ISBN 
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD BOOK NUMBER-UNITED STATES AGENCY
InternationalStandard Numbering System for the Information Industry
630 Central Avenue, New Providence, New Jersey 07974
FAX: 908-219-0188 Email: isbn-san@bowker.com
 
APPLICATION FOR A SINGLE ISBN
============================================================================
PLEASE PRINT OR TYPE:
Company/Publisher Name: ______________________________________________________________
(Do not writing your printing company’s name. Write the name under which you will be doing business. Be certain of the name you choose. Changing a company name without notifying us can result in delays for you to sell your books in bookstores. Your record can be created in a personal name.)
Address: _____________________________________________________________________________
City: ____________________________________State: _________________Zip: ___________________
Company Phone : ______________Do Not Publish: Fax Number: ___________Do Not Publish:
Toll Free Phone: ___________________________ Toll Free Fax_________________________________
Web Site: ___________________________E-MAIL: ________________________Do Not Publish:
The address provided on this application will be published in the directory for wholesalers, retailers, and distributors. If you do not want your address above to be published, then please provide a publishable address below. Application will not be processed without a publishable address. A P.O. box may be used.
Name of Rights & Permissions Contact: _______________________________________________________
(This is the name of the person to be contacted by businesses who want to get permission to use your content in their products, such as movies and other publications.)
Job Title: ______________________________________ Phone Number: ___________________________
Name of ISBN Coordinator/Contact_____________________________________________________________________
(This is the name of the person we would contact if we want to talk to you.)
Job Title: ______________________________________ Phone Number: ___________________________
Please supply the e-mail address you would like the ISBN and bar code, if ordered, to be sent to. An email address is required for Priority and Express applications.
Email: _________________________________________________.
PUBLISHING INFORMATION:
1. Indicate year you started publishing: ______________________
2. Indicate what type of products you produce (circle):
Books      Videos     Spoken Words on     Cassette/CD     Software Electronic Books

Other - Please specify:_____________________________________________________________________________
3. Book Subject Area (circle):
Fiction     General Nonfiction     Childrens     Law   Medical     Religious     Sci-Tech

Other – Please specify: ____________________________________________________________________________
DISTRIBUTION INFORMATION:
Do you distribute for, or are you distributed by, any other company? Yes: __________ No: ___________
If so, please provide full company name/address information and ISBN Publisher Prefix (if any).
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
ISBN FEE:
Please select one:
Regular
(up to 15 business days)
Priority
(2nd business day)
Express
(next business day)
____$125 ____$150 ____$200

Optional EAN Bar Code Service:
Bowker, the company with stewardship of the ISBN Agency in the U.S., is one of many companies offering bar code services. The bar code is like an electronic price tag. It contains two pieces of information: the ISBN and the publication’s retail price (price the customer pays). It is emailed to you as an eps file for your use.

___ No, I do not want a bar code at this time.

___ Yes, I want to order a bar code (fee $25).      Publication’s retail price(s) $_______________
(If you have not set a price for your publication, the price field on your bar code will read 90000). Many bookstores require bar codes with prices on them. Once a bar code is made, it cannot be revised, changed, modified or altered in any way. If you change the price after the bar code is made, you must purchase another bar code. You can also request EAN bar codes once you receive your ISBN log book from the ISBN Agency. EAN bar codes can be requested at www.bowkerbarcode.com
 
PAYMENT
Your application for a single ISBN will be processed ONLY if you include the following: completed application and payment. Please note all fees are non-refundable. If paying by check or money order, make payable to R.R. Bowker.

ISBN fee: ______________
Bar Code fee: ______________
Total Amount: ______________

Type of Card: ______ American Express ______ Visa ______ Master Card ______ Discover
Card Holder Name: _________________________________________________________________
Account #: ______________________________________________ Expiration Date: _____________
Authorized signature:________________________________________ Date:_____________________
* Note: Credit Cards are the preferred form of payment. All fees are non-refundable.
 



FAQs for Publishers

What is an ISBN?
ISBN means International Standard Book Number. An ISBN is a number, used like a serial number, so that bookstores can accurately order books. An ISBN identifies both the title of the book and the publisher to whom it is assigned. An ISBN is not a bar code.

What is an ISBN publisher prefix?
ISBNs are assigned to publishers in blocks of numbers: 10, 100, and 1,000. Each block is configured so that the first several digits are the same. These digits, called the prefix, are what identify a publishing company. When you submit an application for a block of ISBNs, we say that you are applying for a publisher prefix. When you have used up the ISBNs in your prefix, you will apply for more ISBNs and be assigned a new prefix. It is not mathematically possible to add ISBNs to a prefix.

Why do I need ISBNs?
If you are selling your book on your own, you are not required to have an ISBN. If you want to sell your book in bookstores, place it with distributors and wholesalers, and put it in libraries, you are required to have an ISBN.

