Great thread! I was hoping for an update when I went to page two. About the ISBN- I just use the free one at CreateSpace. It seems to work great. Is there something specific you are worried about by doing that?
Mmm... Not so much worried, as trying to be prepared.
See, I'm a big fan of little effort. That is, achieving good opportunity and effect, with small things done early on. I'm also preparing for eventual success.
As I read on a user forum...
"CreateSpace offers a $10 Custom ISBN, and you can use whatever name you want for the imprint. If you use that, CreateSpace will distribute your book to bookstores. They will not distribute it to libraries and academic institutions. This Custom ISBN is a ton cheaper than the Bowker price for a single ISBN."
"
CreateSpace $99 Custom Universal ISBN. I'm not clear on the benefits and limitations of this one. It looks like it has all the benefits of an ISBN you obtain from a registrar, but at a slight discount from Bowker's single-ISBN price. I'm not confident that I understand this option fully."
"If you use your own ISBN (as I do), you can put your own imprint on the book. CreateSpace will handle the distribution through the channels you choose (with some limits), and will print the books for those channels. You can distribute the book yourself through other channels, and you can get them printed wherever you like (CreateSpace or elsewhere)."
I'm with Amazon NOW, but I might not be FOREVER. Eventually if I get deeper into the self-publishing, I'll probably find a printer that won't cost so much. I might want to jump ship over there for printed copies.
If I have an Amazon ISBN when I jump ship, then I'll have to release a new edition. If it's my own ISBN, then I can just take it wholesale and slap it over.
Also, there's that bit about libraries to consider. I freaking LOVE libraries, used to work at one back in high school and college. I would get such a big kick out of seeing my work available in the local libraries... And more importantly, my parents would, too. It wouldn't be a very profitable market, not to start, not for years, but I want to set things up so that I can tap it early on without having to scramble and put effort into it later.
So yeah. The $10 custom ISBN would be the way to go, save for the library vector. Put that into the mix, and it's either the $99 custom option, or provide your own. And when you can get 10 for $300, and plan more books down the road... Well, it blows the $99 option out of the water.
IF it works like I think it does, and I don't have to tie them to titles right away. Need to research that.