If you're looking into buying an ISBN, or International Standard Book Number, then you must be preparing to become a publisher. This means that you have some sort of written work you want to publish on your own and need an ISBN to complete the process. You can do this entirely on your own or choose a service provider to assist you in the process.
Becoming your own publisher isn't a simple process. This task entails running every aspect of your publication from concept and creation to sales and distribution.
With today's technology and the level of services provided online, the idea of the do-it-yourself publisher no longer needs to be so intimidating. Resources like WordClay, Kindle Direct Publishing, and Lulu all help facilitate the publishing process while letting you control every aspect along the way. In some cases you can even convert your book into an eBook with just a few clicks.
All of these services allow you to use your own ISBN if you already have one. But, they also give you the option of purchasing one through them. The cost for a single ISBN will probably run you around $99.00 and take a few weeks to receive.
If you still prefer, you can purchase your ISBN's in blocks of 10, 100 or 1,000 in the United States from the only authorized dealer R. R. Bowker. The cost will range from $275 for 10 ISBN's all the way up to $1,875 for a block of 1,000.
There is a registration and a processing fee involved. The registration fee sets you up a publisher prefix along with the block of numbers and the processing fee covers the processing of your application.
If that's not in your budget then you have another option. These publishing services offer you the ability to obtain an ISBN for each of the projects you create through .
The catch to these free ISBN's is that when you obtain one you are granting publishing rights to the service to act as a publisher on your behalf with retailers and wholesalers globally. All the control and royalties remain yours. When you weigh the services they provide to the benefits you receive, you'll find they present a pretty good deal.