Can a self-publisher obtain ISBNs?
Yes, a self-publisher can obtain ISBNs. A self-publisher is a publisher: one who is undertaking the financial risk to bring a book to market and coordinating everything involved: advertising, marketing, printing, order fulfillment, etc.

How does the process work?
First, a publisher applies for an ISBN. The ISBN Agency emails the ISBN to the publisher. The ISBN is placed on the copyright page and is encoded on a bar code, which is placed on the back cover of the book. Then, when the book is about to be sold, the publisher registers the title in Books in Print at www.bowkerlink.com.

Why don’t you ask me for my book’s title?
The U.S. ISBN Agency assigns numbers to publishers for their use in bringing out their books. The ISBN Agency keeps the records of which ISBNs have been assigned to publishers. When your book is just about ready to be sold, you should register the title in Books in Print. Books in Print is the main directory that bookstores, online retailers, and libraries use when looking for books for their customers.

Do you also assign Library of Congress catalogue numbers and handle copyright?
The U.S. ISBN Agency does not assign Library of Congress catalog numbers. The Library of Congress does this. The ISBN Agency is not a part of the Library of Congress. You can reach the Library of Congress at www.loc.gov. Copyright is also handled by the Library of Congress.

Do I need bar codes?
You will need a bar code if you are going to sell your book in stores. There are several different bar code systems in the United States. The kind of bar code used in bookstores is called the EAN 13 bar code. You can purchase an EAN 13 bar code at the time you order your ISBN or you can get one afterward from a bar code supplier, or www.bowkerbarcode.com.

How can I register my book titles?
Publishers register their book titles in Books in Print at www.bowkerlink.com. When you are sent your ISBNs, you will be sent your username and password. Or, if your company has not yet been assigned these, you will be sent your company’s record number, which you can use to register as a new user at www.bowkerlink.com.

What is a distributor? What is a wholesaler? What is a retailer?
A distributor is a business that has a signed exclusive contract with a publisher to sell their books. The distributor warehouses the books, fulfills orders, and issues invoices. A wholesaler buys and sells books without an exclusive agreement with the publisher. The wholesaler consolidates orders to retailers. A retailer sells books to the public. A retailer can be a physical store or it can be online.

 










ISBN
  R.R. BOWKER, THE UNITED STATES ISBN AGENCY ISBN TERMS AND CONDITIONS

R.R. Bowker LLC ("Bowker"), a Delaware limited liability company, is the exclusive ISBN Registration Agency for the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico. Operating under a grant from the International ISBN Agency, Bowker has the exclusive right to assign ISBN prefixes and ISBNs to publishers located in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico.

By registering with Bowker and completing an ISBN Application, Registrant agrees as follows:

1. Registrant hereby certifies that it is a publisher. A publisher is a person or firm whose business is the publishing of books or other publications to which an ISBN can be assigned, and includes e-book publishers, audio cassette and video producers, software producers and museums and associations with publishing programs.

2. Registrant will only assign ISBNs to publications to which it holds publishing rights.

3. Registrant will not sell, license, distribute, disseminate, assign or otherwise make its assigned ISBN prefix and ISBNs available to other publishers or to any third parties.

4. Registrant agrees to follow the International ISBN Standards for use of ISBNs. The International ISBN Standards are available at the US ISBN Agency website located at http://www.isbn.organd at the International ISBN website located at http://www.isbn-international.org.

By issuing ISBN prefixes and ISBNs to Registrant, Bowker agrees as follows:

5. Bowker hereby warrants that it has the full right, power and authority to assign ISBN prefixes and ISBNs to publishers located in the United States, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam and Puerto Rico

6. Bowker hereby warrants that the ISBNs it assigns to Registrant will conform to current International ISBN Agency and International Standards Organization ("ISO") specifications and are fit for the particular purpose of identifying publications pursuant to the recognized ISO standard.

7. EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN, BOWKER MAKES NO OTHER WARRANTY, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED.

8. BOWKER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO REGISTRANT FOR ANY LOSS OR INJURY RESULTING FROM ANY USE OF ISBN PREFIXES OR ISBNS BY REGISTRANT OR OTHER PARTIES. BOWKER SHALL NOT BE LIABLE TO REGISTRANT FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE FORESEEABLE, WHETHER SUCH DAMAGES ARE DEEMED TO RESULT FROM THE FAILURE OR INADEQUACY OF ANY EXCLUSIVE OR OTHER REMEDY OR WHETHER BOWKER HAS BEEN ADVISED OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Please contact the US ISBN Agency at isbn-san@bowker.comif you have questions about these terms and conditions or the ISBN standards.

These terms and conditions are governed by the laws of the State of New Jersey excluding its conflicts of laws principles. The venue for any litigation arising out of these terms and conditions shall be the state or federal courts located within the State of New Jersey, U.S.A.
February 2006