US ISBN Agency
The ISBN number is linked to essential information about your book: what the book is, who wrote it, and what the book is about. Since the ISBN is an extension of the book itself, you should be aware of what you are buying, and who you are buying from. Only buy ISBN numbers from US ISBN Agency and their authorized partners.
The US ISBN Agency only allows certain Channel Partners, such as Publisher Services to purchase and redistribute ISBN numbers. This means that when you purchase an ISBN from Publisher Services, you know that the ISBN is coming from a legitimate source. Because your ISBN is provided through a legitimate source, you can be sure that your book data will be communicated through the official bibliographic database (Bowker’s Books In Print), and will have as wide a reach as possible through this data. Our unique portal enables our clients to have complete control of their title data.
This may not always be the case with illegitimate resellers. When selecting who to purchase an ISBN from, there may be ISBN resellers who claim to sell “authentic” or “trusted” ISBNs but are in fact unauthorized to do so. Please be aware that there are unauthorized resellers of ISBNs, and that this activity is a violation of the ISBN Agency and of industry practice.
If you use one of these illegitimate ISBNs, you will not be correctly identified as the publisher of record in Books In Print or any of the industry databases, such as Barnes & Noble or Amazon, or in the databases of wholesalers such as Ingram.
Think of an ISBN as a driver’s license for your book – it tells retailers everything they need to know about your book at a glance. However, if you buy an ISBN from an illegitimate source, it’s along the same lines as buying a driver’s license on a street corner: you’re certainly buying a license, but you don’t know whose you’re buying!
You have spent time bringing your book to life, make sure you obtain an ISBN from a legitimate source like Publisher Services to make it available to as many potential readers as possible!
