FAQ & Guides

An International Standard Book Number is a 13-digit identifier for one specific edition and format of a book. Retailers, libraries and distributors use it to look up your book's details.

Yes. Paperback, hardcover, ebook and audiobook editions each need their own ISBN. A new edition with significant changes also needs a new ISBN.

With a Basic Publishing Package, Phlint, Inc. is listed as the publisher of record for the ISBN. You keep the copyright to your work. If you need your own company listed as publisher, you need ISBNs registered to that company.

No. ISBNs are not transferable. Once an ISBN is registered to a book it can never be reassigned to another title.

Printed books use an EAN-13 "Bookland" barcode made from your ISBN-13. You can download PNG, SVG and PDF files from your dashboard.

An optional second barcode that encodes the suggested retail price. The first digit is the currency (5 = US dollars) and the next four are the price, so 52299 means $22.99. Use 90000 if you do not want to print a price.

After purchase, you register your book in four steps: title and contributors, format and ISBN, publication details, then review and accept the Publishing Agreement. Our team reviews the details and records them with the ISBN registry, and we email you as the status changes.

Yes. Each step saves a draft, and you can come back to it anytime from My Books.

Many authors do. Each sales channel sets its own ISBN and listing rules, so check the current requirements of the channel you plan to use. We do not guarantee acceptance by any retailer.

Unused ISBNs may be refundable under our refund policy. Once an ISBN is registered to your book, it cannot be reversed.

No. ISBN.help is an independent service from Phlint, Inc. It is not the official U.S. ISBN Agency and is not affiliated with Bowker.