Single ISBN Numbers - Clarity

Recently, I have read numerous blogs from self-publishers and others making various inaccurate statements regarding single ISBN numbers and ISBN numbers as a whole. As the General Manager of Identifier Services and head of the U.S. ISBN Agency, I have created this blog as a forum to clarify important standards-related issues and address questions that may exist regarding important identifier-related topics.

First on my blog agenda are issues relating to single ISBNs...

Single ISBNs are indeed available for purchase and assignment, either directly via the U.S. ISBN Agency (www.isbn.org) or via authorized designated agents who are also referred to as "Channel Partners." The US ISBN Agency has executed formal agreements with several channel partners, including:

• Lulu (www.lulu.com)
• RJ Communications (www.selfpublishing.com)
• Bar Code Graphics (www.publisherservices-us.com)
• Aardvark Global Publishing (www.aardvarkglobalpublishing.com)
• Instant Publisher (www.instantpublisher.com)
• Bethany Press (www.bethanypress.com)

Many designated agents ("channel partners") will offer ISBNs as part of "service bundles." For example, an ISBN + a bar code. It is important to understand that these agents offer two models: one in which the agent maintains publisher of record status, e.g., "Published by Lulu" and the other in which the publisher customer ("self publisher") maintains publisher of record status, e.g,. "Published by You." Publisher of record assignment is important because it is the record attribute in major bibliographic databases, such as Books in Print (www.booksinprint.com) for which many major retailers, search engines, libraries and other channels utilize to catalog literary works.

In several months, the US ISBN Agency will launch a new comprehensive web portal, MyIdentifiers.com which will feature a list of these approved channel partners and links to various services they offer. The site will provide utilities to attach important meta-data to each work that is registered and assigned an ISBN, enabling optimal discoverability by librarians and patrons across traditional and online book discovery channels and platforms.

If you have purchased an ISBN from an unauthorized agent and would like to get assistance in resolving problems with the wrongful publisher assignment of your works, please contact the ISBN Agency at andy.weissberg@bowker.com.

When purchasing an ISBN number, either directly from the ISBN Agency or via a designated agent, it is critical that the ISBN is assigned correctly to the publisher of record. There have been several cases when companies claiming they are ISBN re-sellers are not, selling ISBNs to publishers but claiming publisher assignment.

Please stay tuned for future postings related to ISBNs, identifiers and discoverability!