark United States publishers. Once you have an IngramSpark account, you can purchase single ISBNs directly from Bowker through your IngramSpark dashboard for just $85. Purchasing an ISBN through your IngramSpark dashboard offers you a discounted rate on that individual ISBN and the benefit of having your publishing imprint attached.

However, if you’re likely to publish more than one book or more than one format of the same book, we encourage you to consider purchasing a 10-pack of ISBNs directly from Bowker.com (US publishers only). It’s recommended that you make your book available in more than one format, and you can save money by buying a block of 10 through Bowker. Remember, you're likely to sell more books if your title is available in a variety of formats.