What Is an ISBN and Can I Publish a Book Without One?

When it comes to book publishing, there’s plenty of things you’ll know you need to do. Getting an ISBN for your book is one of them, so, we’re going to address all the questions you might have about  ISBNs and why you need them if you are self-publishing. Let’s dive in.

What is an ISBN?

The term ISBN stands for International Standard Book Number which is just another way of saying a book’s barcode. Books published since 2007 have a 13 digit ISBN, whereas books that were sold before then have a 10 digit ISBN. They are used to identify books that are published in a limited capacity, so  publications like magazines and newspapers don’t need an ISBN. An ISBN is a way of monitoring the stock and sales of a book. It’s also important to note that you’ll need an ISBN per format, so if you are publishing e-books and physical copies then you’ll need two ISBNs, one for each format.

Do you need an ISBN?

Any book that is available for free or for profit needs an ISBN to identify it in the public sphere and depending on how broadly you want to distribute your book you might need more than one ISBN. For example, if you are only ever intending to publish on Amazon or singularly on another platform like IngramSpark, then they might provide an ISBN or ASIN (as Amazon calls theirs). With these identifiers you risk being unable to publish the book on other platforms, as these corporations may flag you up if you use their ISBN/ASIN to distribute your book separately. Then you may be asked to remove it from Amazon, losing any reviews and sales rankings you might have made. These platforms provide ISBNs/ASINs with the stipulation that they’re the sole distributor so, if you know that you’ll want to use multiple platforms for your book, in future or think that’s the case, then it’s best to buy an ISBN from the start, rather than use a freely provided one.

How much does an ISBN cost?

ISBN’s are sold by each country’s ISBN issuing agency, and the price varies. In the UK, it costs £93 to purchase an ISBN from Nielsen or approx £174 for 10 (as of 2025) and once an ISBN is being used for a book, it cannot be changed so it’s a standalone purchase. If you’re intending to publish across multiple platforms, you can and should buy yourself an ISBN. If you do buy the block of 10 ISBNs, they can be used on future books, so the fee is very good value for money. The only exception is if you know for certain that you only want to publish on  Amazon, in which case you will be given an ISBN for free, in exchange for exclusivity to the platform. Please check the specific costs on your country’s ISBN issuing agency. Some countries issue ISBNs for free.

Do I need an ISBN to get my book in physical bookshops?

As we mentioned before, you need an ISBN for any book that is put out for public consumption whether that is for free or for sale, so yes, you’ll need an ISBN to get your book in bookshops. It is especially important, since wholesalers, like Gardiners in the UK, are the middlemen who get books into bookshops and they can only do this if the book has an ISBN barcode. Gardiners stock books from IngramSpark so  you’ll have to publish the book there first, so that it is available to be bought by Gardieners, if they decide to stock it.

Overall, ISBNs are the lesser talked about necessity that you need for book publishing, but it’s important you know all about ISBN’s and familiarise yourself with the information specific to the country you are going to publish your book in. If you need any help with publishing your book, please book a free call with us.